12 Smart Ways to Garden on a Budget

Growing from seeds is far cheaper than purchasing plants, helping you to garden on a budget. It can be a challenge to germinate seeds indoors, although you may feel a greater sense of achievement and pride in your garden. Seeds on their own are relatively cheap, however, if you are on a budget then you can trade them with friends, family and locals. You can find websites and groups online where gardeners not only swap seeds but plants, furniture and ornaments too. This can be a great way of learning more about growing from seed, as well as improving your garden for free.

Most perennials, shrubs, vines and trees can be propagated, this can be done by correctly cutting off sections of the plants and potting them in moist perlite or an enriched potting mix. If you take good care, you should see results within a few weeks or months. You should see roots forming, leaves emerging and some growth. Depending on the plant, you can then look at transferring it into your garden.

Purchasing perennials that you can divide is a great cost-effective way to fill flowering beds, being an ideal way to garden on a budget. This will work best with clump-forming perennials such as geums, astrantia and hardy geraniums. Start by tipping out the plant from its container and pull it apart into two or three sections. Finally, dig a hole for each section and plant, leaving space in between each plant. After a year or two, you can then continue this method on the same plants, if they have grown and spread well.

Shaping up your lawn, shrubs and plants is a cost-effective way of keeping your garden looking its best. You can maintain your garden, or decide on some new shapes that you can introduce within the space. This is a fantastic way to take your garden to the next level, without breaking the bank. Shaping up is one of the easiest ways to garden on a budget.

If you look in the right places, you can find free stuff everywhere. Try looking on Facebook Marketplace, online groups, local gardening communities or clubs. This will be also made far easier if you have plants to exchange in return. If you are struggling to find anything in your area, you can try setting up a group and inviting your neighbours, friends and family, as this will benefit everyone. To garden on a budget, you can’t go wrong with free stuff.

Using all-natural gardening methods is better for your garden, and will save you money too. You can look into attracting beneficial insects into your garden, who will eat the bad ones. You can try removing weeds by smothering them with cardboard, which prevents any light from reaching them. Finally, you can look into our Pure Gardening Range which will help you in producing organic matter that will help your garden flourish.

A professional garden design would be great for your outdoor space, but it will be a costly expense. You can design a garden yourself, try searching online for inspiration and remember to take into account where the sun will be throughout the day. Start mocking up potential designs with pencil and paper, be imaginative and visit garden shows for inspiration. Spend time in your garden and think about its flow, smells and lighting. Finally, you can get stuck into creating the space, or look into hiring the right people for the job.

You can start a vegetable patch by choosing a good-sized space in your garden, preparing the soil and incorporating compost on top. Choose the vegetables you would like to grow, and space out the plot accordingly. Think about using Automatic Watering to keep your vegetables growing healthy. These vegetables will be a great addition to your garden, providing you with a substantial amount of veg, an ideal method to garden on a budget.

Producing your own compost is one of the easiest ways to create a healthier garden. Turn your kitchen and garden waste into organic matter, which can be used almost anywhere in your garden. Use our EasyMix 2-in-1 Composter, to produce compost and a liquid feed within just 6-8 weeks. The Hozelock Bokashi Composter and Biomix will also help in turning waste into nutrition for your garden and help you to garden on a budget.

Annual plants will grow, flower and die all within a season. However, if you look after your perennial plants, they will grow back year after year. Purchasing perennial plants is a low-cost way of creating a beautiful garden, without having to re-plant each season. You can also look for sale plants in the colder seasons. Garden centres will place various plants on sale as they may be unable to store them effectively or are looking tired. If you take good care of them, you can bring them back to life for a fraction of the price.

Take a look around your home, if some household objects are not serving their purpose, think about how they could be incorporated within your garden. This will help you to build up your garden ornaments, planters, and furniture without spending any money so you can garden on a budget. Incorporating unused household objects in your garden will also help you to de-clutter your home.

Collecting rainwater will help you save money on your water bill as it will limit the need for use of mains water. Rainwater can also be better for your plants, as well as the environment. Rainwater can be used for either indoor or outdoor plants, allowing you to garden on a budget both inside and outside your home. Implementing Hozelock’s Watering Wisdom tips will not only help the environment, but it will stop you from over-watering and help your garden to flourish, giving you stronger, healthier plants. You can even save money on your water bills! Take a read here or visit: Water Wise – https://www.waterwise.org.uk/save-water/