Designing a small garden is a real challenge for many homeowners. The task becomes even more difficult when you have a limited budget. In today's article we give some tips and ideas on the topic of “designing a small garden with little money” that should help you create your own oasis of peace in the smallest of spaces and save money in the process.
Designing a garden with little money – good planning is the be-all and end-all
A chaotic concept often results in the garden looking unkempt and uncomfortable. Therefore, good planning is essential. Here are the most important steps in planning a successful garden design:
1.Draw a basic sketch: Where is the entrance? Where will the seating area be placed? How big will flower beds be? Of course, you need the dimensions of your property. You can also use a free garden planner for this purpose.
2. WhichElements and building materialsare used for garden design? Are there cheaper alternatives?
3. DieSelection of plantsdepends on the size of the flower bed, the purpose and the location. It is important to determine the sky orientation and daylight conditions. Some flowers do better in full sun, while others prefer shady locations. Limit yourself to a few plant species in a bed and repeat them more often.
4.Execution of the project: If you choose a simple concept, you can easily do much of the work yourself. It is better to leave work where mistakes could be really expensive to specialist companies.
Make an initial rough cost calculation so that you can orientate yourself. Of course, prices vary depending on the design elements that are added individually. A gazebo or greenhouse looks nice, but also means additional expenses. Key cost factors include size of the property, material selection and prices, quantity and type of planting, lighting and irrigation.
Reduce the size of the lawn to save money
Large lawns in small gardens can seem boring and empty. But anyone who believes that lawns are easier to care for than flowering perennial beds must remember that lawns need to be mowed, fertilized, scarified, cut and watered regularly. And that not only takes a lot of time, but also money. For a small garden, we recommend either a small lawn or wide lawn paths that lead past herbaceous beds. Artificial turf is also an alternative, as it completely eliminates the need for increased maintenance. However, the plastic version is actually significantly more expensive than natural grass.
In addition, the monotonous green area is very vulnerable and constantly covered in moss and a variety of thingsweeds are clearedshould. This obsession drives garden owners to spend unnecessary amounts of money on weed and moss killers. If their mission is successful, the result is a green monoculture. But many gardening experts recommend keeping a reasonable percentage of weeds in the lawn. Their argument is that this natural diversity can be used to maintain a healthy lawn. Clover, for example, ensures that nitrogen is enriched in the soil thanks to its finely branched roots. This makes the additional supply of artificially produced nitrogen fertilizer unnecessary.
It doesn't always have to be well-kept greenery that makes a beautiful and inviting garden. By eliminating lawns, you free up space for a larger patio, fountain, or small pond.
Create inexpensive garden paths with mulch and gravel
Gravel or mulch paths are another inexpensive design option. To keep the area weed-free, first lay weed control underneath. Newspaper also proves to be an effective protection against weeds. This not only keeps the mulch free of grass, but also looks fresher for longer. An interesting idea for beautifying the mulch and gravel beds is to have buckets embedded in the groundfresh herbs.
Water features, ponds and water features
Water is a particularly invigorating element in the garden. A water system or garden pond doesn't have to cost a fortune. There are now modern pump sets and pond liners on the market that are inexpensive and easy to install. If you arrange rocks and boulders in an interesting way, you can even create small waterfalls. Alternatively, you can make a small fountain yourself out of clay pots.
Choosing cheap plants for the garden
If you want to save money, you should use cheaper but sufficiently large plant species. Perennial perennial plants, for example, are a cheap option because they are undemanding, winter-hardy, perennial and evergreen. The broad spectrum of perennial species includes ground cover, flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and magnificent perennials. You have to invest more in the beginning, but the one-time effort will be rewarded in the long term. Particularly easy-care but very beautiful perennials are alliums, glories, asters, coneflowers and lupins.
Good companions to the impressive garden flowers are low ground cover plants such as phlox, cranesbill, catnip and lady's mantle. Perennials can also be beautifully surrounded by ornamental grasses. Grasses provide great contrasts and give the flower bed a natural charm. Plan a flower bed that will bloom year-round by paying attention to the blooming time of each type of plant.
Where can you get garden flowers cheaply? One option is to grow new plants through cuttings. Cuttings are parts of plants that can root and develop into an independent plant again. They can be leaves, shoot tips, stem pieces or roots. The cutting should be about ten centimeters long, with flowers and leaves removed. The plant parts are then either placed in a glass of water or placed directly in moistened soil. As soon as you want to increase larger quantities, the second option is more economical. Many plants such as hydrangeas, hostas, lavender, lilacs, boxwood and pelargoniums can be propagated using cuttings.
Supermarkets and discounters also often offer cheap garden flowers for planting in the home garden. Even if the quality of cheap plants is criticized by many flower experts, with patience, luck and care, such flowers can still become beautiful after weeks. When buying, pay attention to whether the leaves are green and healthy and whether the plant can still develop enough buds.
Make cheap decorations for the garden yourself
The decoration adds the finishing touch to the garden and makes it inviting and cozy. Even though there are an incredible number of decorative items on the market, you can save a lot of money by making something beautiful yourself. You have an incredible number of options. It doesn't always have to be a complicated DIY project. You can either make old things and household items shine again or simply buy other inexpensive craft materials and repurpose them. Clay pots, for example, can be used as a basis for many decorative ideas. If you can't think of it at the moment, you caninspire on our pages! Have fun imitating!
