As with any large-scale renovation, spending money can quickly add up when you're looking to transform an existing yard. However, this can be avoided if you follow some right steps and decisions. This will allow you to both stretch your budget and achieve the look and feel of your dream garden. Where it makes sense to save without compromising on quality or style may not always be where you would expect. Here are some clever ways to reuse or repurpose existing materials, as well as strategies for gradually implementing larger landscape projects.
Simplify your wish list and transform an existing garden
It's easy to get carried away when it comes to making your wish list for yourCreate your dream garden. This can range from elements for patios to outdoor kitchens and pools to fire pits. However, the costs add up very quickly. Therefore, focus on the design elements that you actually want a lot and that you will use frequently.
So if you want to save money, consider trimming down your wish list or eliminating a few features that you could add over time. A professionally drawn site plan will help ensure that you don't have to remodel an improved area when you later install new features.
Don't necessarily choose the most expensive materials
Hard surfaces, such as garden paths, pavers and patios, are often money-sucking factors when remodeling an existing garden. Both the materials and the installation can be expensive. If you're looking for ways to limit your budget, you can use durable but less expensive building materials either temporarily or permanently. A mix of gravel and pavers instead of cut stone would be a suitable example. Gravel can be an excellent, durable and cost-effective alternative toNatural stone in the gardenbe.
It is also recommended to use a mix of gravel and concrete or prefabricated paving stones. Regardless of which material you choose, it's worth investing in professional installation. If you need to roll a wheelchair, walker, or stroller across your main path, consider gravel as a cost-saving material for side paths or patios instead.
Use materials that are already available
It's tempting to want to rip everything out and start with a clean slate. However, a smart idea would be to stop and take stock of what you have. Repurposing existing plants and materials, especially long-lasting and high-quality ones, can help save your budget and improve your design. For example, you can use existing clay pavers mixed with bricks to create a new walkway. You can also leave flowers and perennials that have already been laid and established in the garden. Retain your original designs and give them a fresh coat of paint, such as new ball caps for the posts and new gates for an updated look. Additionally, a fresh coat of paint on an outdated item can be worth the investment for a relatively small cost.
Choose local or salvaged materials
If you don't have existing elements when you redesign your existing garden and want to reuse them, chances are someone in your area has them. Check with local scrap yards and materials depots. You may be able to snag a pallet of bricks for a patio or boards for a fence for a fraction of the new purchase price. If you buy new materials such as gravel, wood or cut stones, you can also ask which ones come from your region. These are usually much cheaper than materials transported from elsewhere. This will help your new old garden adapt to the natural tones of the area. You may also want to ask a landscape architect if you could use local materials.
Buy young plants or seedlings
Ungrown garden plants can also save your budget. These can easily be found in smaller sizes and can grow to their size over time. It would be even wiser to invest in permanent elements such as hardscape. Even when planted in small containers, many herbs, perennials, ground covers, ornamental grasses and vines fill up quickly. Some shrubs, trees, cacti and succulents may be slower to mature depending on the species. A few exceptions for which it may be worth purchasing larger plants: one or two mature trees and shrubs that you will need for more shade or screening. If you're looking for more color in your flower beds, perennials that come back year after year are a much better investment than annuals. You have to buy and plant the latter every season. Nurseries often have end-of-season sales in the fall that are well stocked with perennials, which is a perfect time for planting.
Set inexpensive and effective accents in the garden
For long-lasting and frequently used garden design elements, it makes sense to choose the highest quality materials and craftsmanship you can afford. However, for smaller decorative accents this is not always absolutely necessary. Cute little garden details can make a big impact. Adding such impactful elements when remodeling an existing garden can be another way to improve the overall look at a low cost. Other low-investment, high-payoff outdoor accents you can try include fancy house numbers or an eye-catching mailbox.
Planning taking maintenance costs into account
Once you have the materials installed and the plants grown in the ground, your future costs will be associated with maintenance. Some materials require more care than others to stay looking good over the long term. All plants also require different amounts of water and plant care throughout the year in order to continue to thrive. It's best to keep this in mind when you're just starting your project to shape your plan accordingly.
In general, high-quality natural materials such as honed stone and flagstone for patios and walkways require minimal care when installed properly. Gravel and decomposed granite, on the other hand, need to be refilled every now and then. Synthetic decking can save the cost of having to seal a natural wood deck every few years.
For plants, the best choice to reduce water costs is to use native varieties or those that grow well in your climate.Gardens that consist of low-maintenanceShrubs, ground covers and perennials require less garden maintenance than those with high-maintenance annual flower beds or pruned topiary. So choose a style that you have the time and budget to maintain in the future. Skipping a traditional lawn can also provide big savings in both water and maintenance.
Divide the project into phases
For larger garden redesigns, dividing the design into several phases can be quite helpful in terms of budgeting. For phased projects, consult a professional at the beginning to draw a complete site plan. This allows you to sketch out the overall design and divide the phases depending on construction access. Think about everything that will be useful or desirable in the future. It's no fun to repeatedly excavate the ground or drill holes in finished surfaces.
A complete site plan guiding the construction process is also likely to reduce overall costs. For example, with proper planning between phases, a builder could lay the foundation under a deck for a structure to be installed later. Then, when the customer is financially ready to build their patio and pergola, installation can be accomplished by simply pulling up the pavers covering the foundations, as opposed to major excavation and redoing.
