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You don’t need a luxury patio set, a subscription to a seed club or a pair of fancy gloves to have a great garden. Some of the most charming outdoor spaces have been created with hardly any budget at all – just a bit of time, a few innovative ideas and maybe the occasional raid of the recycling bin.
British garden owners say they would consider spending up to £4,700 to create their dream outdoor space, according to Wickes’s great garden report. However, with rising costs and more people living in temporary or shared spaces, many are finding cheaper ways to create something beautiful.
From composting kitchen scraps to swapping cuttings with neighbours, low-cost gardening was a top priority for readers who responded to a recent Guardian call-out for budget-friendly gardening tips. Whether you’ve got a garden, a balcony or a sunny windowsill, there is plenty you can do to bring it to life without spending a fortune.
Planning
Gardening can be an expensive hobby, a horticultural expert Dr Susanne Lux, says, but you can make it more cost-effective with “good planning, and by choosing hardy perennial plants which are resistant to pests and disease and will return each year.
“Hardy or ‘true’ geraniums are a good choice as they can withstand winter frosts and will bloom profusely for months on end from May onwards.” You can identify hardy geraniums by their open, saucer-shaped five-petalled flowers, she says.
Think about slugs, snails and other pests you want to avoid, while factoring in which plants will attract more welcome wildlife such as hedgehogs and pollinators. Geraniums, for instance, “are virtually inedible to slugs and snails”, Lux says.
“This will help you save plenty of money that you’d otherwise have to invest in new plants or slug deterrents, such as copper wiring, which can be very expensive or look untidy,” she says.
Geraniums start at £8.99 at the RHS plants shop, and seeds at B&Q go for about £3.
Digitalis, more commonly known as foxgloves, are also generally resistant to slugs and snails because of their toxicity, as are sedums because of their thick leaves.
Plan out where you will plant things and use all of your space, including fences and walls, say the Chelsea flower show garden designers Freddie Strickland and Ben Gifford.
“Look for opportunities to grow plants in adapted planters suitable for the walls and railings, not just on the floor. [And] don’t be intimidated by using taller plants. There are lots of wonderful plants that can add height and will work well on a small balcony,” they add.
The Guardian reader Loz, who lives in the West Midlands, says you can create stunning and long-lasting beds in hanging baskets, which are portable and great for smaller spaces. “You can buy static hanging baskets that attach to a wall or fence, pack them with some bedding and compost that you can also buy, and fill them with beautiful little flowers … When you get practised and more skilled, you can even sell them or give them to family and friends.”
Planting
Growing plants from seeds will save you some cash. Seed packets can cost less than £1 depending on the type of plant. Or you can get seeds for free from friendly neighbours, from wildflowers on the side of the road or from plants you already own.
“Collecting seeds from a previous crop is easily the cheapest way to build a seed collection,” Rosie Dunkley, a Guardian reader who lives in Sheffield, says. Something to bear in mind at the end of the growing season.
To start a seed collection on the cheap, Dunkley suggests checking Freecycle, Facebook marketplace or general seed selling websites for giveaways.
She also suggests growing things from your kitchen cupboards. “If you’re growing for the love of it, try experimenting with popping corn or lentils,” she says. “These may not necessarily produce a crop depending on the initial breed but will give you green plants in the meantime.”
Suzanne from Wiltshire says she “shops” in her friends’ and family’s gardens. “If there is a plant I like, I ask if I can take a cutting, or some seed heads at the end of the growing season,” she says. “I’ve had calendula seeds, nigella seeds, poppy seeds, as well as primroses (which seem to self seed everywhere), hellebore, hebe, mint, marjoram and many others.”
If you don’t have the patience, or are still too nervous to start from scratch, you could buy young plants, as Suzanne does. “When I do buy my own, I always opt for smaller versions of plants, which are much cheaper. I’ve bought lots of different fuchsias for £1.50 each, which are tiny – but I’ve potted them up and kept them indoors until they are big enough to be acclimatised outside,” she says.
“I don’t mind my garden taking longer to look ‘established’ if it means I can afford a variety of plants – and I get the added satisfaction of knowing I’ve nurtured them to maturity myself.”
Caroline and Peter Clayton, the designers of the ME+EM City Garden at the Chelsea flower show, recommend replanting supermarket herbs. “Gently separate the crowded seedlings into clumps of two to three stems and replant them as individual plants. Give them decent light, and harvest from the top, not the sides, to encourage bushy growth.”
To help your plants thrive, David Straker, who lives in Abergavenny, says you can often get woodchip for free if you ask a tree surgeon. “Woodchip is free from arborists who have to pay to dump it. It makes beautiful natural paths and eventually decomposes into a super soil additive.
“It can also be used to mulch beds, stopping unsightly weeds and holding in moisture,” he says.
Containers
Tania, who lives in Swindon, turns used supermarket food containers such as used yoghurt tubs or empty grape cartons as starter pots to get seeds going. “I save these throughout the year and start my seeds in early spring in these. You can also use chocolate trays with clear lids because it keeps the temperature warmer,” she says.
Rosie, who lives in Warwickshire, recommends keeping plastic milk bottles to create a mini greenhouse, which “protects seeds from elements”.
Paul Jones, who is based in Lewes, fills old plastic milk bottles with water to act as radiators in his greenhouse. “The sun warms them up during the day (water is highly efficient at storing heat) and they radiate the heat out at night,” he says.
Craig Hutton from Southampton says he created tall raised beds in his garden from “an old chest of drawers on its back”, and used the drawers as planters. Look out for old furniture being offered for free or cheap online.
Fences and furniture
A quick way to freshen up your outdoor space is by painting any walls or fences, after filling cracks and smoothing out any messy surfaces, says Susie Worth, who lives in London.
“In my experience, fences very rarely look swish, but with a fresh coat of fence paint for maybe a tenner, you could transform it,” she says. When we looked, a five-litre tub of Ronseal shed and fence paint costs £10 at B&Q.
To enjoy your outside space, you will need somewhere to sit, so garden furniture should be a top priority in your garden spending. Clair Albone, a garden expert at Wickes, says you should invest in hard-wearing furniture that will last, so you don’t need to pay to replace it as often.
“Opt for neutral tones, quality materials such as wood or metal, and clean, simple lines that complement your space rather than compete with it,” she says.
Folding furniture is great if you have a smaller space, such as a balcony or small patio, and you can find lots of affordable options. Habitat’s Eve two-seater metal bistro set is £65 and has a manufacturer’s one-year guarantee. It can be folded and stored away when not in use, which can prevent unnecessary wear and tear.
You can often create fences or boarded-off areas using old wood or plants. Clare Cormack, who lives in South Derbyshire, says she has saved on fences by incorporating materials she has sourced for free, or very cheaply: “Instead of buying bamboo canes, fencing and arches, create dead hedges. Build your own arches and structures using hazel or willow or any other suitable materials.”
Old scaffolding boards or branches from pruned trees can also work well for fences or raised flower beds. Hutton says if you have pruned trees or shrubs, you “may have a lot of wood about that can be either cut up into sections and driven into the ground as rows of short stakes or larger pieces can be laid out flat to do the same job. It looks great, is free and is good for insect life.
“The best way to cut up the wood is using a small electric saw. They have a six-inch blade and are easily handled,” he says. You can buy one for about £50. This multifunction saw from Argos costs £45.
Lawn
Mowing your lawn according to the seasons can reduce some of the costs associated with looking after it, says Nick Ee, a product and training manager at the tool company Black+Decker.
Spring is usually when the first cut of the year takes place, he says, and the “rest of the season should be spent maintaining a healthy lawn, only cutting about once a week depending on growth and weather conditions”.
In the summer, “a lawn cut twice a week is likely to be necessary to keep gardens looking tidy”. You can treat the lawn in autumn as you would in the spring.
Winter calls for only cutting grass “occasionally if absolutely necessary”, Ee says. Finally, “never mow grass that is wet or frozen as this can cause damage to the lawn and soil as well as tools,” which will cost money in the long run.
The mower you need depends on the size of your garden. “For smaller gardens, it’s not necessary to spend a lot. A basic electric mower, either corded or cordless, will usually be more than enough and very affordable,” Ee says. At Toolstation, you can get a mower from about £60.
Readers suggested asking in neighbourhood chats if anyone has one to borrow, or renting one if you only plan to mow occasionally.
Let it grow
Alternatively, you can keep costs down by letting your lawn grow wild, creating a wildflower meadow.
“Allocating a portion of your lawn to wildflowers is a fantastic way to reduce both maintenance and costs, while also supporting biodiversity,” Ee says. “It not only cuts down on mowing but also adds a beautiful, natural feel to your outdoor space.”
To keep it looking tidy and balanced, he suggests using a strimmer to trim some of the longer grass without disrupting the wildflower growth.
Other eco-friendly lawn options are clover lawns, or adding in mulch or gravel.
