Cost-effective garden updates
Three ways to stretch your budget, while helping the environment
Hard landscaping
Hard landscaping is a key feature of any garden design as it forms the bones of the garden and is generally the most expensive element. However, there are still many ways to make it thrifty.
Think about what you’re removing – can you re-use old slabs? A crusher can be hired on a day rate and used on unwanted hard materials to lay as sub-base (essential for a stable installation) or even to use as decorative stone chippings. This is cheaper than buying freshly dug aggregates and more sustainable, too.
If buying new paving, particularly if it’s very cheap, do check it has been ethically sourced. You can also search online market places or reclamation yards for reclaimed stone. Then think about how you could enhance the materials – concrete slabs can be polished to create a terrazzo-like effect, or you could cut larger pavers and lay in a herringbone pattern for added interest. Also consider leaving gravel channels or planting pockets between slabs – this reduces the cost and aids drainage.
Decking is often cheaper than paving, especially around tree roots or on slopes where it is more practical to install. Reclaimed timber is widely available, or you can prolong the lifespan of softwoods by using thicker grades, which will still be a fraction of the cost of tropical hardwoods.
Planting
It’s best to wait until after the hard landscaping is completed before you start planting to avoid your plants getting damaged during building or clearing up.
There are many ways to be thrifty with planting design. Consider where to spend your money carefully. Large trees and shrubs can be costly, but also make a huge impact. They can take many years to reach maturity so investing here makes sense. Perennials, on the other hand, grow quickly and will often establish more successfully if planted at smaller sizes, such as plugs or grown in 9cm pots. You might not get the impact you want immediately, but they will be much cheaper to buy and will soon fill out. If buying perennials in two- or three-litre pots, these can be divided if they are well established and have a strong root system, giving you several plants for your money and enabling you to create repetition through your borders.
Also consider how the plants are supplied. Nurseries now offer bare-root plants – many trees, shrubs and even herbaceous perennials can be bought bare root in winter. These are generally cheaper than those bought in pots, but
ensure you get them in the ground quickly to prevent them drying out and dying. Another great way to save money is by growing from seed. There are many beautiful seed mixes to choose from for all sorts of colour themes and situations.
It’s also really important to consider your soil and aspect, before you start buying plants. If, for example, you have a sunny, exposed site with free-draining soil, then a Mediterranean-inspired scheme with a gravel mulch, to help protect the soil, is most likely to grow well. If you have a shady courtyard on heavy clay, then this type of sun-loving planting will struggle, and you will be constantly battling and investing time and money to keep it going. Choosing plants that are well suited to your conditions will mean they are less likely to die and need replacing.
Lawns are the same: if you are struggling to keep it thriving, because it is suffering from too much shade, constant waterlogging or an exposed site, consider replacing it with a species-rich lawn mix with plants more suited to your conditions or a gravel garden with low-growing plants, such as creeping thyme, that can be walked upon.
Boundaries
These are often overlooked, but can be costly elements, as they can stretch for several metres, meaning material and installation costs stack up.
Hedges can offer a costeffective boundary treatment. While mature, instant hedging may be expensive, you can save money by planting younger, whip or sapling plants. Hedges are also great for biodiversity and help reduce noise and pollution.
An inexpensive way to make a dull but structurally sound wall or fence more attractive and more productive is to create a vertical growing display. In 2018, I visited a refugee camp in Northern Kurdish Iraq with the Lemon Tree Trust, sourcing ideas for a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. I saw so many creative vertical growing techniques, including using tin cans and plastic bottles. I replicated this on my show garden, sourcing all of the materials for free or at low cost. I asked a local café to keep large baked-bean cans aside for me; I collected plastic bottles from my recycling; and found spare sections of gutter via online marketplaces. We arranged these items on wire frames and in geometric layouts, for a crisp and ordered aesthetic.