Your garden is your pet project, your one retreat from a busy world. You spend hours devoted to it, getting it just so.
In the midst of all of the wonders a garden can bring, there is the occasional downside. The major one seems to be one involving cost. Even the most basic garden maintenance requires specialist tools to be purchased. If you get into landscaping, building beds and sculpting a finished masterpiece then it can be a fortune. For most of us, we spend our time making a set of compromises when it comes to where we spend our funds.
While it is impossible to totally whisk away the costs of keeping your garden, there are ways and means of easing the burden. All you need is a bit of outside-the-box thinking and a willingness to devote a little extra time to getting the most from what you have.
One Tool, Multiple Purposes
The average shed tends to contain the following:
- Hand fork
- Hand trowel
- Hoe
- Spade
- Shovel
- Rake
And a thousand and one other bits and pieces. These items are breakable and can be costly to replace, adding on to the general running costs of your outdoor space.
Look at every item you use in your garden and see if it can be used for something else. By making items do double duty, you double their value when compared to their purchase price. For example, spades and shovels serve much the same purpose. Rakes can be using for hoeing if you put a little bit of extra effort in and finish off with a hand trowel.
Don’t Spend Money On Water
One of the most expensive running costs of any garden is the toll on your water supply, especially if you live in an arid climate. One of the easiest ways to deal with this issue is by investing in one of the best decorative rain barrels for 2016 – these can add an element of style on top of function. Now, when it rains, you don’t just have to think the garden has had a free soaking for the moment – you can continue to experience the bounty.
Ask For Cuttings or Grow From Seed
Young or semi-mature plants are the most expensive way to fill your garden with color. Rather than buying them at their zenith, try and grow from seed for yourself. The cost of a packet of seeds is in the pennies, while the plant they can become is definitely going to be dollars.
Also keep an eye out in your neighborhood for other keen growers. If you see a plant you like, there is no harm in asking for a cutting. They can always say no if they are not comfortable. You can also make sure you sweeten the question by offering them full run of your garden to choose anything they might like a cutting of.
Gardening can be an expensive hobby, but with a bit of ingenuity and laying on the charm, the cost can come right down.
