Landscaping doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars. If you take your time, shop around for bargains, look for freebies, and do the work yourself, you can create a yard that looks professionally landscaped at a fraction of the cost.
Plan Your Landscape
Browse through gardening magazines and catalogs to determine which plants thrive well considering your climate, soil conditions, and the amount of shade/sun available. What you end up planting will depend on what’s available at a reasonable cost, so be open minded and select a variety of options. Clip or earmark what you like. Check out “The Landscape Design Book Shelf” for some book suggestions.
Clip examples of attractive landscaping options and put them in a folder. While driving around, look for yards that catch your eye and jot down the addresses. Make a note of the plants, as well as how the grounds are arranged.
Stretch out a garden hose to help you imagine the placement of the beds. Once the basic form is established, spray the outline with an inverted-tip marker and begin to make decisions. Will you use mulch, stones, or a combination? Will you use plastic or rock edging or landscape ties, or will you dig a shallow border between grass and landscaping beds?
As you plan your landscaping, read “Landscaping Secrets for Curb Appeal” and “Avoid Telltale Beginner Landscaping Mistakes” for more suggestions.
Research Your Landscape
Make a list of the supplies you’ll need and write down the measurements of the beds. Save time and money by looking at weekly ads and calling around for prices. Ask detailed questions, and read ads carefully. The fine print may disclose that a retailer’s yard of mulch is actually “nearly a yard,” so what originally seemed like a good deal is in fact more expensive. Remember to ask about delivery charges!
Take notes, and collect the information in your folder; then compare prices and quality. Think the process through. Do you want to spend the money on a weed barrier (landscape fabric or plastic)? Would you rather spend more money on dyed mulch or re-mulch more frequently?
Collect Your Plants
Bring your list, and make sure that you buy enough materials to avoid making extra trips. Closeout retailers like Big Lots are great places to save money on garden tools and other supplies. Stores like Home Depot sometimes sell pallets of torn bags of fertilizer, mulch, stones, and sand for clearance prices.
Wait until the end of the planting season, when garden centers start closing out plants, to make your purchases. Don’t be afraid of those you find on clearance. Some may look a bit bedraggled, but with care, you can end up with healthy plants.
Refer to your folder as you make your selections. Remember to be flexible; you may find plants you hadn’t considered for a great price. Read the tags or ask questions to determine if they will grow well in your beds.
Look for plants with firm root structures that hold the soil well. Stay away from tall, spindly plants with weak stems or trunks. Plants with a few yellow leaves will be okay, but those with a lot aren’t healthy. Pick plants with buds rather than flowers, but if they are all flowering, cut off the blooms before you plant. When you get home, keep them watered until you’re ready to put them in the ground.
Some retailers will replace plants that don’t survive, so keep your receipts in a safe place.
Be creative about finding free plants. Split existing plants; they will fill out in a year or so. Check the woods and fields near your home for plants like fern or butterfly bush. (Make sure to get permission from the owner first!) Ask friends and neighbors if they have perennials that need to be divided; offer to do the work in exchange for rootings.
Create Your Landscape To Look Professionally Designed
First, prepare your beds with weed barrier, edging, and mulch or stones. Then move the pots around to decide where to position the plants. Once they are in the ground, water daily until the plants are established.
Now it’s time to sit back and feel proud of your resourcefulness, creativity, and hard work. You have beautified the grounds around your home for a fraction of what a professional would charge. Enjoy!
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