Eight tips for creating beautiful yards and landscaping on a budget

Make a landscape plan

To start, draft a landscaping plan. This will help you make a landscaping budget and minimize unpleasant surprises during your project. Take measurements of your outdoor space, make drawings and prepare an accurate list of materials to help you calculate landscaping costs.

With a good plan, you can prioritize different parts of your end-vision into small, easy-to-do landscaping projects. This way, you’ll complete your landscaping project in stages, depending on your budget, time and energy… And maybe the weather.

The vegetable patch at hilgersom landscape centre uses upcycled materials to keep costs low

Grow an edible garden

Vegetable and herb gardens can look great, providing greenery and interest in your yard, and are suitable for most spaces in your garden. Of course, the best part will be the reduction in your grocery bill with the fruits and vegetables you’ll harvest.Add a Water Barrel

Although this may not improve the look of your landscape directly, capturing rain water will save you money when it comes to watering your plants and healthy plants will improve your landscape. In addition, studies have shown that plants grow better with rain water than tap water.

Plant perennials instead of annuals

Although the upfront cost of perennials is sometimes more than annuals, perennials will come back year after year. The important thing to remember is to buy perennials well suited to your climatic zone so that they overwinter. The lower the number, the more tolerant to cold they will be. In and around Lethbridge, a zone 3 perennial (or lower) is safe. If you have a very sheltered spot you may be able to overwinter a zone 4 or maybe even 5. Most perennials prefer to be divided on a regular basis, so take advantage of this and expand your flower gardens as you divide plants. Even better, consider trading plant divisions or seeds with friends and neighbours to gain some variety in your yard.

Mulch, mulch, mulch!

Probably the simplest, most cost-effective way to immediately improve the look of your yard is to add an organic mulch in your planting beds. There are many types to choose from, some of them for free. Not only will it look better, mulch will ultimately help your soil retain moisture, reduce weed emergence, prevent soil compaction and keep your plant’s roots happy.

Alternatives to concrete

Contrary to popular belief, using paving stone or retaining wall blocks for your hardscape projects can actually save you money in the long run. Poured concrete in landscaping may seem affordable at first glance. When you consider the longevity and reusebility of bricks, they offer better value for your landscaping dollar.

First of all, there are many different types to choose from, suitable to most budgets. If you like the look of pricey natural stone, there are even bricks that convincingly mimic it at a fraction of the cost.

Secondly, pavers are DIY friendly which means you may not need to hire a contractor for installation, and the work can be done whenever the homeowner has time available. Once the bricks are installed, they can be used and reused for decades to come. If plans change in your yard, bricks can be removed to be resold or reused as warranted and you won’t have to pay to dispose of them as is the case of broken concrete. Depending on your creativity, various discounted or broken bricks could even be laid together to form a mosaic.

Reuse and repurpose in your garden

Just like paving stone and retaining wall blocks, many other items can gain a new lease on life in the landscape. Use pallet wood to create garden furniture or planters. That old bathtub beside your garage could become a whimsical planter for annuals, a flower pot transformed into a water feature. Not only will this help your budget, it will also help the environment.

Know your own limits and expertise

Although landscaping and gardening are often DIY-friendly activities which can help extend your budget, making mistakes can become costly.

Doing projects over again can waste valuable time and product.

More serious issues such as improper sloping and drainage can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your property.

Improper plant selection and placement can cause the frustration of dead plants. It may also lead to more serious problems such as sewer-line and foundation issues or structural damage to fences and buildings.

Sometimes hiring a reputable professional to install your landscape or consult on your plans will save you money in the long run. The same goes for where you choose to buy your product. Absent or incorrect advice can cost you more on unnecessary products or when you need to fix something.

If you’re unsure where to begin or how to correct your landscaping project, contact us for expert advice!