Home Inspirations

Maintaining your home can be expensive, there’s no denying that. We’re always looking for ways we can cut down the costs of keeping an attractive looking property. One area that seems to get missed for most of us is the garden. The majority of people think it takes too much time and effort, to keep the garden looking great. This means it will either get left to the wayside or we’ll fork out for a gardener. We want to stop that from happening! That’s why we’ve put together some tips on cutting costs for garden maintenance.

Low-Cost Lawn

For most people, the garden lawn causes the most headaches. As soon as you’ve trimmed it to a reasonable length, it seems to sprout back up again. It can cost time and money to keep mowing the lawn. If you want to keep costs down, consider some artificial grass instead. Not only does it save you money hiring someone to mow the lawn, but it will save you time too. You can even wipe it clean when it gets dirty! To top it all off, most artificial lawns are eco-friendly. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Low-Cost Plants

You need to find plants that are low maintenance if you want to keep the costs down. There are plenty of different flowers and shrubs that require minimal effort. Head to the garden centre and see what you can find. An advisor will be able to tell you how much effort each plant requires. Think about whether you’ll have to transfer it into a flower bed or pot. How long the plant lasts and whether it’s easily killed off by exposure or too much rain.

Low-Cost Paving

Decking and paving in your garden can be really expensive to maintain. Chances are it will begin to deteriorate over the winter. This means you’ll need to invest in a pressure washer to hose it all down. Look for a permeable pavement that stands the test of time. Ideally you want something that requires little or no maintenance for at least 10 years. The longer the better!

Top Budget Tips

Now that you’ve got a garden that’s easy (and cheap) to maintain, here are some more budget tips for the backyard:

● Get a water butt - Trap the rainwater and use it to water your plants. This will save you money on utility bills!

● Make a compost bin - Buy or make a compost bin, that can be used to collect scraps of food and plant cuttings. Use the compost to keep those garden plants healthy. No more forking out for compost!

● Make mulch - Collect old leaves and let them go mouldy. You can also add some of your compost to this concoction. This will create a mulch far better than any shop bought fertilizers.

Do you feel more inspired and motivated to head out into the garden yet? Don’t let it become an expensive project that you never get to enjoy. Use these time and money saving tips, to create the backyard of your dreams.