When we moved into our house, the builder had added some basic landscaping to the front of the house. Over the last couple of years, I've basically just maintained the landscaping, but this year I decided to kick it up a {small} notch by adding some pavers around the landscaping and some rubber mulch.
Adding or upgrading your landscaping doesn't need to break the bank, but can really increase the curb appeal on your house.
Some ideas for saving money on landscaping include:
Plan your design before you buy
You don't have to be an expert designer to get some ideas for what you want and to sketch it on a piece of paper. You want to have a rough idea of what you want the final result to look like before you start buying.
Buy plants native to your area
If you buy plants that are designed to thrive in your climate, they are more likely to survive and they will also require less upkeep than plants that you have to baby along to survive.
Test your soil for acidity
You'll want to know what the acidity of your soil is before buying plants. For example, I love azaleas, and I wanted to buy some for our yard. However, they thrive in acidic soil and ours is very alkaline.
While I could still plant them in my soil, I would have to spend a lot of money prepping the soil before I planted them so they would survive.
Work with what you have
If you already have some landscaping in your yard, rather than ripping it all out, brainstorm ways that you could make it look nicer. Could you add a ring around the base of your trees or papers around your front landscape to make it stand out?
Landscape in phases
You may not have the money to landscape your entire yard all at once. So, take your plan and divide it into manageable pieces to spread out the labor and the expense over a period of time.
Buy plants at the end of the season
As fall approaches, nurseries typically start discounting their plants so you can get a great deal if you wait until the end of the season. Just be sure that it will do well planted late in the season (if you have to worry about early frosts).
Buy smaller plants
If you have time to wait for a plant or tree to grow, you might want to consider buying a smaller version of the plant and wait for it to grow in your yard rather than paying a premium to the nursery.
Last fall we planted a shrub and could pay either $30 or $50, depending on the size. We bought the smaller one since it will grow quickly.
Join your neighbors
If you have several neighbors working on landscape projects, you might be able to join together and each pay part of the rental fees for equipment such as tillers and more.
Or, if you all need mulch, it might be cheaper to pay one delivery fee and everyone contribute a portion to have them make one big delivery.
Make friends with gardeners
If you have friends who like to landscape their yards, ask them midsummer if they need to divide their plants. We received several hostas in Michigan from friends who needed to thin their plants and some Rosa Sharon from our neighbors in Texas - it was a win-win for them and us!
How about you? How do you save money on landscaping your yard?
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