It is possible to have it all if you are willing to invest some time, imagination and a little work to make it happen.
I have avoided spending a lot of money by making that investment in my own landscape, and I use the term loosely. It is a work in progress. That progress is slow and sometimes I am the only one who sees it. I do have a vision, but it might be closer to becoming reality if I also had an overall plan. On paper. You can benefit from my mistake.
Have a plan
Hundreds of websites offer pictures, drawings and adaptable plans for landscape-it-yourselfers.
These can be downloaded for free and include quick tips and detailed instructions for plant and tree selection and placement and such features as rain gardens, rock gardens, fountains, ponds, paths, arbors, seating, wildlife habitats and seasonal color.
And they offer solutions to problems such as how to hide but not obstruct unsightly air conditioners, cable and utility boxes and trash receptacles.
Inspiration is free. As you work on your plan, be open to ideas from all directions. Clip or copy and collect photos of landscapes you like from books and magazines.
Choose the ones you like best and that can be adapted to your landscape.
If you see a home landscape you like, ask the owner if you can photograph it for your idea collection. Chances are he or she will be flattered and may provide helpful details. With an actual plan, you can complete portions of your landscape as time and money allow without losing sight of your goal.
Starting with the front yard or entryway provides immediate curb appeal and gives those plants a head start to maturity. Starting in the back yard or less-seen areas gives you a chance to “practice” and perhaps fine-tune your plan for the more visible areas.
Either way, having a plan for your entire landscape and completing it in sections results in a feeling of accomplishment, visual satisfaction and a preview of what the completed project can be.
A good place to start is at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg086, where you can download explanations of landscape principles and drawings of plans. Other helpful resources are listed in a box accompanying this article.
Used is good
Regardless of how simple your landscape plan may be, you will need tools. You can sometimes find name brands at house and garage sales and thrift stores for a fraction of what they cost new, yet the quality is still there.
Chipped and cracked secondhand pots and planters already have that aged look that people actually pay money for. Thanks to textured paints that cover any surface, you can change the look of an inexpensive pot or planter to reflect your own style in landscape, garden, entryway, patio or lanai. Two manufacturers of such paints are Krylon and Rustoleum. Shop for planters with an open mind: old cookware, storage bins, toy wagons, coffee pots, old sinks, end tables and even work boots become landscape features when filled with plants. An option which costs nothing is to trade planters (with or without plants) with a friend who is re-decorating or just wants a different look.
Sometimes you can find tiles and stones, benches, edging and sculptures at architectural thrift stores.
Savings in numbers
Coordinating with friends and neighbors enables you to purchase plants, stones, soil, mulch and compost in bulk and split delivery charges. You can do the same with equipment rentals. And you can save on shipping costs by combining online or mail orders with friends.
Mulch and compost
It makes no sense (or cents) to rake leaves, put them in bags for curbside pick-up and then go out and buy mulch. Mother Nature provides those leaves at just the right time of year for mulching your garden. Doing so saves in a number of ways: 1) You don’t have to buy mulch, 2) because mulch retains soil moisture, you won’t have to water as often, 3) as they decompose, leaves feed your plants, thus reducing the need for fertilizer and 4) because mulch retains soil warmth, your plants stand a better chance of surviving cold temperatures.
If for some reason you don’t want to mulch with leaves or you have more than you can use, compost them or offer them to your treeless neighbors.
Some tree services offer free mulch. I got a whole yard full when we had a tree cut down, but I noticed a sign on the company’s truck that said “Ask about free mulch.”
One caution: If poison ivy was growing on any of the trees, the irritating oils may still be viable in the mulch.
One reason for using mulch is to prevent weeds from competing with your plants for food and moisture. Putting a porous barrier under the mulch further discourages weeds and those that manage to go to seed can be easily pulled out. I used black garden fabric designed for this purpose. It did discourage weeds, but when I reworked the garden, I found myself digging up pieces of the fabric, which would have to be replaced.
Now I use 12 or so layers of newspaper under the mulch. Not only is it free, it provides an environment that earthworms love and enriches the soil as it decomposes. Watering the newspaper as you put it down keeps it from blowing away.
For specimen plants in the yard, I have made collars from flattened corrugated cardboard boxes and covered them with mulch. Besides making weeding easy, the mulch and cardboard provide a buffer from weed-eaters and mowers. Termites are partial to wet cardboard, so you should avoid using it next to your house.
You can save money by composting. Instructions are available from county extension offices and online as well as in an article I wrote at http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120405/ARTICLE/120409795.
Extension offices also make mulch and compost available to gardeners who provide their own containers and transportation.
Saving with seeds
It takes a little longer, but starting plants from seeds can save you money and allow you to have varieties that your nursery doesn’t have growing. Flower seeds sown directly into the ground will save you the cost of potting soil and peat pots and save you the time and work of transplanting seedlings later.
Grass seed offers considerable savings over sod; however, it may take a while to get that lush lawn you want. You could still save by sodding the most visible areas of your yard and seeding the others.
Save on plants
Besides buying in bulk, you can save by buying plants at garage, estate and rummage sales and sometimes thrift stores. They may not be as picturesque as those in the nursery or garden center, but as long as they are insect- and disease-free, they should respond to a little TLC. Guidelines for determining plants’ viability and nursing them back to health are at www.gardeningknowhow.com/problems/how-to-tell-if-a-plant-is-dead-and-how-to-recover-an-almost-dead-plant.htm.
Look around at house and garage sales for interesting plants in the landscape. Ask the owner if you can buy a clipping. You never know when the opportunity might arise, so keep pruners, a plastic bag, paper towels and a bottle of water in your car for such occasions.
Master Gardener and community garden sales and farmers markets are good sources of reasonably priced rare and popular plants that in many cases have been nurtured by the folks who are selling them. Organize a plant exchange in your neighborhood or where you work. You will get plants appropriate for your area and advice from whomever raised them.
Close-out and clearance sales at nurseries and garden centers offer good value. Do your research to be sure the plant you are about to purchase will do well where you want it. Ask about guarantees on relatively expensive plants.
Perennials, because they don’t have to be replanted every year, tend to be more expensive than annuals, which provide almost instant color but do have to be replanted. Interspersing annuals seeds or plants in your landscape will fill it with color and greenery while the perennials mature. Consider buying perennials that can be propagated from clippings or root cuttings.
You may not want to wait for a small tree to grow enough to fulfill your vision. Money paid for a mature tree buys a unifying focal point, shade, color, wind resistance, privacy, a sound barrier and a sense of stability. You may find this article helpful in choosing the right tree for your landscape: heraldtribune.com/article/20120510/ARTICLE/120519954. Then compare nurseries that will deliver and install your tree and offer a warranty.
Saving on water
Besides mulching well, you can save on water by choosing native and drought-tolerant plants, and planting those with similar irrigation needs together. Water early in the day and at root level.
Rain barrels are a great way to save on water. Not only is the water free, it doesn’t have the chemicals of treated water. Extension offices have the rain barrels, brochures and classes to help you get started.
Special features
What’s a landscape without a path or a place to sit? These special use areas can be one of your biggest or smallest landscaping expenses. Here are tips for keeping them at the low end.
I have never done this, but several websites suggested visiting construction sites and asking for rejected stones, blocks, bricks and pieces of broken concrete to set in sand or mulch to create a path or patio.
Wood chips, pine needles and shredded leaves also make good paths and clearings for benches from which to enjoy your new landscape.
Besides the time, imagination and effort mentioned at the top of this article, you will need patience. Plants take time to grow and fill in the blank spaces, but once they are in place, you can enjoy watching the process, knowing that every day brings your landscape closer to your vision.
