5 Money Saving Landscaping Tips
A beautifully landscaped garden doesn't have to be costly. There are ways you can save money without compromising appearance.
1. Decrease Lawn Size
Turf can be expensive and time-consuming to maintain, between frequent watering and fertiliser applications. If you don't mow it yourself, you must also pay someone else for general maintenance. Decreasing the lawn size will decrease all of these expenses. You can replace the lawn with garden beds or increased patio areas.
2. Utilise Native Plants
Exotic plants that aren't well suited to the climate often cost more at the nursery and they cost more to tend to once planted in the garden. Instead, look into plants native to your climate and soil, since these will require less water, fertiliser, and pests treatments. If you can't find anything suitable, then next look to those plants that grow in similar climates as they may require more pest treatments but they will be less expensive to water and feed.
3. Invest In Mulching
Mulch is an inexpensive way to cover up bare areas in the yard. Shredded timber and bark mulches protect the soil against erosion. In flower beds, the mulch reduces water loss from evaporation whilst looking much nicer than bare soil. Proper mulching also controls weeds, so there is no need for expensive weed treatments. As the mulch slowly decomposes it will add some nutrition back into the soil. When used properly, mulch can provide great savings on irrigation, weeding and even fertilising costs.
4. Add Some Hardscape
Not every part of the landscape needs to be living. Plants, including groundcovers and grasses, require the cost of ongoing care and maintenance. Hardscaping is a once and done investment, so you won't continue to pay out for it year after year. Add in some paved areas like garden paths, patios, and seating areas throughout the landscape to reduce the number of plants necessary. Gravel, paving stones, and cement are suitable options for home landscaping projects.
5. Plant Combination Turf
For those areas where grass is preferred, use a combination turf variety. Some types of grass grow better in summer while others thrive in cooler weather. A combination grass contains two or more varieties so that the lawn will look nice year-round without extra expense to keep it from going dormant in the offseason. Combination turf lawns also tend to be more resilient against pests, weeds, and drought, which can lower maintenance costs.
Contact a landscaping service for more ways to create a beautiful garden at a low cost.