Key Ways to Save Money on Your Backyard Landscaping

By Editor1SYS | January 19, 2019 0 Comments

If one of your New Year’s resolutions in 2019 is to save money, you should be looking at ways to cut costs in all different areas of your life, including at home. For instance, while it’s important to keep your backyard looking nice so you can use it, you don’t want to invest too much money into it either.

If your yard needs a facelift, look for ways to get it in order on a budget. There are lots of low-cost ways to make your outdoor spaces look and feel better, so they’re enticing year round. Here are some key ways to save money on your backyard landscaping today.

Maintain Your Lawn

One of the most important aspects of most yards is the lawn. The grass in your yard needs to be maintained effectively, so it stays in good condition. In particular, it’s necessary to mow it regularly, so it doesn’t get out of control or full of weeds. If you struggle to find the time to mow often, consider hiring an affordable service to do it for you and concentrate on other yard tasks instead. For example, check out these Chicago lawn mowing services for regular lawn maintenance.

Another important lawn-based job is watering. If you get plenty of rainfall, this may not be a big deal, but if you live somewhere that gets hot in summer and doesn’t get much rain the rest of the year, you’ll likely need to water at least once a week. Other tasks to put on your to-do list include dethatching the lawn, so fallen leaves don’t stick together and form a mat over the grass, and fertilizing at least a few times a year to help the lawn get into top condition. It’s also wise to aerate a couple of times a year, too.

Reduce Spending on Plants

Next, when it comes to your gardens, remember that it’s actually quite easy to reduce spending on plants if you think strategically. For example, don’t go out and buy a stack of plants at once with no prior planning, as you’ll probably end up spending more than you want and have more plants than is necessary. Think about what the minimum is you need to get your yard looking good, then make a list and stick to it.

It will cost you less, too, if you buy plants in smaller sizes, rather than well-established, mature ones. While you might think you have to wait too long for young plants to get to a decent size, they actually grow more quickly, so will shoot up in no time.

You can also save money by shopping around and comparing prices carefully. Where possible, try to buy all your plants from the one garden center, nursery or home depot, so you can negotiate a discount. Be on the lookout for less-than-perfect plants, too. Most retailers will have some of these sitting around, and they’ll be happy to sell for less. Once you get these plants home and care for them they will quickly perk up and will grow just as well as others, so the savings are well worth it.

Other options for paying less money for your plants include getting cuttings from friends and family members or from your own backyard; buying plants from yard sales and farmers’ markets; and buying the right kinds of plants for your area, so you don’t end up wasting money on trees, shrubs or flowers that die because they can’t handle the local soil or weather conditions.

Create Your Own Compost

Some of the expenses involved in getting backyards looking nice include paying for fertilizers for lawns and gardens and spending money on watering. To cut costs in these regards, consider creating your own compost. Compost will feed plants well and can be used as great mulch on gardens to help plants retain water.

Making your own compost is budget-friendly, as all it takes is a suitable container, then the addition of various layers of organic waste materials from inside your house. For example, pop in shredded paper, lawn clippings, kitchen scraps, dry leaves and a little soil.

Get Landscaping Tips for Free

While many homeowners hire landscapers and other garden designers to help them come up with ways to make their backyard look beautiful, this is costly. If you’re trying to save money, you should utilize all the free tips and information you can find. For example, read online blogs, forums and social media sites and borrow magazines and books on landscaping from your local library.