Summer is the time to make the most of your garden, but the cost of filling your outdoor space with flowers, pots, and furniture can be eye-watering.
Fortunately, there are plenty of free or budget-friendly ways to spruce up your garden, whether you’re looking for a complete makeover or to simply add some colour.
Here’s our round up of 11 tips to make your garden look beautiful without breaking the bank.
Contents
- Use self-seeding flowers
- Make your own plant pots and containers
- Make your own garden furniture
- Use cheap materials
- Use online forums to find free items
- Search for garden bargains
- Plant from seed
- Take cuttings from existing plants
- Set up a plant and seed-swapping get together
- Join online communities for tips
- Add outdoor lighting
1. Use self-seeding flowers
Planting self-seeding flowers which, as their name suggests, naturally spread their seeds, can be a good way to fill your garden with beautiful flowers without needing to buy masses of plants. They’re also easy to maintain as there’s no need for any dead-heading. Popular self-seeding flowers include verbena, sweet peas, marigolds, alliums, aquilegias, and forget-me-nots.
You don’t need to find the ideal spot for self-seeders either, as they can be planted pretty much anywhere. Simply sow a few, and then let them get on with it on their own. As they die, they’ll drop new seeds that’ll bloom next year.
2. Make plant pots and containers
You don’t need to invest in expensive pots and planters. Take an imaginative approach when it comes to potting plants by using anything from an old boot or bath to a rusty teapot or empty jam jar. You may be surprised by what could work as a plant pot and it’s a great way to make use of items lying unused in your home.
You could paint old pots and containers too to add colour, and get creative about where you put them. For example, try hanging pots on a trellis to create a new garden feature or adding pots to decking areas for more colour.
3. Make your own garden furniture
If you’ve any old furniture that you’re not currently using in your home, think about how you could make use of it in your garden instead. For example, old shelves or pieces of wood could be turned into a potting shelf or table. You could even use an old chest of drawers or step ladder as a creative shelf or container for plants.
It’s best to sand down old furniture and add a coat of weatherproof varnish or garden furniture paint to ensure they withstand all weather conditions.
4. Use cheap materials
Garden landscaping materials such as paving slabs can be pricey, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives. Look for materials that you might already have, such as gravel, in other areas of your garden. Stones or bark chippings are also cheaper options that can be used to break up garden areas.
If you don’t have any of your own alternative materials, try local tree surgeons or online marketplaces for free or cheap options. Your local garden centre may also sell bags of bark or gravel for a fraction of the cost of other materials.
5. Use online forums to find free items
It’s worth checking local ads on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle, Preloved, and Gumtree for free or cheap garden furniture, tools, pots, and plants. You may find there are plenty of unwanted items up for grabs, particularly as the weather improves and people clear out their sheds and gardens. You can search locally, or expand your search if you don’t mind travelling to pick up an item.
There may also be other forums you could try. For example, the Nextdoor app connects you with others in your area who may be looking to get rid of or sell garden items. Beware, however, that while these online forums are popular, they’re also often targeted by fraudsters, so think carefully before sharing your personal details when using them. Don’t hand over your account details, or part with any cash until you’ve seen the item in person.
If you’re on a neighbourhood WhatsApp group, this could also be a good place to try asking if anyone has a particular garden item that you want going spare.
6. Search for garden bargains
Discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl are a good place to start hunting for everything from cheap garden furniture to seed packets. For example, you can buy garden furniture at Aldi from as little as £30. However, stock can run low or sell out quickly during the summer months.
Other online retailers that are worth checking out for bargains include Amazon, eBay, The Range, Gardening Express, and Home Bargains.
7. Plant from seed
You can also save a small fortune on flowers if you plant from seed. You’ll need to be patient and wait for your flowers to bloom, but it’s one of the best ways to save cash. Try Amazon, Poundland, or Wilko for cheap packets of seeds costing from about 50p each.
Many plants, herbs, and vegetables can be planted from seed, and the video below demonstrates how to sow seeds in a few simple steps. You simply need to prepare the soil and make sure the conditions suit whatever you’re hoping to grow.
8. Take cuttings from existing plants
You can take cuttings from your existing plants to divide and plant around the rest of your garden. While this won’t work for all plants, there are plenty of species that you can use to grow more plants without spending any money.
Ideally, take cuttings in spring or early summer from the new season’s growth. Cut below the leaf joint to make a new cutting that’s about the length of a pencil, remove the lower leaves, and plant this into the soil with some rooting powder.
9. Set up a plant and seed-swapping get together
You could bring the green-fingered in your local community together to share plant cuttings, seeds, and gardening tips. This can be a great way to share ideas and cut the cost of creating new beds and borders. After all, plenty of keen gardeners have half-used packets of seeds they could share, or easy access to cuttings. You could also suggest that attendees bring unwanted pots, tools, or other garden items they’re willing to part with.
10. Join online communities for tips
If you’re struggling for cheap and easy ways to revamp your outdoor space, there are plenty of online communities that could offer inspiration. For example, there are Facebook groups such as Gardening on a budget and BBC Gardeners’ World where keen gardeners share tips. Instagram and Pinterest are other good places to look for garden inspiration.
11. Add outdoor lighting
Try adding some solar lights or lanterns to your garden for a lovely glow after dark. This can revamp even the smallest of garden spaces, and you can rearrange the lighting to create different effects. You could try, for example, putting solar light sticks along pathways or fairy lights around sheds and fences. You can buy garden lights cheaply from online retailers such as Amazon and Wilko, or make your own by putting tea lights in empty jam jars.
For more inspiration, head over to the home and garden section of our website. Here, you’ll find articles like 9 ways to upgrade your outdoor living space and 9 tips for gardening in small spaces.
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