Adding Beauty to Your Yard for Less
One thing I like to do when we’re out is look for beautiful yards. I love yards full of flowers and trees and shrubs and grass and interesting pieces of yard art. However, the cost of buying these things for your own yard can add up quickly. I know the least expensive option is to not buy anything for your yard. But if you’re like me and gardening is a hobby that brings you joy, here are some tips to for adding beauty to your yard for less.
Start flowers from seed.
Flowers from a nursery can be expensive. There are many flowers you can start from seed indoors in the early spring, or many that can be directly sown into your garden soil when the weather is warm. Granted, you may not have the immediate gratification of beautiful blooms right when you plant, but you will save lots of money this way. Starting seeds indoors before your last frost date will allow you to have blooms earlier in the season.
Packets of wildflower seeds are generally inexpensive and give you a variety of flowers for little cost. If you don’t mind the random arrangement of flowers you’ll get, these are a good option. Another good thing about them is that many of the flowers are perennial or self-seed for the next year. I planted a packet of wildflower seeds years ago and am still enjoying poppies, blanket flower, bachelor’s buttons, and coneflower that have come back every year.
Plant perennials.
Perennials are generally more expensive to buy than annual flowers, but they are a one-time expense. Rather than spending money every year on annuals to fill flower beds, I fill them with perennial flowers that come back every year. Daisies are one of my favorite perennials as they have a long blooming season and they are just so cheery! Another great thing about many perennials is that they can be divided every few years. I’ve divided my daisies and have several plants in different areas. For Mother’s Day, my daughters usually buy me a perennial flower as a gift.
I am also working on planting more fall bulbs in my flower beds. They are a great way to have flowers in the early spring. I buy a few bulbs each year. Some bulbs, such as daffodils, naturalize. So where you plant one bulb you will soon have several. Like perennial flowers, you can move these to other areas if one area gets too crowded.
I have also shared extra perennial flowers and bulbs with friends, and they have shared their extras with me. Trading plants is a great way to add beauty to your yard for no money at all!
Check the clearance section.
Grampy knows when we head to Lowe’s I will always swing by the clearance plant section in the garden area. I refer to the racks of marked-down plants as “orphan plants.” I don’t always bring any home, but most of my shrubs were from the clearance area. Sometimes the plants are in sad shape, but often they are simply past their bloom time for the year. I don’t mind waiting until next year for blooms since I can buy the plant for a fraction of its original price. I only buy perennial plants and shrubs on clearance, not annual flowers.
Yard Art.
One of my favorite things to find for my yard are interesting pieces of yard art. I make it a challenge to find things I love for not a lot of money. Yard sales are great for this, and I also repurpose things. What works well for yard decor is different for different people. I like to hide fun and whimsical things in among my plants, and I like things to have a story.
One of my favorite items is a wrought-iron chair my neighbor was going to throw out. I painted it a vibrant blue and put a plant pot where the seat was. Then my mom gave me an adorable solar light that is a little statue of a child holding a jar of fireflies. I plant low-growing flowers like portulaca (moss rose) in the pot and nestle the statue in among them. I love how it looks.
Slow and steady.
Like many projects where you are trying to keep the cost low, it can take time to make your yard beautiful on a budget. If you are not going out and buying all of the plants you want right away, it will be a while before your yard is full of colorful blooms. I’ve been working on my yard for years and will continue to do so, adding a few things every year and moving plants and yard decor to different areas.
I hope these tips have given you some ideas for adding beauty to your yard for less. If you have any tips for having a beautiful yard on a budget, leave them in the comments.
Happy planting!
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