Gardens on a budget

With frost on the ground and chill in the air it might not feel like time to get stuck into the garden. But if you haven’t already thought about it, now is the time to do it. The economy is still struggling to kick into gear, so budgeting effectively is as crucial as ever. Having your garden completely landscaped can be an expensive process, but it doesn’t have to be if you plan effectively.

It really is possible to achieve your dream, without spending wheelbarrow loads of money or having lots of experience and knowledge.

What will keep costs down and maximise your budget?

Planning:

If you can, contact a garden designer at the earliest possible moment. There are busy times throughout the year for landscaping works, so by contacting a designer early on it will push you to the front of the queue. For example, Winter is a perfect time to get in touch as the works can be scheduled in to get the garden ready for Summer. This forward planning will ensure everything is prepared in advance and minimises the risk of meeting inflated prices from landscapers when they are busy.

Materials:

The layout and features of a garden design determines the cost to a point, however material choices can dramatically increase the price of a build. If prices need to be brought down in a project then it is worth opening your mind and exploring alternative materials, such as opting for softwood over hardwood, gravel driveways over block and simply using more economical manufactures.

Recycle:

A recycled galvanised water tank turned planter
A recycled galvanised water tank turned planter

A morally responsible and often quite inventive way to save money is to look at using recycled materials. This could be from something on your site already, or by using local reclamation yards to find interesting items and materials. We recently saved an old galvanised water tank and repurposed it as a planter which was much cheaper than buying a new planter at that size.

If you would like any advise just head over to our Contact Page and get in touch.

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Are alpines back? 

Behind the scenes of making an alpine trough for @itvloveyourweekend 

This was quite gung ho, sheltering from the rain in the back of the van! The plants will really start to settle in over the next growing season. 

Plants kindly donated from @kevockgarden - a real mix of some beautiful alpines. 

A few of my favourites were - 
Daphne ‘Tichborne’ 
Sisyrinchium ‘Devon Skies
Erinus alpinus 
Sempervivum calcareum 
Sedum spathulifolium ‘Purpureum
Leontopodium nivale subsp. alpinum

The trick is to be restrained with your plants and rock selection and to not over fill it. Good drainage is also essential! 

The salt glazed trough and granite setts are reclaimed and bought @tobysreclamation and the slate was also second hand from my good friend @ac_roofing_services 

#alpines #alpineplants #containergarden #gardenersofinstagram #wintergardening

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No plugs or taps needed! 💦

I’m always getting things filthy from gardening tools to bikes, so I thought I’d put the @stihlgb RCA20 cordless pressure washer through its paces. 

I only do Ads for products I genuinely like, and I wanted an excuse to look like a rad dad. The best thing about it is that you don’t need mains power or water, so you can use it with the bladder or a water butt. You can also plug it into a tap if you’re cleaning things at home. 

It has a lance extension and a detergent bottle included in the kit. It also has multiple spray settings and an eco mode if you need to save power, but the AS batteries charge very quickly. 

Definitely a great fit for my lifestyle I’m often away from water connections and seem to get everything covered in mud 👌

#pressurewasher #gardentools #mtb #mtblifestyle

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Free garden design and gardening tips 🪴

I went on a rant about how highly skilled weeding is and I stand by it! 

Absolutely love you all getting involved with great questions! More again next week. 

#gardendesign #horticulture #gardening #instagardenlovers #gardenersofinstagram

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Pruning topiary is the most satisfying job.. 🪴

The key is to prune more often than you think and you will create a dense plant with few holes. There is something to be said for leaving the shaggy new growth for a while though, as it looks great! 

These Yew topiary balls had only been planted this year and were long overdue some shaping. They looked fab in the summer against the grasses and perennials, but I love that they’re going to provide structure even through the winter. 

#topiary #gardendesign #plantingdesign #hedgecutting #gardenersofinstagram #gardenlove

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