How to Design the Garden of Your Dreams on a Budget
Want to create a beautiful, well designed yard and garden but you’re limited on funds? Follow along for the top tips on creating an outdoor space you love for less.
Your garden is the first thing you and your guests see when walking up to your home. It sets the tone for your entire space. It is imperative when fixing up your home that you also pay attention to the garden.
Even if you hate gardening!
I really hated it when I started. I would spend hours and get filthy just to have the plants die on me.
BUT like it or not, landscaping is a HUGE part of creating a beautiful home with that curb appeal that we all desire. A well designed yard and garden can drastically improve your return on investment.
Aside from the financials, having a beautiful garden brings a huge source of pride to NO LONGER BE THE WORST HOUSE ON THE BLOCK!! Woohoo! 😆
And as it turned out, all I needed was a little education and some success to see how truly rewarding tending a garden can be. And now I absolutely love it!
All that being said, this task of creating a garden can be pretty overwhelming, especially when you have no experience and little funds.
Plants at the garden center can be super expensive (ONE boxwood for $125?! Really?!) and hiring a landscaper to do it all for you can cost you thousands.
So how do we get this curb appeal while maintaining the budget?
I’ll show you.
Plan out your space.
Just like any other DIY, you have to have a plan or it will be really hard to get any kind of a cohesive look.
Having a plan is also incredibly important when you’re working on a budget.
It is really easy to spend money on pretty things, but those things may have to be removed if they don’t fit in with your overall design, causing you to have to spend more money later.
By working off a plan from the beginning, you can slowly work towards achieving your dream space as your budget allows.
I speak from experience here.
I had no idea what I wanted when I started and had no experience planning a garden. I saw pretty plants and I bought them. That was the extent of my planning.
Then I would bring them home and have no where to put them, I didn’t think about how they would look with my other plants and barely considered the light requirements.
I ended up with a mostly yellow and pink garden with very little variation. Honestly, it was a mess.
And then when I finally did make a plan, I realized that many of these plants didn’t really fit in with what I was going for in the end, so I ended up giving a lot of them away or trying to hide them in the back of the yard.
And when you’re trying to work on a budget, this type of spending can really jack up your budget.
Measure.
First thing first, measure your space. Determine exactly how many feet you have between different structures and figure out your boundaries. Write it down and keep it handy.
Grab some paper (graph paper is best for a plan that is to-scale) and begin mapping out your space.
Draw out any permanent structures you intent on keeping onto your graph paper. Things like your home and garage, driveway, fencing, sheds, deck, etc. should all be mapped out first.
You can also add in any large plantings that you intend on keeping, like mature shade trees or evergreens.
Now that you have all your permanent structures on your plan, I recommend making a few copies or upload your drawing to a computer so you can use this as your starting point when planning.
That way if you want to change something, you don’t have to map out the entire thing again and again.
You can also work in smaller sections and map them out individually. This can be especially helpful when choosing plants.
Add Hardscape.
At this point, start thinking about any other hardscape items you may want to add.
It’s important when you go about creating your dream garden that you have an idea of how you want to utilize your space.
If it’s the first year in your home, you may not know the answer to this yet. I recommend using your yard for a season before making any major or permanent decisions.
Figure out how you use the space. Where do you barbeque? Do you dine outdoors? Would you like room for a vegetable garden? A patio? A place for a hammock? How about a fire pit?
Using your space for a year will give you a better idea of what would be the best layout for your family and needs.
Some planning tips for hardscape:
- Usually the best place for a barbeque and outdoor dining table is where you have the closest access to the kitchen. You’ll want to be able to easily grab silverware or a salad from the fridge without trekking across the whole yard.
- A fire pit should be a safe distance away from any structures
- In those hot summer days it is REALLY nice to be able to relax under a shade tree as opposed to the beating sun. Consider putting your lounge chairs or dining table in the shade.
- A vegetable garden needs full, all day sun, so save that space for the veggies
Remember that this is just the planning stage. Take your time, think it through and make changes as desired. It always helps to actually sit in the space while you’re thinking about the plan.
Some things to consider:
- Everyone loves a privacy fence
- Make your patio big enough for the size table you want
- Winding pathways are very charming
- Allow about 3’ (or more) for walkways
The idea to planning this all out is that you have an idea of what you’re working towards, like where to place your planting beds and what areas to keep clear of permanent plantings.
Having a grand plan mapped out will keep you from, for example, putting a tree where you one-day want a patio (and avoid wasting the money it requires to have the tree planted and then later to remove it).
Also, don’t expect yourself to get everything done in one season. The plan is important for budgeting reasons so you don’t spend on unnecessary things, but it may take several years to achieve, which is ok.
In the meantime, you can put in DIY versions of your grand plan. For example, create a DIY patio where you want a large deck down the line, or put in a DIY walkway where you want a bluestone.
And remember that you do not have to spend a lot of money on these items!! You can find a ton of materials for really cheap or free on craigslist, facebook and the side of the road.
Don’t stick your nose up at those treasures at the side of the road!
Once you map out where you would like all of your “hardscape” items, you can get to work on mapping out your plantings.
Plants.
Really get a good look around your property, be strategic and consider this order when planning:
1. Trees.
Deciduous trees are awesome additions to any home. There’s very large shade trees and smaller accent or specimen trees.
Aside from all the benefits to our planet, a tree can really improve the value of a home, provides a comfortable place to hang out under in the summer and also helps with cooling your home (and saving a few bucks on a/c). AND In the winter they drop their leaves so the sun can also warm your home in the cooler months without any issues.
- Determine the right spacing. DO NOT put in a tree that will get 40’ wide if you have a 15×15 ft yard. You will regret it down the line.
- Have something you really don’t like looking at? Like a giant bundle of telephone wires? Plant a tree! Out of sight, out of mind.
- Avoid planting too close to your foundation! Roots can really do a number on a foundation AND you’ll make an easy access point for a squirrel to take up residence in your attic.
- If a tree grows to be 40’ wide that means it will grow to be 20’ on each side from the trunk (20’ radius to equal 40’ diameter, for all you math people). If you find a beautiful specimen tree that is 15’ wide, plant it at least 8 feet away from the nearest structure.
Budget tips:
Purchase your trees at the end of the season! Fall is the best time to plant trees, and most garden centers will have a huge sale come September anticipating the upcoming winter.
All of my trees were purchased at 50% off or more in September, AND I didn’t have to stress about them getting enough water over those hot summer months. A definite win-win.
Another possibility is to check out your state’s Department of environmental conservation site. New York has an annual sale for tree seedlings. It will take a long time for them to reach your desired size, but it’s an option.
2. Evergreens
Evergreens are the “bones” of the garden, necessary for winter interest and to provide habitat for the birds. There’s nothing better in the winter when everything else is bare than to have something green to look at.
That is, except for having something blue to look at. Every garden needs a blue spruce! It’s the perfect thing to light up at Christmas time.
And ditto the telephone wire thing but with evergreens you’ll have a year-round screen.
Have a bunch of cars parked on your street? Try an arborvitae hedge. Messy neighbors? How about some laurel?! Evergreens are amazing for blocking an unsightly view.
And if you have a small space, that’s ok! Evergreens are not just giant conifers. They come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Even in the summertime, if something goes out of bloom you always have the striking nature of your evergreens to carry on with the show.
Some great smaller evergreens include boxwoods, creeping juniper and cypress.
Budget tips:
Like your trees, you can find these on sale at the end of the season, but also check your local hardware store in spring.
I bought 15 Emerald green Arborvitae for 75% off last spring. They were in pots from the year before and SUPER pot-bound, but we gave them lots of TLC and every single one of them is doing great. This was a bit of work but it saved us SO MUCH MONEY!
And having a plan and knowing that I wanted about 15 of these allowed me to scoop them right up when I saw them on sale!
3. Shrubs
Shrubs are important for filling the in-between space from your large trees and evergreens to perennials. Just like in home décor, layers are important when creating a pleasing arrangement and shrubs help you achieve that goal.
Make sure that you plant far enough away from your foundation to be able to get between the shrub and the house to do any maintenance (this goes for any plant). This will also save on the budget by not scratching up your home.
While I always recommend going to your local garden center first, once you find the shrub you like you may be able to save a lot of money by purchasing it online. As mentioned earlier, they will usually come much smaller but depending on the variety it may grow pretty quickly.
For both shrubs and perennials, also check out your local hardware store. Often there is a section that you can find plants that are close to death, but with a little TLC they will happily come back to life and reward you for it. And they are SUPER inexpensive! Like 80% off.
4. Perennials
Perennials are wonderful show stoppers that are reliable, coming back every year, really fill in your garden and can provide interest for the entire season (if you plan it out right!)
A fantastic way to get perennials is through your friend’s and family’s gardens. Certain plants like hosta and coneflower get really big after just a couple years and need to be split, or self-seed themselves like black eyed susans.
Often the gardener will run out of room to put these beautiful plants and are happy to give them to a good home. YOU can be that good home!
You can also purchase those certain plants that grow quickly and split them to create more plants for your garden.
For example, if you know you need 7 hosta in an area (because you planned out your garden and know what you want!) and are willing to delay gratification for a year or two, you can purchase say, 2 hosta and split them every year until you end up with 7.
This can save huge amounts of money in the long run, especially if you have a large space to fill.
For both perennials and annuals, a great way to get inexpensive plants is to start them from seed. This process can be extremely intricate with fancy grow light systems OR you can try out winter sowing!
I will never do it any other way again as it is SO EASY. For us working folks, these little seeds are just be put in their containers and placed outside. It saves so much time and effort, is so inexpensive and is a great way to fill your garden for less.
Annuals
I was not a huge fan of annuals when I started gardening. In terms of the budget they just didn’t make much sense to me. HOWEVER, I now know that they provide so much interest to the landscape, and can be done on without blowing your budget.
A great way to achieve this is (again) through starting from seeds.
A seed packet is just a few bucks (and you typically won’t use the whole packet so you can use it again next year), then a bag of soil may be $10 for a large bag, and you can plant SO MANY SEEDS with the winter sowing method that you’ll have a full garden in no time.
Really, check it out. It’s an amazing process.
Direct seeding is another really easy way to get plants going. Gorgeous plants like zinnias, sunflowers and bachelor buttons can all be direct sown. All you have to do is keep the seeds moist and they’re good to go.
Another wonderful thing about annuals is you can try something out without committing a long term investment.
For example, if you think you want something red in the space, you can plant a red annual and see how you like it, then if you don’t like it you’re really not out much except for the (minimal) cost of your seed packet.
Planting tips:
- MAKE SURE TO WATER!! Especially for newly planted things, make sure to give them a good soaking, especially if it’s hot and even if it’s on drip irrigation.
- The best time to plant is spring and fall, but don’t be afraid to plant at other times. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, the plant is better in the ground than in its container. So if you find a sale midsummer, go for it!
- Slow release fertilizer does wonders for plants. Espoma has an awesome site which tells you the type of fertilizer different plants prefer. Plant tone does the trick for most plants if you only want to get one.
- When tending your garden, I find it’s helpful to either work on smaller sections at a time, or one job at a time (like weeding or deadheading). This way you won’t be a slave to chores all day long and won’t be too exhausted. I find I’m more willing to do a little bit more often.
Recap
Creating a garden you love, are proud of, and enjoy spending your days in is absolutely a possibility, even on a small budget. A little hard work and planning goes a long way to achieve the yard and curb appeal you’ve always dreamed of.
Remember to follow these simple steps:
- Measure & Plan
- Hardscape
- Planting (trees down to annuals)
Use the simple tips to find plants on a budget, and you will have your dream garden in no time.
Questions? We’re here!
Leave a comment below and let us know if you’ve used any of these tips
or how you find great deals for your plants!
Check out our raised bed series:
8 Simple Steps to Design and Build Raised Garden Beds
The 9 Reasons You Need Raised Beds in Your Life
