Landscaping On Little to No budget

 Budget Friendly or FREE Landscaping 

Ideas to transform your curb appeal!

Landscaping CAN be expensive. VERY expensive. I don't know about you guys, but I have never had the kind of very large budgets, or anything remotely close to, the folks you see on the landscaping shows on TV. My jaw usually hits the floor when they announce they have something like a $50,0000 budget. 😮  My budget is usually a small fraction of that if anything. I have said before, and I will say it again, FREE is my FAVE. In this article, we will explore how you can do landscaping on a very small budget. 

First, let's start with a clean slate! This means, weeding, trimming, removing trash and old plants, and starting with a fresh area to work with.

1. If you do not have existing flower beds, mark out the area where you plan to make your flower garden. You can use string, spray paint, whatever you already have on hand to define a general layout. This is just going to involve some good ole elbow grease. If you do not have a shovel or rake, see if you can borrow one if it is not in your budget to purchase one. There are affordable options out there for around $10 each, I will put a link to a couple you might consider.

 

Affordable shovel option from Lowes 

Affordable rake option at Lowe's

                       

2. Remove all sod, weeds, plants and shrubs from the area you are placing your flower bed. Start by digging around the outline you laid out in step one. Remove all plant material inside that area. You want to get down to bare soil. Rake the area out smooth and fill in any holes or low spots as best you can. 

Now, let's talk edging, mulch, weed control

1. Edging: what are some free options? One of our favorites is to take a drive down a country highway or back road and pick up some rock off the side of the road. The only downside here is, depending on your vehicle, you wouldn't want to pick up too much at once and put too much weight on your vehicle. Lay a tarp, or old blanket or sheet, in the back of your car or trunk, get a small load and head back home to see how far that goes. This will give you an idea of how many trips it will take to edge out the entire bed. Another really good free or usually pretty cheap option is to head online to places like Facebook Marketplace or Craiglist and look for free rock, landscaping stones, or blocks. I have stacks of different kinds of blocks and landscaping stones I have picked up for free. A lot of times when someone is completing a landscaping makeover, they don't want to have to haul off the old materials and this is when you swoop in and create a win-win situation for both of you. This is also a good way to get dirt if you need it to fill in your beds. 

 

2. Weed control: one of the best free methods for weed control is newspaper and cardboard. Layer this over the soil around your plantings to help keep weeds under control, making it harder for them to poke through the layers. This material will naturally decompose over time and add nutrients to your soil, so it's not only free, it's so helpful! Another affordable option would be large black trash bags. You can cut the bags open and layer them over the soil. You can even pick up a couple of boxes at the dollar tree for a super low, budget-friendly option. Of course, you can also buy weed block material in rolls. Or you can use a weed control treatment such as spray or granules, depending on your budget. A free option for killing weeds is boiling water poured over weeds to kill them then remove them. 

 

 

3. Mulch: Unfortunately, there are not many good options for free mulch.  If you have a small area you are landscaping, buying a few bags at a time and filling in over time may be your best options. If you have a large area, and have access to a truck to haul it, getting a truck load at a time really gives you more bang for your buck. If none of this is an option for you, I do have some things you can try. Contact your local tree trimming and see if they have wood chips you could pick up for free, a lot of time they are glad to give these away rather than deal with having to dispose of them. You could also used pine needles, dried grass clippings, rocks or shells or a combination of these items to cover.

 

 Plants: how to get them for free:

1. Ask friends and family if they mind sharing plants with you. Many flowers and plants are easy to divide and replant with great success! You can also start many plants from a cutting, such as roses, shrubs such as chrysanthemums or butterfly bush,  and trees such as redbuds, dogwoods, or weeping willows. If you happen to know anyone that owns acreage, you may ask if they would let you scour their woods for tree saplings and items like ferns. 
2. Check on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for free postings for plants, shrubs, or trees.
3. Contact local landscapers and inquire if they would consider donating plants they have removed from landscaping to you if you would pick them up. They are just going to the dump anyway! 

 

Plants: how to get them affordably:

1. Start from seed. Seeds are very affordable, and when done successfully can give you, again, a lot of bang for your buck. You can start seeds in any container, you don't have to have fancy seed trays or pods. You can use egg cartons, plastic containers, plastic or styrofoam cups. Any number of things really. You will need seeds, some decent dirt, something to cover the seeds, and a warm sunny spot to place them. To give you ongoing flowers year to year, you will want to get perennials, which come back year after year. Some of the easiest to grow are Black-Eyed Susans, Purple Coneflowers, Yarrow.  But, for extra color and pop, you can try a few annuals as well, which will only last one season. Some great ones to try are Sunflowers and Zinnias. 
2. Search clearance at nursery's and home improvement stores. I have picked up more plants than I could say at Lowe's garden center clearance racks! Look for plants that still have a lot of life left to them. I have found everything from flats of annuals to roses on these carts. It is definitely worth a look for me every time I am there.  
3. Make that dollar do double duty and include some vegetables in your flower beds. Herbs like dill, parsley, and cilantro are soft and pretty. You could add Rosemary as well. How about purple cabbage planting red or green lettuce along the outside edge of the flower bed for edible color! Bushes of Kale could add a nice detail with the ruffled leaves. 

 

Now, once you have the groundwork in so to speak, then you can add decor and other items over time. Your gardens will be a continuously evolving thing to enjoy for years to come. I have a few last affordable suggestions to bring more ambiance to your yard.

1. Define pathways: you can create a walkway out of a number of items: scrap wood, including pallet wood, cut log slices, or recycled stepping stones, sand, or gravel. 
2. Add lighting: you can buy inexpensive solar lights at stores like Dollar Tree, Dollar General or Walmart. Recycle Christmas lights for summer use to give your yard or porch an inviting glow of light. 
3. Add decor: shop yard sales and thrift stores for things like flags, pots, benches to add some decor to your beds. 

I truly hope you get inspired to tackle that curb appeal and believe that in any budget, with a little sweat equity, you really can transform your space. 

~Stacy