Landscaping on a Budget

When you landscape on a budget, you don't have to sacrifice all of your dreams--you simply have to apply a little ingenuity to the project! With some simple steps, you'll be on your way to creating your fantasy landscape without jeopardizing future expenses like your child's college tuition.

First, sketch out a rudimentary landscape design for your property. Use the internet or the resources at your local library to research plants that are hardy in your zone. Perhaps a visit to your town nursery will give you an idea of what plants are typically available in your landscaping region. Meandering around the nursery will also give you a creative idea of what types of colors, textures and sizes of plants you would like to install, as well as prices and growing requirements. This type of informal planning and researching on your own will spare you the cost of a professional landscape designer.

Second, start comparison shopping for landscaping materials. Price flexibility at this step can potentially save you hundreds of dollars. Although the landscape section at the local discount department store may not have the perfect evergreens you envisioned, but they may have respectable junipers on sale that will reach your design requirement. With a little compromise of this nature, a realistic budget can stretch far.

Third, consider architectural elements for your landscape. A budget landscape design can really be enhanced and made to appear much more elaborate with the help of benches, birdbaths, trellises, statuary and other ornamentals. If you are relatively open to sale items, you can tweak your landscape design and end up perhaps more pleased than you thought you'd be.

Forth, begin installing your new landscape. This tiresome manual labor of digging pits for junipers, dragging stone bird baths, and mulching plots of yard will all be worth it when you invite some friends to see the finished product at a garden party or a barbeque. Perhaps you can even enlist some of these friends to help you with the finishing touches and entice them with the promise of future outdoor get-togethers. This less expensive "do-it-yourself" method will not only save you the bundle of money you would have forked over to the professional, but the project may be some of the most down-and-dirty fun you've had in a while!

Keep in mind that you can employ a landscape professional for any of these steps at any time if you feel as thought you're not up to the task. But the rewarding feeling after you know you've completely a task all by your self may just keep you in that garden working away rather than calling for help!