Starting a garden? Try these 26 budget-friendly hacks

How to start a garden on a budget

If you’re looking for ideas on how to start your garden on a budget then you’ve come to the right place. With today's rising costs, it makes sense to tighten the purse strings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a glorious garden – there are so many inexpensive and free things you can do.

From upcycling furniture and taking softwood cuttings to clever planning and hitting the sales, click or scroll on for clever ideas for starting a garden on a budget...

Identify which way your garden faces

Sunlight plays a huge role in plant growth, so understanding the direction your garden faces is fundamental. Watch where the sun is positioned throughout the day to establish your garden’s direction – or grab a compass.

Those that face north receive the least light and can be quite damp, making it perfect for shady plants. Whereas a south-facing garden receives the most light and will be the hottest – benefiting a completely different collection of plants.

Take time to observe

Crucially, before you start digging and cutting back the garden, you should take the time to observe the growth and cycle of your plants throughout the year. Make a note of which grow where, when they bloom and for how long.

Plenty of plants die back when they finish flowering and completely recede under the ground, especially during the winter months. Digging up and throwing away dormant plants is a common gardening mistake. In your search, you may actually discover one or two gems.

Dig back what's there to get a clear view

Tidying and trimming back existing vegetation will give you a clear canvas to build upon. Just do it carefully – you don’t want to rip out a well-established plant.

“Clear away any fallen branches, matted down leaves and any leftover debris,” says Mark Dwelly, Head Gardener at Audley Stanbridge Earls. “Maintaining good hygiene in your garden beds will help to keep pests and diseases at bay.”

Consider how you’ll use the space

Just like moving house, before starting a renovation, you need to live in the space. Spend time outside and watch how the sun moves and where it casts shade. Only then can you establish how best to zone different areas. There’s no use putting your patio for lounging in the shadiest spot. Unless, of course, that’s what you want!

Think about the different activities you plan to do – will you want spaces for dining, lounging, growing vegetables, reading or a spot for the kids to play?

Look for inspiration

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start, dedicate some time to hunting for ideas – magazines, books, social media, websites (Pinterest is great!) and the TV all provide an abundance of inspiration on how to start a garden on a budget.

So slow down and take a moment to yourself to really think about how you want your garden to look and feel. Spend some time in the garden as it is now, too. You’ll be surprised by how much inspiration you’ll discover around you.

Start with a plan

“Taking the time to sit down and plan your garden is essential in creating a seamless and well-executed space,” says garden design expert Tom Glifford from Gardenstone. “Without a plan, you may end up placing plants in areas that don’t suit their growing conditions. And from a visual point of view, you can ensure a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing design.”

It’s also worth managing a plant calendar so your garden has some plants in flower every month of the year.

Ask green-fingered friends for advice

Some may say that gardening is one of life’s great pleasures – stealing time to tend to your plants in peace, liberating yourself from everyday stresses. But there is so much more that comes from sharing this joy with others. And you don’t need to enlist a gardener as your green-fingered buddy, either, just ask your friends and family for advice and help in the garden – you may learn more than you expect.

Improve the soil

Poor soil is not conducive to pretty gardens awash with blooms. If yours is dry, sandy and without a worm in sight, then it needs some TLC.

Georgina O'Grady, Managing Director at Evergreen Direct recommends starting by adding some organic matter such as compost or aged manure. “These can enhance nutrient levels and soil structure,” she says. “Regularly testing the soil pH and adding appropriate amendments can help create a fertile environment for plants to grow properly.”

Start small

Don’t rush into any grand projects. “Starting small is key,” shares Murray Michel, garden renovation and technical expert at Clear Amber. “Consider homemade planters or raised beds for easy gardening that are not only streamlined but also offer ergonomic benefits, reducing strain on your back and knees.”

Buying garden-ready plant plugs or smaller potted plants to grow in your beds is also much cheaper than buying full-sized varieties. You just need a bit of patience to wait for them to mature.

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Look for easy wins

When you first start, it can feel deflating having to wait weeks or months for plants to grow. Beat the time, by planting pots with low-cost bulbs and small plants for immediate colour and impact. Annuals may seem cheaper, but they flower just once.

“Purchase perennials,” says Soto Garden’s Will Williams. “If you buy an annual, they will last only one year. Perennials come back each year, so you only need to invest once.” Hydrangeas and geraniums are lovely varieties that bloom for an extended period and look beautiful.

Raid the sale section at the garden centre

You know that section at the back of the garden centre where everything looks, well, dead? They’re not past it my friend, they’re just sleeping! Towards the end of each season, staff will put dormant plants – perennials that have finished flowering – on sale at a fraction of the price. Keep an eye out for any that appear pot-bound or sickly with disease, as these will be difficult to recover. Just plant up your bargains and wait as they spring to life next season.

Take softwood cuttings

This is by far the most efficient and easiest way to get plants for free. You just need a little bit of patience to allow for the cuttings to take root. And permission from the original plant owner, of course!

The best time to take cuttings is between March and August when there is a lot of new, softwood growth. Snip the top few centimetres of tender young shoot tips using clean, sharp secateurs and insert them into compost using a dibber. After a few weeks of care, the cuttings should be well-rooted.

Grow from seed

Gardening can be an expensive hobby, but without a doubt, the cheapest way to get a thriving garden is to grow from seed. You can pick up packets for just a couple of pounds, giving you an abundance of flowers and veggies.

Scatter boxes are great, too, as you can shake them out and watch as the plants pop up here and there – this is fantastic for meadow gardens or pollinator plants.

Use online marketplaces

Flipping open your laptop or scrolling your mobile phone is probably the last place you’d think to look to find plants for your garden. But it should actually be one of the first.

Rather than heading straight to your nearest nursery, take a look at online marketplaces. You’ll find so many plants, cuttings and seeds available for sale, swaps or even free. You'll also discover friendly communities where you can meet like-minded green-fingered people to share advice and techniques.

Keep a wild patch

Our gardens are becoming much less clipped and pristine, with many of us dedicating a section as a meadow patch in an effort to support wildlife. “Meadow-style sanctuaries with areas for cultivating produce are poised for a renaissance,” says Jacksons Fencing’s garden expert, Leigh Barnes. “Borders flourishing with a diverse array of plants, interspersed with untamed pockets of greenery are a haven for local wildlife.” Allow plants to self-seed and create a haphazard feel that is on-trend, inexpensive and serves a purpose, too.

Grow fruit and veg from scraps

Did you know that many veggies will sprout again if given the time and care they require – not everything needs to end up in the compost bin. Celery, lettuce, onions, garlic and leeks are all very easy to grow. Even top-root plants like carrots, beetroot and parsnips can be successful.

After you’ve cut the edible part off, pop the tops or bases into a shallow container with a little water and place on a sunny windowsill. When new leaves and roots appear, plant out in the soil to grow into a larger plant.

Choose fast-growing plants

Patience goes hand in hand with gardening. After all, you’re waiting for life to grow and that takes time. But, if you’re in a hurry to fill a bed quickly, look for fast-growing plants. Chrysanthemums – nicknamed ‘mums’ – are perfect.

Late spring or early summer is the best time for planting these super hardy flowers, when they’ll race away like no one’s business. They’ll send out underground shoots to help make a larger, bushier plant, with more flowers. Mums boast a long-lived flower, so that you can enjoy their beauty for longer.

Pick edible plants that flower

Save money by choosing plants that not only flower but also provide a tasty treat. For your veggie plot, go for varieties that bloom – courgettes, peas, garlic and cabbage are pretty enough for a bouquet.

Flowers that you can eat like Nasturtiums are a fab option, too – their leaves have a peppery, spicy taste, while the flowers are milder and sweeter, both perfect in a salad.

Buy secondhand garden furniture

You can save an absolute packet by buying a preloved patio set or lounger – leaving more cash for buying plants. And more often than not, the seller is parting with them fully assembled, saving you the time it takes to build them.

Have a look at online marketplaces for bargains in your local area. If items are looking a bit tired, just give them a good brush and clean and a quick lick of garden-friendly paint, and they’ll look almost good as new.

Upcycle everyday items

There’s so much you can recycle for the garden, saving you money and helping you be more sustainable. An old desk or table makes a brilliant potting bench, tin cans can be used for growing herbs, a chest of drawers is a nifty planter and wooden pallets work fab as raised beds or even fashioned into an outdoor sofa. An old sink could also be used as a small rockery with succulents and alpine plants. All your creative options are endless.

Look for second-hand tiles

Another big saving you can make is with your patio tiles. Many stone merchants will massively reduce the price of end-of-line designs or incomplete packs. If you are flexible on the quantities you need then you’ll open yourself up to more savings.

Buying second-hand pavers is also a great way to save costs – you’ll just have to lift and shift them from someone else's garden to your own. In situ, you can give them a good scrub with the jet washer and even paint them to breathe in new life.

Forego a shed

The traditional shed often ends up a dumping ground for unwanted garden toys, tools, paint cans and all sorts of things that you hardly, or never use. Instead, opt for a suitably sized, weather-proof storage box and keep only the essentials that you really need – an everyday tool set, a parasol, cushions, a watering can, plant feeds and perhaps a bucket or two. It’ll take up less room and won't require a space-stealing concrete base, either.

Look after your tools

Garden design expert Tom Glifford, from Gardenstone recommends investing in a few high-quality basic tools before getting started. “I suggest getting shears to maintain the edges of your lawn and for trimming any out-of-control plants,” he says. “Investing in both a long- and short-handled trowel and fork is essential for planting, as well as weeding your garden.”

A good, sharp pair of secateurs are also a gardener's must. Once you’ve got your basic set be sure to look after it, keeping the tools clean and dry after use. Leaving them in the rain will cause them to rust and go brittle.

Make your own raised beds

“Garden projects can be expensive, so it’s best to try and source materials you can reuse – rocks, pebbles or even fallen branches are ideal for delineation of garden beds and pathways, says Glen Peskett, Home DIY Expert and owner of Saxton Blades. You can even repurpose old decking boards or planks, using them to make raised beds. “A table saw or circular saw can be used to easily cut boards to the desired length and width,” says Glen.

Do a little bit each week

As we've said, starting a garden can be expensive and overwhelming, so doing a little bit at a time will make it feel more manageable. Once your hard landscaping is complete, you can add plants and garden features gradually, building up your desired aesthetic over several weeks, months or even years. Don't feel like you need to break the bank to have it looking perfect straight away – part of the joy is building up your creation.

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