With creative thinking, clever use of materials and sourcing of plants, you can add design elements to your garden that won't break the bank. Some items, such as belowground drainage and structural work, are probably best left to expert landscapers, but there are plenty of ideas that you can try out yourself. These design tips are intended to be cost effective, but also good for the environment and great for supporting local wildlife.
Cost-effective garden updates
Three ways to stretch your budget, while helping the environment
Hard landscaping
Hard landscaping is a key feature of any garden design as it forms the bones of the garden and is generally the most expensive element. However, there are still many ways to make it thrifty.
Think about what you're removing - can you re-use old slabs? A crusher can be hired on a day rate and used on unwanted hard materials to lay as sub-base (essential for a stable installation) or even to use as decorative stone chippings. This is cheaper than buying freshly dug aggregates and more sustainable, too.
If buying new paving, particularly if it's very cheap, do check it has been ethically sourced. You can also search online marketplaces or reclamation yards for reclaimed stone. Then think about how you could enhance the materials - concrete slabs can be polished to create a terrazzo-like effect, or you could cut larger pavers and lay in a herringbone pattern for added interest. Also consider leaving gravel channels or planting pockets between slabs this reduces the cost and aids drainage.
Decking is often cheaper than paving, especially around tree roots or on slopes where it is more practical to install. Reclaimed timber is widely available, or you can prolong the lifespan of softwoods by using thicker grades, which will still be a fraction of the cost of tropical hardwoods.
Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de BBC Gardeners World.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de BBC Gardeners World.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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A new plot for tasty crops
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We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
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