Make your cash go further

Ruth offers money-saving tips if you're feeling the pinch

TIMES are hard, the cost of everything is rising and we are all scaling back and trying to make our pennies go further. In many households, luxuries and

hobbies may be the first things to go. No one is suggesting anyone gives up their gardening – at a time of financial concerns, getting out in the garden is beneficial to our physical health and mental wellbeing.

But it can be a costly business. It can, but it need not be and at AG we are all affected by the cost of living crisis so are using all manner of horticultural thriftiness to keep our gardens looking top-notch.

On these two pages I share some easy ways of keeping money in your purse and we will be publishing regular follow-up articles over the coming months to help you garden economically.

The gardening year is about to take off as the spring approaches and the weather improves, so this is the perfect time to plan ahead with an eye to being as spendthrift as possible.

At home and in the shed there are plenty of simple things you can do to protect your pennies.