Want a blooming garden without breaking the bank? Here’s what to do!

The thought of starting your gardening this spring can be daunting. There’s the tools, the flowers and even the pest control products to consider. So, to make sure you can still achieve the garden of dreams without going over on your budget, we’ve put together some ideas on how you can prime, prune and purge pests without damaging your pocket!

Get ready to uproot everything you’ve done before and follow our top gardening tips for a luxury garden without the luxury budget!

Use your scraps as compost

Grass cuttings, egg shells, kitchen scraps and cardboard can all be used to make your own compost! Start a pile in a sunny part of your garden and add your scraps along with an equal mix of wood waste. It takes around 6 months of regularly turning and mixing with a garden folk, but it’s well worth it and can save you a heap of money.

Repel pests with beer! 

Instead of splashing out on expensive sprays, powders and remedies, there are plenty of environmentally friendly and humane ways to keep pests at bay.

1. First up, use beer! We know you don’t want to waste any, but we assure you it will be worth it! Place a saucer of beer near your plants and it will keep slugs well away.
2. Vinegar is also a great slug repellent and it even works as a cleaner for removing slime.
3. If pests are getting into your potted plants, put petroleum jelly around the base and top and they will just slide away.

Spruce up old tools

Instead of spending money on new gardening tools, try and give your old ones a clean up instead. Remove any stuck on dirt and debris with a hose and a hard bristle brush and apply oil to those that are a bit stiff. Make sure you store them away in a cool, dry environment or hang them up to prevent rust from coming back.

Use egg cartons for seed trays

There’s no need to spend on expensive seed trays when you can make your own from household scraps. Empty egg cartons and fruit punnets make great containers for planting seedlings. When they are ready to be planted, you can easily transfer them into the ground and the cardboard will decompose in just a few weeks.

Swop seeds with friends

A great idea for money saving is to swap samples with friends. It’s an ideal way to get some variety into your garden and a handy try before you buy! You can also pick up some great tips from fellow gardeners along the way.

Use a milk bottle as a watering can

Why buy a fancy or expensive watering can when you can make your own for free! One of your old 4-litre milk bottles will do the trick! Use a hot needle to create holes in the lid, fill with water and you’ve got your very own, home-made watering can.

Use ice cream sticks as labels

The wooden sticks from ice creams are perfect for labelling your plants and remembering where you planted what. As well as saving money on labels, it’s also a great excuse to eat more ice cream! Do you need any more convincing?

They say money doesn’t grow on trees, but with these helpful gardening tips you can save money from your garden! So that’s almost the same right?

To save even more money in your garden, why not try and fix your faulty garden appliances yourself instead of replacing them? Check out our Advice Centre for common faults and easy ways to fix them.

Tags: Gardening Tips, Money Saving Tips