If you’re looking to redo your landscape this Spring but are on a budget, look no further.
Budget Landscaping Ideas
Here are a few ideas and tips that might help you stay on budget that will add some character to your yard.
Tip #1: Use Everyday Materials and Repurpose Them
So, starting off, I have a Hosta that I want to separate. When digging it up, you want to save as many of the roots as you can. The tips of the roots divide a lot at the tip, so you want to keep as many of the tip of the roots as you can. The best time to split Hostas are in the early spring and early fall. The reason you want to split perennials and other plant, because it gives it enough time to get settled before the summer heat, or if you do it too far into the fall, it might get too cold before they can really establish their roots. I use a Garden Knife with a serrated edge to divide my plants. You can divide the plant into as many as you want, as long as you get enough roots. Try to preserve as many roots as you can as you work through, sometimes you can divide Hostas by hand if they’re not too intertwined.
Tip #2: Add Character to Basic Materials
The front entrance is probably one of the most important parts of the landscape environment, in my opinion. When doing the site inventory on this property, I thought this would be a opportunity place to do an affordable DIY bench as well as freshen it up with some mulch and some new plants.
The first thing I started with is the bench. For this bench we are using cinder blocks and wood. The first thing to do is to paint the cinder blocks, I used a color that compliments the house. Now, while the paint dries, you can cut your 4 x 4’s. I cut mine down to 6ft using a Chainsaw, make sure to secure the wood so it doesn’t move. I also decided to paint my lumber to protect it.
Tip #3: Make More Plants Out of the Ones You Already Have
So, I brought in some compost from the garden, this is so good for the plants and the soil. The compost is going to make it easier for the plants to grow in the soil. Just mix a little compost into the native soil and it’s going to give the plant a great new start. You can buy compost, or you can make it yourself; which you probably should because you have a lot of food scraps anyways.
A few things to consider when transplanting a plant; you want to make sure that the new roots are smooshed, you want to spread them out. So, I like to dig the hole extra wide, because you’re going to want really nice and fluffy soil around the plant. Especially when transplanting and dividing plants like we did that Hosta from earlier, the plant has experienced a lot of trauma; so, you’re going to want the plant to have a nice easy transition. When planting the plant, make sure not to put it too deep, make sure the top of the roots are at the top of the soil and not any lower. So, you want to make sure you water it. The next few weeks after transplanting it, you’re going to want to keep an extra sharp eye on it because they need to regrow their roots, so they might be a little more fragile than normal.
The spade shovel is what you’ll want to use for digging. The point makes it a lot easier to dig up the dirt. While a square shovel is for transfer. This is what you want to use to move mulch, rocks, etc. around.
Soil mixing:
It’s always a good idea to mix your soil amendments with native soil. If you don’t do this but put all new soil, or all amendments in the area, the plant is either only going to grow in that one area and never want to migrate into the “tougher” native soil. So, you want to give the plant a little bit of mixture to get it acclimated, because you want the roots to go out.
When spacing the plant, you want to consider how big it’s going to get eventually. Make sure to put it far enough away from the edge so when it does fill out, it isn’t going into the lawn. The last thing you’re going to want to do is even out the soil around the root base. Then spread the rest of the dirt around to make it even or just get rid of the excess, you don’t want to have a lumpy patio.
Tip #4: Increase Curb Appeal without Increasing Your Budget
Add the affordable DIY bench we made toad some charm to the space. I like to top off the area with a fresh layer of mulch to ward off any weeds before adding the mulch. I like to add a layer of landscape fabric to help keep down any weeds. But typically, I don’t add the landscape fabric in my gardens because I want the woodchips to decompose and add nutrients to the soil.
Some finishing touches to the front area you can add are some decorative outdoor pillows, standing potted plants, a small side table, and even some hanging planters.
I hope some of these landscape ideas inspire you to work on your ward this spring.
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