5 simple ways to reduce gardening costs this spring without sacrificing results

Your garden and its maintenance shouldn't have to be yet another pressure point when it comes to the monthly bills. Especially when you explore ingenious expert tips to make it low-cost and completely self-sufficient.

Following the garden trends can sometimes get a little expensive so it's always a good idea to have some nifty budget-friendly tricks up your sleeve. Aside from trying the latest budget garden ideas to carry out transformations sustainable garden ideas are some of the best ways of keeping the general cost of gardening down, whether you have a vast vegetable patch or a small but mighty flower bed.

From succession planting to rain-scaping, there are several changes you can make in your garden that will stop you from spending money and help your plants thrive independently.

5 money saving gardening tips recommended by experts

Maintaining a garden can come with some unexpected costs, with outdoor lighting, plant care and watering you'll be surprised just how quickly the bills add up.

However, the key to a budget-friendly sustainable garden is using the tools that nature provides and reusing everything where possible. That way when it comes to garden maintenance or trying out outdoor living room ideas, you won't be breaking the bank.

1. Installing a water butt

One of the most low-effort, efficient ways to reduce your water bills is with rainwater harvesting. It might not seem like a lot of water when filling up your watering can but as the summer months approach those cans will add up quickly.

A great solution for this is installing your own water butt to collect rainwater for various uses in your garden whether that's cleaning or watering your garden plants properly.

And it's not just the freeness of the water that's an advantage, natural rainwater is also super beneficial for your plants and lawn as there's no fluoride in it.

2 Rainsaver Garden water butts 100L capacity: £69.99 at Amazon

Why buy one water butt when you can get two and harvest twice the amount of rainwater? These water butts off Amazon come with taps, stands and filler kits so you can start harvesting as soon as possible.

View Deal

2. Opt for solar powered or LED lighting

A great way of making your garden look expensive on a budget is by adding solar-powered lights. Opting for solar-powered or LED means you get that elevated look without having to worry about rising energy bills.

"Solar-powered lights get their energy from the sunlight in the day so they can illuminate your garden at night. They’re easy to install and are a great choice for keeping electricity bills low. LED lights are another option that are long-lasting and energy efficient," explains garden design expert and Managing Director of LightingLegends.com, Jon Saeed.

You can play around with the types of lights you go for too, if you're after a more Mediterranean-inspired garden then we'd recommend pairing festoon lights with lanterns for that coastal glow.

3. Grow your own edible plants

Whether you've recently started vegetable gardening for beginners or have ruled over a successful veggie patch for years now, it's no secret that growing your own food will cut costs.

Growing crops like lettuce, radishes and spinach first are great because they're usually super easy to grow and maintain. Once you've tackled the easy 'starter plants' you can move on to exploring how to grow rhubarb and how to grow garlic.

Just make sure you use some eggshells in your garden beds to keep those greedy snails and slugs away from your homegrown food supplies.

4. Upcycle household waste

The best way to save money is to of course not spend it at all, which is why reusing household items in your garden is the key to cutting costs. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how many things can be repurposed to benefit your plants and the environment.

"Much of the waste we generate at home can be reused in our gardens," says Fiona Jenkins, gardening expert at MyJobQuote. "Recycling everyday items and repurposing them for use in the garden can help you to save money as well as significantly reduce your carbon footprint."

Some examples include using old towels in your garden as weed barriers, avocado skins as seedling starters and of course teabags are a great compost enhancer.

Fiona Jenkins

With over 25 years of experience under her belt, Fiona is a trained gardener who offers advice and insight to several trade companies and homeowners. She has also been featured as a gardening expert for several publications.

5. Make your own compost

Making your own compost might seem a little daunting at first, however, once you know all the dos and dont's it couldn't be easier.

Composting all your kitchen scraps like vegetable peels and combine them with organic garden waste such as leaves and grass clippings. Placing all these things in a compost bin will encourage them to break down quicker and leave you with a nutrient-rich compost to use for potting.

You can also add coffee grounds to the mix and this will introduce some nitrate to the compost which can help aerate soil and promote healthy growth.

Another great way of keeping your gardening costs low is collecting seeds from your plants when you can. After flowers have bloomed and vegetables have been harvested, make sure to collect the seeds and store them correctly. That way when it comes time to sow you'll have a free collection of seeds to plant and the cycle can continue for years to come.