Gardening is a fantastic hobby with a huge range of benefits. It’s great exercise, and it can be a way to make friends. Many people find gardening relaxing and that it boosts their mental health, and there’s something incredibly rewarding about growing something from scratch.
But if your garden is a mess, or you’ve never tried to do anything with it, you might worry about getting started. It’s going to be expensive, buying equipment, plants, pots and planters and everything else that you need, right? Well, like everything else, gardening can be expensive if you let it, but there are plenty of fantastic ways to save.
Start with a Kit
Starting with a kit is a great way to get everything that a beginner needs. It can be much cheaper, and it means that you won’t have to worry about not having the right things. If you are short on garden space, a living wall kit from Vertical Garden Supply can also be a fantastic way to create a beautiful garden without needing lots of ground.
Grow from Seed
Growing from seed means that it will take a little longer for your garden to look how you’d like it to. It will also take more effort on your part. But it’s significantly cheaper than buying ready-grown plants, and a great way to learn more about how to care for them. It’s also more satisfying watching things start to take shape.
Use What You’ve Got
You don’t need fancy planters or propagators to grow seeds. You can use what you’ve already got at home. Start saving things like yogurt pots, the plastic trays that fruit often comes in from the store, and even toilet roll tubes to get seeds started. Then, think outside the box when it comes to bigger planters later on. Every time you go to throw something out, ask yourself if you could put a plant in it first.
Prioritize
Saving money might mean that you can’t do your whole garden in one year. But you don’t have to. Prioritize the things that you want the most, perhaps your living wall, a lawn, and some crops, and add to it later on.
Grow Your Own Food
Growing food from seed is incredibly cheap and it’s a way for your garden to work for you, saving you money elsewhere. Look at some of the best food for beginners to grow to get started.
Get Composting
Instead of buying expensive compost, start a compost heap, or look for a second-hand compost bin and create your own. It can take time, but if you start collecting veg peelings, grass cuttings, and other organic waste, you’ll soon have compost to help your garden grow.
Learn Online
There are plenty of books and even classes that you can buy to learn more about gardening. But you really don’t need to. There are lots of blogs, websites, and even YouTube channels dedicated to helping new gardeners.
Shop Second-Hand
If you’ve never done much gardening, you might need some basic tools and other equipment. Have a look online, at yard sales, and in charity shops to get what you can second-hand. Never buy new without first looking around. You could save a fortune.
Gardening is a hobby that is worth both your money and your time. But that doesn’t mean that you should rush out and spend a fortune. Save where you can, especially in the early days.
