How can I create a garden on a budget?
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I am on a budget but want to create a nice garden. Have you got any ideas?
Gardening can be as cheap or expensive as you want to make it. There are so many places to buy plants at great prices and in some cases you will be helping charitable causes at the same time.
My advice to you is to buy a copy of the Yellow Book. This is an annual guide that tells you which private gardens are open across the country for charity under the National Gardening Scheme.
You can also look up open gardens on line at www.ngs.org.uk. At most of these gardens you will find plant stalls and you can pick up wonderful specimens for just a few pounds.
Another great idea is to invest in a propagation book. This is a great time of year to take cuttings from roses and divide most hardy perennials. Get the propagation bug and there is no end to the number of plants you can grow for free. Now is also a good time to order seed catalogues and plan what you want to grow next year.
A packet of seeds will set you back just a few pounds and you’ll have enough plants to swop with your friends.
Local fundraising events are also great places to find reasonably priced plants – you might even find that a local open garden will give you plants in return for a little manual help. Add some fun into creating your garden by asking friends to come and help blitz areas – offer to help them on another occasion. More hands on deck at one time can really bring a garden on.
Tamsin Westhorpe - Editor, The English Garden magazine
