Many homeowners dream of a backyard oasis where they can spend time and relax after a long week. Unfortunately, landscaping costs quickly add up as you take care of the grass, plant a garden, and add hardscaping features. Here are a few of the best ways to spruce up your landscaping on a budget.
Choosing Plants When Landscaping on a Budget
One strategy for landscaping on a budget is installing attractive plants that serve other purposes. For example, fruits, vegetables, and plants that repel mosquitoes. Instead of just shopping for colorful flowers, explore multipurpose plants that supply food for the dinner table or aloe for the first aid kit. You’ll enjoy their beauty when you’re outdoors and save money on the grocery bill.
Use Alternative Mulch
Traditional mulch is laden with chemicals and dyes and is also quite expensive. One of the easiest ways to start landscaping on a budget is using alternatives to mulch. Some of the different materials you can use instead of traditional bagged mulch are listed below.
- Shredded leaves from trees in your backyard
- Grass clippings from your lawn mower
- Pine needles from your trees or purchased from the hardware store
- Compost from a garden center or your compost pile
Pine mulch is the best value for your buck if you decide you want only to use conventional wood mulch.
Experiment With Natural Ground Cover Instead of a Traditional Lawn
You have more options if you’re in an area without an HOA or requirements for your lawn. You could choose to skip the mowing and expensive costs associated with lawn care by using a natural ground cover. You’ll never need to worry about weeding or spending your entire weekend maintaining the grass. Additionally, you might plant flowers to attract bees, butterflies, and pollinators to your yard. Some of the most affordable ground cover options for landscaping include:
- Walk-on-me thyme
- Violets
- Pansies
- Creeping periwinkle
- Moss
- Early snow glories
Use a Rain Barrel When Landscaping on a Budget
Landscaping on a budget means scaling back on one-time costs and decreasing your ongoing expenses. Rain barrels effectively collect rainwater that can be used elsewhere, like watering your lawn and plants. Rain barrels are attached to the home’s gutters to catch the water that would otherwise be directed away from your house.
Check local regulations on rain barrels, as many HOAs have limitations, and some cities have restrictions governing how big they must be.
Reveal360 provides home inspection services in Northern Colorado. If you’re buying or selling a home, contact us to schedule an appointment.