Cost-Effective Gardening to Make Your Money Go Further

Cost-Effective Gardening to Make Your Money Go Further

It may be the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s younger sibling, but the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival is still something to be excited about. If, like us, you’re not able to attend this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t be inspired by some of the latest garden trends and ideas. This year, we’ve been particularly struck by the RHS & BBC Morning Live Budget-Friendly Garden, which highlights ways for cost-effective gardening.

Across the UK, many of us are feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living. Fortunately, as demonstrated by the RHS Hampton Budget-Friendly Garden, there are ways to make your money go further in the garden.

Cost-effective gardening is in large part a long-term investment. There are many quick, cheap gardening hacks you can adopt, but we recommend a bit of time, effort, and investment to really make your money go further.

Read on for our expert tips & advice on how to make your money go further when you’re gardening.

1. Do Your Research

Hoping to plant a new tree or shrub in your garden? Don’t waste your money by choosing one that isn’t suitable for your planting space. Do your research so that you can be sure you are choosing the right tree for your space. You should consider:

Soil type - know your soil and find trees that will grow in these conditions

  • What soil type do you have in your garden? Does the soil in your planting location drain well?

Planting location - make sure your garden can provide what your tree needs to survive

  • Does your chosen tree grow best in a full sun or partially shaded position, and can your garden provide this? If your tree requires shelter, is your garden able to offer a sheltered position? If you’re planting in a northern climate, will your tree survive colder conditions? If you intend to plant your tree in a pot, check that your chosen tree is suitable for container-growing (a lot but not all of them are) and that you have space for a large enough pot.

Size - how much garden space do you have to work with?

  • Do you have enough space that a small, medium, or large tree can thrive? Check the tree’s product description for an estimated height & spread in 20 years (this estimate is available for all of our trees).

2. Plant your tree correctly

Once you’ve done your research and have decided on your tree, it is important to plant it properly so that it develops strong, healthy roots and has the best chance of survival from the get-go. Invest in planting essentials to give you a helping hand. Apply rootgrow to the planting hole before planting to improve nutrient intake. Install the right size tree stake & tie, where appropriate, to prevent root rock and help trees to establish easier. A tree irrigation kit will also aid in establishment by allowing you to water trees directly at the roots (reducing water wastage).

3. Take proper care of your tree

Trees that are well-looked after can last a lifetime or longer. After planting, adopt a proper aftercare regime so that your tree will not only survive but thrive as well. You should consider:

Watering

  • Make sure you know how much your water your tree needs and adopt a proper watering regime. Read our blog post on how to correctly water trees.

Pruning

  • Pruning helps to keep trees healthy and promotes better growth, but if done incorrectly can cause damage your tree. Adopt proper cutting techniques, prune with care and most importantly, take your time! Read our ornamental pruning guide and fruit pruning guide to learn more.

4. Grow your own fruit

Anyone with a fruit tree or bush will agree that fruit tastes better when it’s homegrown. If you eat a lot of fruit, save money by growing your own (beating supermarket shortages and reducing your food miles while you’re at it). Choose a dual-purpose variety for fruit that is suited to both snacking and cooking, or a self-fertile variety to save you money (and space) on buying multiple trees.

5. Collect & reuse rainwater

Save on your water bill (and be mindful of water conservation) by collecting and reusing rainwater to water your trees. If you haven’t already, consider installing a water barrel.

6. Make your own compost

Composting is an excellent way to use up old garden and food waste, and it’s a great money saver as well as it can be used for mulch or as a soil improver. Once you’ve got a compost bin, make a good compost using both green materials for nitrogen (including leftover food, egg shells and grass clippings) and brown materials for carbon (including cardboard, paper and twigs). This should ideally be a 50/50 mix. Add some water to kickstart the composting process – the pile should remain damp but not sodden – and make sure to turn it regularly.

7. Reuse or upcycle plastic nursery pots

There are some lovely plant pots out there, and many gardeners will know how tempting it is to splash out on them for our trees and plants. However, there’s nothing stopping you from reusing old plastic nursery pots. Get creative and have some fun by sprucing them up with a lick of paint. To get started, give the pot a thorough clean with soap and water, then sand the surface with sandpaper once dry. Choose your paint - chalk paint, acrylic, spray-paint, and brush paint are all suitable for painting onto plastic pots. If spray painting, make sure you’re outside or in a well-ventilated area while wearing a mask and safety goggles. Before the painting stage, you can also add a coat of primer so the paint lasts longer and adheres better to the plastic.

Alternatively, plastic nursery pots can be used to protect your tender plants from frost. Cover them at night and then remove once it warms up the next day.

8. Keep an eye out for our special offers

Here at Ornamental Trees, we’re proud to offer high-quality trees while catering to all budgets, and we regularly publish new special offers to give our customers the most value for money. Our Star Buys range, for instance, which is updated regularly, features a range of trees available at specially lowered prices for a limited time only. If you’re after multiple trees, our new bundles range makes it easier to save money when you buy in bulk.

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