How to Landscape on a Budget

Landscaping doesn’t have to be expensive. Whether you’re fixing up your yard for personal enjoyment or getting ready to sell, a little elbow grease and some creativity can create a beautiful outdoor space that enhances your home.

Draw a Plan

Before you do anything else, lay out the design for your outdoor space. Consider any existing plants and hardscape and decide what you like and what you want to change. Play with shapes and sizes, such as raised beds to add dimension or a round patch of grass for emphasis.

Use Color

Color is one of the easiest ways to spruce up any part of your home, and your yard is no exception. Paint can be used to freshen an old fence. Inexpensive colored flower pots can be grouped on the hardscape or in borders to add drama.

Buy Ground Cover

Fill in empty patches with less expensive ground cover or natural materials, such as mulch or pebbles. Over time, the ground cover will spread naturally and if you are intentional about the placement of the plantings, then these plants will look beautiful even during the growing period.

Add a Walkway

A gravel walkway or artistically placed pavers will draw you into otherwise unused portions of your yard. Consider an inexpensive bench or chair placed at the back of a lazy path. Yard sales and online marketplaces can be great places to find inexpensive furniture and other treasures.

Landscaping doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars. Look for native plants and inexpensive materials, then use your imagination. Your yard will reflect the same beauty as your home.