Good landscaping can accentuate the style of your house, increase its curb appeal, and even make you more excited to come home each day.

Unfortunately, landscaping can be costly and time-consuming. While some people choose to hire a landscaping company to do the hard work for them, others neglect it entirely.

What few people realize is DIY landscaping projects are totally possible and often much more cost effective than hiring a professional. Plus, they’re fun!

Whether you’re looking to spruce up your front yard, start a small project for your side yard, or are ready to embark on a major backyard makeover, we’ve got some tips that’ll help you keep your landscaping project on budget.

How to Landscape on a Budget

There are plenty of ways to save money landscaping. All it takes is a little ingenuity and some elbow grease, and you can do your own landscaping project without breaking the bank. For example, you can make your landscaping project more cost-efficient by:

1. Buy mulch in bulk.  Mulch helps your soil hold moisture, which means you don’t waste as much time or money on watering. It also makes it harder for weeds to grow and ultimately helps the underlying soil as it breaks down over time. Plus, we all know it’s cheaper to  buy mulch in bulk.
2. Start a plant swap.  You’re probably not the only one gardening in your community. Plant swaps are a great way to get new plants without paying for them. It’s also a great way to offload any plants you may have too many of!
3. Reuse and recycle. Yard sales, thrift shops, and junkyards are great places to find things like sculptures and other accent pieces for cheap. For instance, you could find a vintage birdbath and turn it into a planter! You may even consider asking local construction companies if they have any stone you could use for cheap landscaping rocks.
4. Plant perennials, if possible.  These types of plants will come back every year if well cared for. Some examples of perennials include peonies, daisies, daylilies, and even sage!
5. Prepare for your project in advance.  If you want to start your project in the spring, you should start planning for it in the fall. Autumn is the best time to remove dead growth and  clear your land  to prepare the ground for planting and landscaping in the spring. Plus, you’ll be more likely to find good deals at gardening/landscaping stores in the fall.
6. Avoid leveling land.  Hills may seem like a pain to landscape but they can be useful when it comes to encouraging drainage. You can downplay the slope of a hill simply by choosing to landscape with taller grasses and plants.
7. Compost!  Don’t waste vegetative debris. You can combine it with things like eggshells and coffee grounds to create excellent compost. Don’t have time to compost? Make sure you invest in  organic, screened topsoil.
8. Don’t commit until you’re ready.  Hardscaping features, like walls and paths, are hard to undo. If you’re not sure about the placement of one of these features, do a trial run. For example, you can use pebbles or mulch to create a temporary path. This way, you can make sure you like the placement of the path before committing to a more permanent walkway.
9. Be sure not to overplant. Remember, you have to account for the future growth of a plant. If you don’t, you risk placing them too close together. This can overcrowd certain plants, causing them to die and wasting your hard-earned money.

Landscaping can be affordable if you know what you’re doing, and now you should! Don’t forget, at American Property Experts, we can help you lay the groundwork for your next landscaping project with high-quality soil and mulch.