Top 5 Budget Friendly Landscape Updates
It's hard sometimes to stomach how expensive it is to redo a landscape. Sometimes, you just want a bit of a change but don't know how to do it. Here are a few small changes to help improve your garden.
Add fresh mulch
This is the simplest and quickest solution. Putting down a fresh layer of mulch can really freshen up a space. It's ridiculously simple! Your cheapest option is to take a pick-up truck over to a stone yard (such as KRC or southwest boulder) and buy a yard or so there. Use just a normal regular bark. I like the ones with big pieces so they don't blow around too much and take longer to decompose. Ones that I don't like include cocoa mulch (it can mold, is expensive, and short-lived) and red dyed mulch (feels unnatural). The best side benefit to bark? It’s waterwise! Mulch’s purpose is to create a protective layer to your landscape. It helps mitigate weeds and retains moisture so that your deep watering cycles maintain a great growing environment for your plants! Because of this, don’t add more than 3” of mulch: it’s a waste!
Scope out your local hardware store
When plants aren't looking their best, stores usually put them on clearance. The deals I've gotten on succulents alone at home depot are extensive. A friend of mine got a ton of plants for very little when the irrigation got cut at her local hardware store and the plants were slightly dried out. It's worth a look, but NEVER buy a shrub that is overgrown in its container. Chances are it'll be too root-bound to survive transfer. I also try to avoid buying trees from big box stores as well for similar reasons. Succulents are a different matter, see below. Also, don’t spend your money on clearance annuals: they’re going to go to seed soon!
Propagate your existing succulents
Aeoniums, aloes, and agaves take exceedingly well to transplant. If you see multiple heads on your succulent at home, break some off, let them dry out, and stick them back in the ground. You just saved yourself $15 a plant. It also helps keep your succulents from getting too rangy looking and helps maintain a compact form.
Throw Some Seed
Seeds are extremely cheap and native seeds are a great mini investment. They also help your local environment! California poppies are really easy to grow: scratch the surface of the soil, throw in a bunch of seeds, and cover! If I could, I would have my own Oprah moment throwing California poppy seeds around to friends and family (YOU get an eschscholzia, and YOU get an eschscholzia!) You won't see results right away, but you'll forget about having planted them and one day you'll look outside to a beautiful garden of poppies. Native West , Neel’s , and Tree of Life are great local options to grab some seed packs.
Hire a knowledgeable party to clean up your existing garden
There’s a time and place for hiring a mow and blow gardener. But if you have a garden? Hire someone who knows their plants. It might cost more than your local gardener, but a bi-annual maintenance by a garden professional is highly valuable and can help maintain your plants’ health for years to come. Think of it as decluttering. The more you allow plants to grow naturally, the healthier they are: cleaning up your garden without someone constantly hedging everything extends your plants life and health.
Small changes can have big impacts. Have fun with it!
