First time gardener, how should I decorate my space, at a cheap cost?

Question

I have a large front yard and I wanted to accent the front of my house. Any suggestions for doing it at a low cost since this is my first time.

Answer 1

I had that same ? awhile back & found a group on Yahoo that was perfect for me.

Not sure where U live but, Im start'g to see a lot of freecycle groups. These r groups where people r givin stuff away for free. Needless to say, I have gotten Landscaping Rock & Flower Pots & some other things from these groups.

Also, try Ur local Craigslist website. ie Mine is phoenixdotcraigslistdotorg. U can use this link & then on the right hand side, click on the major city close to U. This website has a free section where I have also seen people giving away Landscaping or River Rock for free.

If U buy rock ~pretty much any type, it's expensive. Home Depot charges by the pound so. Anything U can get Urself for free is a good way to go.

Also, on Yahoo Groups, there are Gardening Groups as well. Just click on groups & search by Ur area. The 1 I belong to, I've gotten lucky & traded w/ others for seeds & stuff.

If U want some gardening links & how to find the freecycle groups, feel free to email me. cute2482atyahoo.

Answer 2

Generally, the most admired lawns tend to be simply decorated, accent the home without taking attention away from it, have a unified theme or scheme, and have one or two small but interesting accent pieces to catch the eye.

Below are two links to get you started with various issues to consider...most for big landscaping jobs but still worth reading.

What is more difficult is keeping the cost down. Reclaimed/recycled bricks, slate (from roofs), slightly damaged clay pots, old lumber (weathered), driftwood (if your near the ocean), even old porcelain tile and plates can be used as borders or decorative pieces around the garden

Birdbaths (even if you put a mini-garden in it), birdfeeders, an old country-style mailbox with ivy spilling out of it, a small wooden wheelbarrow containing a mini-garden, etc. make for simple (and almost free) accent pieces, as well as, simple gardening. Maybe a home-made wind chime of scrap metal, glass, or porcelain can also accent your garden.

As for flowers and plants your soil, sun, and showers (rainfall) will decide what can survive best where you wish to plant. Consider plant combinations which bloom at different times so there's always something colorful happening.

To save costs, putting plants in pots will stretch the amount of yard being decorated...since the pot itself (especially if hand painted or of various sizes) will become part of the decoration.These can be put into the ground a couple of inches for stability and brought inside in case of an early frost.

For along a long fence we dropped a Country Garden Mix which sprouted plants of various heights and blooming periods along with leafy greens that didn't have flowers. We planted too much seed too close together so it looked a bit cluttered but it was inexpensive and interesting (even when there were no flowers in bloom).

We found a stack of broken slate (from a roofing fix) along the curb and brought the pieces home for a little garden path and as an edging around bushes.

Don't discount vegetables. Some, like tomatoes and pole beans, grow like crazy with plenty of leaves....great for along the side of a house, along a trellis or fence. Others, like certain cabbages and lettuce can be very decorative...and provide a meal.

http://www.homeandfamilynetwork.com/gardening/landscaping.html

http://landscaping.about.com/od/helpforbeginnersbooks/a/landscaping04_3.htm

Answer 3

instead of all plants go to nursery and tell them you plans (have an simple drawing with the dimension's of the area) and get some flowering bushes along with some low green leafy plants and you can put in some flowering plants that come up every year. Your first investment might be high but it will be you last. And if you want you can use potted annuals that you can change every year for a little variation between the others. Make sure you put mulch down to keep weeds under control.

Answer 4

The best advice I can give is to look at your neighbors and see what you like. I guarantee that a neighbor with a nice yard will want to share advice with you.

What ever you do, start small and then decide if spending 4-8 hours a week working on your yard is your thing

Answer 5

It would depend on your climate and light conditions. If you have any trees or shrubs, walk ways or any other hardscapes. Become friends with people with gardens and they most likely will share, perennial need to be divided every few years and many people will gladly give you a piece. You collect and then as you divide you can make more plants.

Answer 6

2 things

1. Share – email all of your friends and ask them to pass on the email to their friends and family. Explain that you’re new to gardening, you’re really enthusiastic and you’ve heard that perennials (plants that come back every year) can be divided. Dividing perennials is good for the plant. Any extra dividings, along with planting instructions and plant names, would be greatly appreciated. I am constantly giving my plants away and would be flattered if someone took an interest in my garden and asked if I had any advice or free plants. You may end up having to listen to long winded, well-intentioned gardeners (who me?) but that’s a small price to pay. Also when I do receive a plant from someone I know, it makes me think of him or her every year when the plant comes back.

You could place an ad in your local paper offering to trade weeding services for plants. This may appeal to seniors, who like to talk garden but may not be able to take care of their garden as well as they’d like.

2. Seeds. Annuals offer lots of flowering color but don’t come back every year. Because they have short lives (and have been bred for that) you can start them indoors or sow them outside for glorious summer blooms. The home and garden stores are getting their seeds in now, at least in Alberta Canada where I live. If you start the seeds inside you don’t need to buy anything fancy – just a sunny window, some cheap peat pots, seedling planting medium (kind of sterilized dirt) and some water. You have to get them used to being outside by “hardening them off” (google that) before planting outside. Many seeds can be planted directly in the ground outside, sunflowers, sweat peas, nasturtiums, straw flowers, snap dragons are just a few that I have tried successfully here. Your local home and garden store will have good advice on what works for your area. Seed packs range in price but for a couple of dollars you can get dozens of plants.

O.K. 3 – I can’t help myself! For the hardscapes (rocks and other non plant decorative material). Bark chips are cheaper than gravel or stones. You can always find places to go and pick a few larger rocks by a river or roadside. If you are in a rural area – almost every farmer has an annoying pile that they’d like to get out of their field, just ask. If you live by a lake or ocean try adding an interesting piece of drift would. I know it sounds kind of weird but the thing I have noticed in my gardening mags lately is planting colored glass bottles upside down, side by side to create an edging or boarder. It looks kind of neat – not my thing but definitely cheap!

4. I am long winded! All greenhouses and garden centers reduce their prices on trees and shrubs in the fall (a great planting time) by as much as 1/2 price. Most still offer a 1 yr warranty so if it dies you'll be able to bring it back for a refund.

Answer 7

It would help to know what area you are in, like which state. As long as you are not in the desert, there are a lot of options. I would recommend stepping stones/pavers for cute paths. As far as easy, affordable and care-free flowers go, geraniums are one good way to go. Verbena are also a good choice. Crepe/crape myrtles also are good shrubs which also come in a tree form as well.

Answer 8

go to the local nursery and see what you like then ask the people that work there what kind of plants look good together.

Answer 9

dont worry gardeners will do anything for any price, they knoe wat there doing though