1.) Use a Design Professional to Create a Garden that is in your Budget
By using a landscape design professional to design your garden you will ultimately save money from second guessing yourself and avoid the risk of not making the best and highest quality decisions for your new garden. By hiring a qualified design professional, he or she will save you money when installing a garden by completely exploring all the possibilities within your budget and making the most of your budget. By taking this extra step to fully think about and detail each aspect of your garden, you can maximize your savings as you begin to install the garden. Having each section spelled out to exact specifications can make the job of installing your own garden much more efficient and saves time and money.

2.) Phased Install vs. All At Once
In addition to investing the well spent time of carefully planning your garden, it may be beneficial to think about garden construction in terms of phasing the installation of a garden over time. Often clients don't have the funds immediately to bite off the entire investment of a garden at once, but with a compete plan, the garden can be installed in a logical sequence over several months or years. This way you can achieve the garden always you've wanted at the pace of your pocketbook. Make sure that the garden designer understands your needs in regard to phasing in the landscape so that he or she can build into the plan logical construction sequences for areas where you can stop and where the current garden portion still makes sense.

3.) Smaller Plants vs. Large
When installing the planting portion of your garden consider saving money by reducing the gallon size of the plant materials. Although it may take more time, the plants will eventually grow to the sizes anticipated (sometimes faster that we think) without the heavy up front costs, give you a great way of saving on landscaping costs.
Another variation on saving money on planting installations is to select certain plants perhaps larger accent plants as the plants you are willing to spend more money on (larger gallon container sizes) and the majority of your budget at the smaller gallon size. Use this method as a creative way to economize the planting costs, while producing the landscape impact through providing some larger planting accents initially.

4.) Limit Expensive Plants That Have Special Upkeep Requirements
By eliminating high maintenance plant materials such as rose’s or large areas of annual plantings, you can considerably reduce not only the costs associated with purchasing these types of garden plants, but reduce the maintenance associated with adding such high-maintenance plantings. One of the benefits of having a design professional put together your plan is the added benefit of his or her knowledge in plants growth habits and qualities. For example, if the designer knew that you had very little time to maintain a new garden landscape he or she should take that information into consideration as they select plants for your garden. Selecting plant materials that require low maintenance would be first on the list of plant materials to be used in your garden.

5.) Micro Irrigation vs. Standard Popup
If your desire is to step up from dragging the hose across the yard, but can't afford dropping the big bucks for an in ground automatic watering system, there is hope. It's called micro-irrigation and is a great 'do-it-yourself' inexpensive irrigation system that connects directly on any standard hose spicket. You can even add I timer to the system which can fully automate your garden's watering needs. In addition, there is little digging necessary except to cover the small inconspicuous black tubing. While this system may not last as long as it's more expensive in ground pop up irrigation system, it's a great way to step into an automated irrigation system without the heavy price.

6.) Seed Lawn or Plug vs. Sod
While having an instant lawn may be the dream for most, if you have the time, perhaps a year, then you may want to consider seeding your yard as an alternative to complete sod. Purchasing bags of seed for broadcast across your yard may not be the fastest way to achieve a green lawn but is the most cost effective. Prepare the yard by first grading, clearing debris and carefully broadcast seed across the yard.
Then by maintaining optimum watering needs you can have a complete grass filled yard within a couple of years, for a fraction of the price. Planting sod plugs evenly across your yard at regular intervals can also be a cost effective way to achieve a complete lawn within a year or two depending on the growth habit of the grass and the local climate where it’s planted.

7.) Concrete Scoring, Staining or Stamping vs. Natural Stone/Masonry Finish
By having large varieties of colours and patterns available in this popular patio or walk material, it is quickly becoming the way to achieve that rich material look without the heavy price tag of a natural stone finish. By combining an attractive scoring pattern that mimics your favourite natural material, combined with adding several layers of stains that model the colour variations seen in natural stone, one can produce a very attractive pattern that looks authentic as a natural stone finish while costing much less. This is especially true for people who do not live near rock quarries where the shipping costs make installation of a natural stone product cost prohibitive.

8.) Buy Garden Accessories During Off Season Instead of Spring
Retail garden centres, like car dealerships, like to turn over there inventory for next years new line. Shopping for your garden statue or pottery in the fall or 'off season' can bring home the bargains and save you dollars. You will find that you will always be looking for that perfect something to put in your garden even in the off-season!

9.) Prefabricated Fountain vs. a Custom Fountain
Custom fountains that are constructed from scratch tend to be rather expensive to install in your garden. A more economical way to add the wonderful amenity of a fountain can be to source out a pre-fabricated garden fountains at your local retail outlet or through an internet search. Much of the look and feel of a custom fountain can be achieved through the many options and styles available in today’s market place.
Advancements in polymer molding materials have given manufacturers more advantages in the types of fountain products that they can sell to consumers. Light weight polymers that have a natural stone appearance are a common sight nowadays in retail nursery outlets. This means that is possible for homeowners to pick up and move these light weight fountains from the store to your own home making is easy to install and maneuver around your yard, whereas heavier authentic stone fountain basins that require much more equipment and manpower to install.

10.) Fiberglass Pool Vs. Gunite/Plaster Pool
There are more options than ever before for in ground pools. Solutions like pre-fabricated fiberglass pool systems offer cost savings and many various shapes sizes and styles of pools as an alternative to the conventional gunite and plaster pool building method. Usually delivered as one pre-molded piece, the fiberglass pool system can cost less much than a custom pool installation. Another trend in whole building would be the advent of what is call a plunge pool, which is simply a smaller pool and less expensive to build. Take a look closer at the garden installation process and you may be able to find even more creative ways to save while achieving the quality, richness and beauty that you know you want in your garden. Creating a garden can be one of the most delightful experiences provided that you give some foresight to the details before you begin and eliminate the stress of overspending during the installation of your garden.

DOMESTIC BLISS
Sharing ideas, concepts and news to satisfy the domesticity in you!
Louise Thomson - GLOBAL PEOPLE
globalpeople@sandhurst.net.au