13 cost-cutting ways to a better, more family-friendly garden
Good VFM: A tyre swing is easy to make and great value - Credit: Getty Images
Summer’s coming, which means it’s time to start making the most of your outside space.
The expert cost-cutters at PromotionalCodes.org.uk have come up with 13 easy ways of transforming your garden while keeping costs to a minimum.
From turning gutters into hanging baskets and old pallets into garden furniture, these guys have it covered.
Darren Williams from PromotionalCodes.org.uk said: “Putting together your perfect garden and maintaining it can be expensive, so saving a few pounds where you can is vital.
“Quite a few of the hacks are perfect for getting your kids interested in gardening, and keeping them occupied during the holidays.
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“Whether you’re looking for small additions to fix your garden or much larger scale projects, there’s a hack here for you.”
Here are PromotionalCodes.org.uk’s top gardening tips:
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1. Pair different vegetables when planting
Planting different vegetables next to each other can have a number of interesting advantages, such as allowing you to use your soil space more efficiently or potentially resulting in a higher plant yield. For example, planting larger vegetables next to each other is a bad idea, as they will be vying for space and nutrients in the soil.
2. Turn gutters into hanging baskets
Old pieces of guttering can be given an easy makeover to turn them into an attractive hanging basket. Simply clean out, decorate, make sure each end is blocked off to prevent the plants from falling out and fill with your favourite flowers.
3. Freeze any excess garden herbs
Growing herbs in your garden can often leave you with a large amount of excess that wilts over time. Pack away any extra herbs in your freezer, where they will keep well for as long as you need them.
4. Start early when making your own compost
Why buy bags of compost when you have the components to make it yourself. Start collecting old food waste and scraps early in the year, place in your compost bin and by the time summer comes you’ll have plenty of compost to help your garden grow.
5. Use self seeding plants
Self-seeding plants are great for the gardeners with little to time to work on their garden. Once planted and grown, the seeds from the flowers will fall and grow again the following year.
6. Water your plant with a wine bottle
Fill a wine bottle with water, and then place it, upside down deep into the soil of your plants or vegetables. This way the water will be slowly released into the soil, keeping it hydrated for longer.
7. Plant seedlings in eggshells
If you can keep the majority of an eggshell intact, they can make a great holder for seedlings when placed in an egg carton. Additionally, the eggshell will provide an extra calcium boost to the soil.
8. Create your own tyre swing
Kids love a good old-fashioned tyre swing, and providing you have a spare one, they are easy to make. Make sure you have a sturdy branch in your garden to join the rope to, and then firmly attach the rope to the tyre at three equal points creating a seated swing.
9. Make a garden table from wooden pallets
Wooden pallets can be used in multiple ways in your garden, but the easiest is to nail and stack together several pallets on top of each other to create an easy garden table.
10. Create a mini bonfire in a plant pot
Take a flowerpot, line the inside with foil before adding some charcoal to create a mini fire that’s perfect for cooking marshmallows on with children.
11. Line your plant pots with coffee filters
Placing a coffee filter in a plant pot before adding the soil is a great way to keep it from escaping through holes in the pot, whilst it also keeps water contained in the soil for longer.
12. Create a homemade birdfeeder
Take a large plastic bottle, cut holes in the side and place a piece of wood through it for birds to perch on. Fill the feeder with bird seed and hang from a tree.
13. Use cinnamon to prevent plant diseases
Cinnamon has been known to help prevent fungus, so sprinkling a small amount on seedlings will help keep them disease free.
