Your backyard should be a place you go to escape, not a place you avoid. But creating that outdoor mecca can be expensive. You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a cozy backyard living space. Check out these six ways to save money in your backyard.
6 Ways to Save Money in Your Backyard
Buy Used
Many people in your neighborhood sell older outdoor furniture at a great price. You can score quite a bargain at a garage sale! It’s easy to make these treasures your own. Re-purchase old purchases by picking up a few cans of spray paint and giving those used items a new look. A little paint also helps protect them from the weather. While you’re at it, check out thrift stores that also sell used furniture at a fraction of the original cost.
Plant Edibles
Your backyard is the perfect spot to grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs that you can use in the kitchen. Planting edibles like a vegetable garden or a row of strawberries can add interest to a backyard space. These gardens sometimes need a bit of extra care, making it the perfect -friendly way to spend time enjoying the outdoors. Have a smaller yard with limited space? Try a tabletop herb garden.
Use Organic Mulch
You can easily spend hundreds of dollars on inorganic mulch, like pebbles or rubber, for your backyard landscaping. However, there are plenty of organic options readily available in your yard. You can use grass clippings from mowing the lawn and spread them around plants to help cut down on weed growth. That mulch will also provide a hydrated barrier during the warmer months. Other options include shredding and spreading raked leaves around plants in the fall to help return nitrogen to the soil. The grass clipping and shredded grass will also help enrich the soil on your lawn. If you run out of clippings or leaves, your neighbor probably has plenty to spare.
Choose Rustic
Nothing is perfect in nature and choosing rustic options to decorate your backyard is a great way to incorporate the latest landscaping trends as well as save money. Adding distressed wood side tables or second-hand metal furniture is perfect for a rustic outdoor living area. Other options include picking up cheap chipped planters that can still hold a plant, despite its appearance. Don’t hesitate to add some faded decorations to add a unique sense of charm to your yard.
Embrace Native Plants
Planting native varieties will save you big-time on your water bill. Plants that are native to your region need little to no added water since they’re accustomed to the environment. They also won’t require much maintenance or attention making them a natural choice for your backyard. Native plants are usually plentiful and less expensive at your local garden center.
Get Creative
Use things like milk crates for seating or as a footstool. A recently fallen tree can serve as natural seating around a fire pit. Pick up single outdoor chairs to create mismatched seating around a dining table.
These are just six ways to save money in your backyard. By picking up budget-friendly decorations and planting fruits and vegetables you may prove it’s possible to have your kale and eat it too!
Author Bio: Jackie Greene is a blogger, gardener, and nutrition enthusiast. She enjoys creating organic meals for family and friends using the fresh ingredients she produces from her backyard homestead.
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