Now that spring is here and the weather is on its way to getting slightly warmer, it’s the perfect time to get out in the fresh air and tidy up the garden. Throughout autumn and winter many of us abandon our garden so by the time spring arrives it looks like an overgrown forest! The problem is, gardening can often be a lot more expensive than planned.

Gardening is a fantastic hobby to have; it’s relaxing and can also make your home look wonderful from the outside, and although it can cost a lot to start a gardening project, don’t let that put you off because there are plenty of ways you can save money when gardening.

Take a look at a few of our ideas on how you can save money but make your garden look great at the same time…

Make a plan – before you jump in and start buying things, sketch a plan of your garden and make sure you add in exact measurements. If you know how much space you have to work with, you’re less likely to buy too much and end up over-spending. You can also make a plan of the essential tools and materials you need so that your excitement to start transforming your garden doesn’t take over and mean you buy everything in the store!

Spread the costs – find out if your neighbours or friends are into gardening as well and if they are, why not share the cost of the big things; hiring tools such as chippers and tillers can be expensive on your own. If you get together and share your gardening costs you’ll end up saving a fortune, and it’s also a great way to get to know your neighbours.

Don’t buy cheap materials – it’s always tempting to try and cut corners when shopping, but it often turns in to an expensive mistake to do so when buying tools and materials for your garden. Although they’ll be more expensive, high quality materials last much longer and won’t need replacing so often which will save you a lot of money in the long run.

Buy used –  the second hand market is a great place to find bargains, including bargains on gardening tools! They last a long time so it won’t be difficult to find quality products at really low prices.

Estimate costs – some people think of a brilliant gardening project then head straight to the garden centre and forget all about saving money when they realize how many additional things need to be purchased. The best thing to do is to create a budget before you start any kind of gardening project, even if it’s just planting some new flowers, as you’re much more likely to be able to save money that way (as long as you stick to it!).

Are you planning on doing some gardening this springtime? We’d love to know if you have any tips to help save money when gardening so if you do, leave us a comment below…