Plan a Garden: 7 Budget Friendly Tips To Make it Easy

Plan a garden with 7 worthwhile tips and ideas, that will help you create a beautiful garden, without spending a lot of money.

Now that we have this huge area where an extremely large pine tree came down, it's time to fill in with some new plants, and basically plan a garden.  We used to have a giant evergreen tree in the middle of this space. Last fall we had someone cut it down for us, because it was getting dangerously close to the house. The perfect storm could really cause some major damage. Now we need to plan, and plant this new garden space.

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7 Budget Friendly Tips to Plan a Garden

1.  Know Your Space

Make sure you know the area of your space when plan a garden. Most importantly, figure out how much sun the area will receive each day. Full sun loving plants need a minimum of 6 hours each day, usually more. Anything less than that should fall under the part sun/part shade or possibly shade lover category. As you can see from the photo, this area gets sun almost the entire day. There is tiny bit of shade at the bottom, but by 10 am, that area is also in full sun. It's also helpful to note if the area is going to be dry or one that holds water. This area is on a hillside so any water will drain away. Know your Zone. This will help when looking to purchase plants.

2. Use What You Have

The best way to save money is to move plants from other parts of your garden. You can see in the back of the picture above there is a lilac shrub which is smothered by other plants and is not getting much sun. This is a perfect plant to move to the new area. Below there is a space where we move a mid-sized hydrangea, making this area a little less crowded. Two peonies were also moved from the right side. 

3. Make a Drawing of the Plan

Sketching and making notes on paper is a great way to step back and think about what you can place in the new garden. It doesn't have to be perfect, or drawn to scale. Just a handy reference for planning ideas that you can do now, and maybe some that you will tackle later.

4. Plant at the Right Time

We waited a whole season to start planting in this garden. We wanted to wait until the fall because most plants will do best being transplanted and moved in the fall. I knew that I was going to move 5 peonies, and though I have moved them in the spring before, most experts suggest fall for transplanting peonies. This is because they are getting ready to go dormant and the cooler weather causes less stress on the plants as well. Late winter and early spring can also be good times to plant, but, in my area you'll have to keep an eye out for cold nights and give your transplants a little extra protection.

5. Ask for Help

Most gardeners are usually more than happy to share their plants. Ask your friends and neighbors if they have any plants that you would like for your new garden. Many may already be in the process of dividing their own plants, and would be happy to give you a division. You could also take cuttings of some, and pot them up for the future planting.

6. Use Placeholders

I love this idea from Cold Climate Gardening, where she takes plants from other parts of the garden that are rapid spreaders or self seeders to sit in as temporary placeholders. Once you find or purchase something better you can rip out the place holder. This option helps fill in the garden and keeps weeds at bay.

7. Utilize Sales & Seeds

Since it is fall many nurseries will have everything on sale. Even if the plant is a little bedraggled, the price may be just right. In the spring I will plant flower seeds, which cost next to nothing, on the left side of the new bed to help fill it in until we find or move something new there.

Here's a look at the new garden area. So far every plant has been moved from another part of the property. Most were over-crowded or not doing well. After I moved them, I used a transplant liquid fertilizer, and I'm making sure they get a good soaking at least once a week with a sprinkler. I can't wait to see how it all fills in by next season.