Frugal Lawn and Landscaping Tips

You may think a beautiful yard comes with a big price tag. Good news: a frugal lawn does not have to be a bland one! By following just a few tips, you can have a great looking lawn that doesn't empty your wallet.

Push It. If you don't have a huge lawn, use a push mower. Not only is it frugal, since you don't have to use any fuel or power, as with gas-powered or electric mowers, but it's also good for the environment and it's good exercise. It's a frugal lawn win-win-win!

Think long-term. When you're looking at landscaping plants, choose perennials over annuals. Perennials are plants that come back year after year. Annuals are only good for one season. A frugal lawn is one that doesn't have to be replaced every year!

Grow useful stuff. Flowers and decorative plants are pretty to look at it, but consider also planting some food plants. A wide variety of herbs, vegetables and fruits can be grown easily in the ground or in containers. Some can even be grown indoors. Check out my frugal gardening tips for strategies on growing a thrifty and prosperous garden.

Xeriscape. Putting down the right type of plants for your climate will go a long way toward minimizing the resources and effort it takes to maintain them. The xeriscape landscape style focuses on conserving water and reducing maintenance by using native plants, as well as a few other techniques. That doesn't mean you only plant cactus (which probably wouldn't work out so well in Seattle)! You just want to use plants that thrive where you live without daily life support.

Don't know what's right for your area? Contact your local agricultural extension service; many of them provide specific plant selection ideas. And for more information about xeriscape, Eartheasy.com explains the basic principles, which can help you plan a frugal lawn, in a style you enjoy, that is inexpensive and easy to maintain.

Collect water. All living things need water, and even a well-planned frugal lawn and garden need to be watered sometimes. But your tap isn't the thriftiest source of water. Consider collecting water from a variety of sources to use for your landscape needs. To see how you can tap into the water all around you, visit my water collection techniques page.

Compost. With composting, you can create your own fertilizer, instead of paying for the store-bought kind. It's better for the environment than using chemicals, and it's cheaper, since the basic material used for composting is trash you're already generating. Essentially, you take organic material that you already generate and would normally just throw away (like banana peels and egg shells) and through a simple process, you help turn it into a rich soil enhancer that you can use on your lawn and garden. To learn about the benefits of composting and how to do it, check out The Basics of Composting at TheGardenofOz.org.

Make your own weed killer. Pulling weeds can be a back killer, but using chemical weed killers can be both expensive and toxic to the environment. So make your own! The simplest way to kill weeds naturally is to pour boiling water over them. You can also spray plain household vinegar on younger weeds. Add salt and liquid dish detergent (1 quart vinegar, 1/4 cup salt and 2 tsp. detergent) for tougher or more mature weeds.

Make your own pest killer. You won't enjoy your frugal lawn much if you've got ants and wasps stinging you when you're in it. Luckily, some of the same things you use to kill weeds naturally can be used to kill pests, too. To get rid of ant hills, pour boiling water on them. And to chase away wasps, douse their nests with a mixture of detergent and water.

Frugal Gardening

Water Collection Techniques

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