How To Save Money Using Your Garden
Gardening is currently experiencing a huge growth in popularity due to increased interest in mental wellbeing and healthy, organic living. More and more people are expressing an interest in trying it out, but one of the main concerns would-be gardeners have is the amount of money they might need to spend to get started. Well, you may be interested to learn that a garden can actually be a very practical and financially beneficial asset! There are many ways in which a well-managed garden can help you to save or even make money, so read on to discover a few top tips.
Grow Edible Flowers, Fruit and Vegetables
We all know that buying fresh, organic fruit and vegetables every week can prove pretty expensive, and once they’ve been harvested, their shelf life is extremely limited, so they’re pretty much impossible to buy in bulk. However, if you put together your own vegetable patch, grow fruit-bearing plants or even cultivate a little orchard of your own, you can help yourself to free fruit and vegetables all year round if you plan it well!
Selling Plants and Herbs
If your garden is overflowing with produce, you might even be able to take the opportunity to sell some of the fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs you’ve grown. Get in touch with the organisers of your local markets to see if you can set up your own stall once in a while to get started, or band together with other gardeners to ensure you have plenty of things to sell.
Make Gardening a Fun Day Out
If you have children, you’ll know how time-consuming – and expensive – it can be to ensure that they are always kept entertained and stimulated, particularly during long holiday periods like the summer break. If you invest in some lawn games or fun features such as a paddling pool or sandpit, or even put together a few activities like bug-spotting or treasure hunts, your garden might just serve as the most exciting adventure playground ever – saving you money on petrol, entrance fees for location-based experiences and overpriced snacks!
Hire Out Garden Space
If you have a sizeable garden and limited ideas about what can be done with it all, you might want to consider hiring it out! If your property is in a practical and desirable location, you can offer outdoor space up to campers, fine artists or people wishing to hold events such as parties or drinks receptions. Be sure to notify the local authorities if you’re wanting to do this on a regular basis, as there may be some restrictions that you need to be aware of.
Propagate Seedlings
The great thing about plants is that once you have one or two of a particular breed, you don’t necessarily need to buy more! Collect seeds and cuttings, cultivate them carefully and watch new plants spring to life all around you. If you can do this on a reasonably large scale, you may be able to start up your own mini garden centre, providing seedlings and young plants for people who may not have the time or resources to grow them from seed themselves. If you just want to save a little on new plants, you can swap your seeds or propagated seedlings with friends and family to save you from splashing out on new species.
Open Garden Events
Many towns and villages hold open garden weekends, where people are welcomed into their neighbours’ outdoor spaces to admire the results of their skill and handiwork, and possibly leave a small donation in return for their enjoyment. You don’t have to be part of a larger event to do this, of course – you can open your garden to the public whenever you want to. Remember, laying on some drinks and nibbles might just persuade admirers of your garden to leave a slightly bigger tip!
Beekeeping
The plight of the bees is a well known environmental issue, so making your garden space a beehive haven is a wonderful thing to do. The British Beekeepers Association and other environmental bodies can help you with funding, and you’ll also have access to products that you can sell, such as honey, honeycomb, royal jelly and beeswax.
Solar and Wind Power
Of course, the space in your garden can be used for all sorts of things. Setting up solar panels or your own little “windmill” can do wonders for the environment and help to provide power for your home, saving you hundreds of pounds on your bills. Depending on the amount of power you can produce, you can even sell some back to the national grid!