With rising interest rates and inflation, many gardeners will be wondering how they can save money on their outside space.

Source budget-friendly outlets

“You can sometimes find savings at DIY stores and supermarkets, but I’d say try to find local nurseries, whose plants and prices may be better than big garden centres,” he says.

Speak to exhibitors at flower shows and ask what they will be doing with their display plants at the end of the show. You may get a big discount to take them off their hands, he says.

Make a list

“Make a list of what you want to achieve in the garden. Think about your borders and how far the plants you want will spread, how many you are going to need. Stick to your list at the garden centre – don’t be seduced by all the lovely colours and scents which you’ll find.”

Sow from seed

“A packet of seeds may contain 100 or 1,000 seeds, which is potentially the same amount of plants. Perennials will take a bit longer, but if you sow some annuals in the meantime, you will save money,” Lane advises.

Stick to essential tools

“Don’t go mad with tools. You really only need a good spade, a good fork, a hand trowel, a pair of secateurs and a gardening knife. You can do most gardening jobs with those.”

Once you’ve bought them, look after them, he advises.

“If you’re an absent-minded gardener, wooden tools might not be the best for you. Go for things that are made of carbon, metal, steel – things that aren’t going to rust but are still going to be comfortable in the hand.

“All you’ll need to do is clean them off. With secateurs, clean the blades with a cloth after pruning so you get rid of the sap or pathogens on them.”

Upcycle for décor

Use old bits of furniture, things with drawers in them, or old ladders as a platform for showing your plants, Lane recommends.

Old boxes and trays can be used for seed sowing or just for display.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Mike Erskine;

Buy smaller plants

You might have to be patient – smaller plants may not fill your space immediately – but they could ultimately grow into healthier specimens, he says.

“When I’m designing gardens I always suggest to my clients that it’s better to buy plants in nine-centimetre pots than to buy a plant in a three litre one. Within three years, that little plant in the nine-centimetre pot will be healthier and more robust than the three litre pot within that period.”

Look for longevity

Rather than buying annuals which need replacing every year, or biennials which will go over quickly, think about putting in herbaceous perennials, ornamental grasses and flowering shrubs, which can give you two or three seasons of interest.

Don’t ignore sale plants

They may be looking a bit sorry for themselves as many of them have finished flowering, but if they are really cheap and you have the time, it might be worth bagging some sale plants.

“Give them a good water and start feeding them and you should see almost instant results,” Lane says. “Keep the compost moist and they should be fine.”

Make your own compost

Leaves, garden clippings and vegetable food waste can all be put into a compost bin. It may take time but ultimately will save you money on bagged compost.