Landscaping on a Budget

You don't have to break the bank (or even open your pocketbook very wide) to redo your landscape with panache and presence. We have great ways for you to save while you fashion a stylish, beautiful space. Start with lots of tips -- 45 to be exact -- to save money in the garden. That includes taking advantage of what you can make or save on your own -- potting soil and water, for example. The best way to trim your water bill is to conserve rainfall in your very own rain barrel, but we have other tips, too, to cut back on the water you use in your flowerbeds. (Hint: Our xeriscaping quiz may surprise you.) Salvaged materials are often less expensive than new and add unexpected character to gardens; here's how to use salvaged materials in your landscape. If you have a landscape budget, you can use it -- and stretch it -- wisely with ideas to spend less and save even more. That includes shopping secrets that you can put to use in the nursery; an expert lends insider knowledge for picking healthy flowers, shrubs, and trees that are economical, too.