4 min readGardening can be a joyful experience, especially for those who genuinely enjoy getting their hands in the dirt and beautifying their yards. But, like most hobbies, gardening can get surprisingly expensive in a hurry, making it even more imperative that you make wise choices and smart long-term investments.
“Anyone can garden, and should!” says landscape architect Liz Pulver. “It’s such a pleasant, satisfying activity, but there’s a lot to know about various aspects of it, from soil health to plant selection and caring for your garden to the design and material selections for things like patios, walls, fences, shade structures, and furnishings.”
Landscape designer Hilary Hutler agrees, noting that financial implications can arise from making short-sighted decisions in the garden, an issue she says is “extraordinarily common.”
“We’re impulsive creatures, and plants are cheerful, widely available, and relatively affordable,” Hutler adds. “The hard truth, though, is that our efforts often fail because the average homeowner lacks basic horticultural knowledge. Wasting money in my own garden is actually what led me to work as a landscape designer.”
Gardening missteps are easy to make, so it can be helpful to be aware of the worst gardening mistakes homeowners can make from a budgetary perspective. Below, our landscape pros weigh in, ensuring you can cultivate a budget-friendly and successful garden for years to come.
Underestimating Costs
According to Pulver, most homeowners are unaware of all the costs associated with planting and maintaining a garden. “When dreaming of a garden, most think of beautiful plantings—and while plantings are one of the best parts of a garden, there are many other elements to consider as well,” she says.
One of the biggest financial drains can be hardscape elements, such as patios, decks, walls, fences, and shade structures. Proper planning for these features can help keep costs down so you’re not buying too much or choosing the wrong plants for your space.
Irrigation systems can add up, too, which is why Pulver says they can take up a large percentage of an overall garden budget. Although you’ll need to plan for the cost, Pulver believes that irrigation is actually a “great investment.” The same goes for landscape lighting, which can accumulate high costs, especially if you need to run power below paving or illuminate arbors and trees.
Overlooking Troublesome Trees
You may be tempted to look the other way when it comes to poorly placed or invasive trees on your property, but experts beg you to do your research. “I recommend identifying all trees on your property before you purchase,” Hutler says. “There are invasive trees that are incredibly difficult and expensive to eradicate. Additionally, I see so many trees placed far too close to a house, walkway, or other transportation space.”
Hutler says that if a tree is young, it can often be easily moved to an appropriate location before it’s too late. “Removing a mature tree, however, can be incredibly expensive,” she says.
Planting a Shaded Veggie Garden
It’s a mistake a lot of newbie gardeners make: You build a vegetable garden where you don’t get enough sun. “This one pains me, and people really struggle to accept the reality of this,” Hutler says. “You’re in your first home, and you’ve always wanted to grow a vegetable garden. There’s a nice, sunny spot in the backyard, and you find a great contractor to build three big cedar raised garden beds and spend $2,500 on lumber, materials, and excellent soil. Then, one month later, the gigantic oak tree in your neighbor’s yard leafs out, and you come to realize you only have good sun for four hours a day—and that tree is only going to get bigger.”
The moral of the story? Be very mindful of where you place your vegetable garden, and be sure it will always get enough sun.
Going All-In With Boxwoods
Pulver says that while evergreen boxwood shrubs are enchanting, they are susceptible to blight, a fungal disease that causes loss of leaves and death, and are hard to manage.
“Although you may love boxwoods, they are one of the more expensive garden shrubs and are not guaranteed to last,” Pulver says. “As you plan your garden plantings, be sure not to focus too heavily on boxwoods. It’s OK to include a few, but keep in mind that they may not last long term.”
Starting Too Early
When spring arrives, it’s perfectly understandable that you get so excited to buy tons of plants for your garden. Or perhaps you have a new home, and it’s time to build your gardens and outdoor spaces. But this actually can be too much of a good thing.
“It’s completely natural to be eager when you’re in a new home or a major change has occurred in your yard. But as hard as it is, you should really live in your home for about a year before making any major decisions,” Hutler advises. “Figure out how you will use your space before you make any major landscape plans. How do you move around the space? Is it efficient? How many people will you host at a time, and more importantly, what does adequate space for this number of people actually look like?”
