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Money Saving Gardening (Part 2)

bview — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:10:48 +0000

Back on the subject of Gardening on a budget, the other option apart from local garden centres etc is to buy online and this is where a review site like BView really come into their own I think, as checking reviews for online nurseries or Garden centres that sell by mail order can be a real boon. I have ordered from several online companies but I appreciate others might be nervous in doing so the first time, so to read a review first can make all the difference, and of course if the company are then offering vouchers or discounts via BView then you have even more of a bargain. I shopped at Crocus for the first time this year and the BView discount made it incredibly cheap.

My other tips for money-saving gardening are to use things you can pick up cheaply. This year I have cabbages and broccoli growing in old plastic storage crates that I just made some holes in, at the bottom, for drainage. They are easy to move around and hold a lot of compost which is perfect for veg. You can make your own plant food (if you don’t mind the smell!) from soaking nettles in water for a couple of weeks, and of course to propagate and get free plants, just take cuttings. I use old polystyrene pieces from parcels as ‘crocks’ at the bottom of pots which has the advantage of using something that doesn’t break down in landfill, and saves adding extra weight to the pots.
You can grow potatoes and leeks etc in thick bin bags rather than expensive planters; make your own garden accessories by threading shells onto string and driftwood or using old broken jewellery to hang in trees and twinkle in the sunshine. I am even using an old wardrobe mirror in the corner of the garden for added interest amongst the plants. At the end of the summer before it breaks or rots I will just take it to the tip where it was destined to go anyway!

Browsing gardening sites can often give you fabulous ideas that you can adapt to suit yourself. To make a small pond I just buried an old sink, surrounded it with flat stones to cover the edges and put in some rocks to give a different depth for any wildlife that might come. I found someone giving away a water lily cutting on freecycle and so there it was – a mini water feature for no outlay but my time!

So with a little imagination and by being a savvy shopper, you can have a garden to be proud of without spending very much money at all! And of course, any of the places you DO shop at, you can come back and review on BView to help others make an informed choice.

Check BView for the latest offers at:
GardenCentre.co.uk
Gardens and Homes Direct
Cotswold

Contributed by Elizabeth C

Money saving Gardening (Part 1)

bview — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:10:48 +0000

With all this glorious weather in Devon this year, I have had a great summer so far in the garden and it struck me that gardening on a budget IS actually possible with a little effort. While I would love to just throw money at my garden – and it would be easy to do so as garden centres are so addictive, the knack is in buying the offers and shopping judiciously.

For instance – the garden section in DIY stores and supermarkets are not looked after by gardeners and often get either neglected or over watered by the staff, so do not be afraid of buying the plants they are selling off cheaply when they are looking a little worse for wear. What you will often find is that with regular watering and some TLC these plants revive and grow as normal.

Many garden centres (In my area – Otter Nurseries, Trago Mills etc) send out leaflets with their special offers on and ideas for the garden. I think personally it’s a great idea, as I have often made a detour on a day out to visit a garden centre if I know they have a good price on compost or pots or something. Checking online if they have a website can also be a good idea if you have something specific in mind and of course checking bView for discount vouchers is a good place to start. I have managed to get a collection of very expensive ceramic pots due to BOGOF deals and I haven’t paid full price for compost or plant food in years as one garden centre or another usually has a discount price at one time or another.

I have also given spare plants away on Freecycle and picked up other excess plants on there from others too. From seeds up to actual garden sheds, all kinds of things can be picked up free if you are lucky.

Thinking ahead can also save you a lot of money. Taking cuttings and collecting seeds from plants you already have, for the following year, can save a fortune and buying seeds early in the year rather than waiting and paying more for plug plants is incredibly money saving. When a packet of 50 seeds is around £2 and 6 plug plants a matter of 2 or 3 months later is the same, getting into growing your own seems like the only way to go. However, even for people who don’t have space to grow things from seed, clever shopping and discount vouchers can still make a lovely garden without breaking the bank.

Find great deals at garden centres with BView:
GardenCentre.co.uk
Gardens & Homes Direct
Homebase
B & Q

Contributed by Elizabeth C

30% off catalogue codes

bview — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:30:18 +0000

One of the interesting facts which came from the recession was the renewed interest in reusing and repairing, from clothing to cars and everything else around us. One of those was The Sole Man in Sheffield but sadly the decrease in spending hit too hard and his business closed this week.
However, if you haven’t got it you can’t repair it, or in some cases the item is beyond repair.
I’ve been working on my home, making the garden part play space and part relaxing social environment. As a result I needed to replace the rusted to death swing seat which sat despoiling my green haven.
I spent ages trawling eBay, Tesco online, Amazon and Argos, visited my usual haunts of Focus and Homebase and even tried further afield at Dobbies Garden World but I found nothing in my limited price range and appropriate size and style. Eventually, searching BView I fell upon Littlewoods Direct and their current offer. You might remember the name as domestic catalogue company or perhaps you’ve been accosted on the street during a marketing campaign. It’s less in vogue to shop by catalogue these days but when they’re giving away a generous 30% discount off items up to £500 for your first order it’s hard to ignore.
So, I signed up for a credit account, ordered a swish swing seat for my little suntrap and enjoyed the 30% off which entirely cancelled out the delivery charge and a further chunk of cash besides.
It’s worth noting that the same swing seat was £30 more expensive at Littlewoods that it was at Littlewoods Direct, so it’s worth taking the time to compare prices.

Now, boxing clever, you might not know that Littlewoods, Littlewoods Direct, Marshall Ward, Kays, Great Universal and others are all part of the same company, though, in distinction you can join each one with a separate account. Which also means you can use the 30% off code for each account but only on your first order. If you have a number of larger priced items or a families clothing to replace, it’s an offer not to be sneezed at!
I’m off to buy a new washing machine as the last one went the way of the decrepit swing seat.