Gardeners are encouraged to see if they can save on their household bills by getting out in their green space.
Author and horticulturalist Simon Akeroyd has shared some ways you can grow your garden and save hundreds of pounds in the process, as part of Raisin UK’s Grow Your Savings campaign.
One tip he offered is to grow your own fruit and veg as this can make “a big dent in your food bill”. He spoke about how gardening blog Something About Plants found gardeners could save £83 a year simply by growing strawberries and blackberries at home.
There are a range of edible plants you can grow in your garden, such as lettuce, tomatoes, peas, beetroot, carrots or rhubarb.
Another way to cut down on your bills if you plan on doing some planting is to propagate someone else’s cuttings rather than buying new plants.
Mr Akeroyd explained: “Love a plant in your friend’s garden? Ask for a cutting instead of buying new. Propagating (creating new plants from existing ones) your own plants can build your garden for free, potentially saving £5–£20 per plant across dozens of additions.”
He cited RSPB figures that showed if you could get a 50% success rate for 20 cuttings and enjoy 10 new plants, this could save you £100 or more compared to buying in store.
You can also save on your spending by making your own compost rather than buying compost throughout the year. You can use your kitchen and garden waste to make a compost heap, or use a wormery to break down your waste and cuttings into compost
Composting at home can save around £115 a year in waste disposal and from not buying compost in the shop. The horticulturalist said: “A 10-litre bag of compost can cost up to £4, but using a 330-litre compost bin at home can produce the equivalent of more than 33 bags a year, all for free, and with the added bonus of reducing household waste. Many local councils also offer compost bin schemes to help you get started.”
Another cost-cutting tip is to get a water butt installed so you can collect rainwater to help reduce your water bills.
This can particular help during summer months, as using a hose pipe or sprinkler can cost £21 a week in water bills if you’re watering once or twice a day on average.
The avid gardener shared a final simple tip that can save you an impressive £200. If you are thinking of buying a mature bay tree shaped like a lollipop topiary this can set you back £250.
But if you simple buy a younger bay bush and prune it into shape yourself, this can cost just £50.