As a good mother, gardening without overspending is part of my routine. However, December is a particularly challenging month: garden improvement projects abound, but it’s also the peak season for gifts and expensive feasts.

Like many households, to prevent our bank account from taking on a hue similar to that of Santa's hat, we manage our priorities! And, who knows why... gardening rarely tops the list.

That said, it is perfectly possible to continue enhancing your garden without breaking the bank!

Here are some recommendations to follow throughout the year to save money:

1) Sow

Sowing annual flowers allows you to quickly fill in empty spaces at a low cost. But did you know that sowing perennial plants is not much more difficult? Admittedly, it often takes a bit of time, but it’s rewarding and very economical for planting in groups or masses. Echinaceas, Columbines, Delphiniums, Gaura, Pennisetums... all are available as seeds (...many of which, on our site, are from the highly regarded brand Thompson & Morgan).

Sowing your perennials and annuals is economical

→ Discover: "10 very easy perennials to sow"

2) Harvest your seeds and collect spontaneous seedlings

In both the vegetable garden and the ornamental garden, growing your own seeds offers numerous advantages: preserving varieties, cultivating those that thrive particularly well, and also... building a "fund" of reliable plants. I won’t elaborate, we’ve discussed this before.

Don’t overlook collecting spontaneous seedlings either. At my place, the Buenos Aires Verbena produces many little ones, as do Euphorbia characias and Stachys byzantina. And that’s great, as these are plants I find easy to combine!

Harvesting your seeds is easy!

→ Read more on the subject: "Growing your seeds, harvesting them, storing them"

3) Propagate

The propagation of roses is a classic. However, this method of multiplication applies to many other plants. The techniques vary, but they all allow you to obtain a plant identical to the parent. Some may say this leads to a lack of variety. True. But once again, it’s very convenient when you have a large garden to landscape. I mainly practice this for "filler" shrubs to gradually complete my hedge.

From a legal standpoint, it is perfectly legal to propagate varieties that hold a plant breeders' rights certificate. However, it is prohibited to do so for commercial purposes, both legally and somewhat morally, out of respect for the work of horticulturists and breeders.

Propagating is a great way to multiply your plants for free

→ To succeed with your first cuttings: "15 very easy plants to propagate"

4) Divide perennial plants and grasses

Regularly dividing clumps of perennials and grasses is essential to maintain their vigour, attractive appearance, and abundant flowering. This can be done with a spade, and the divisions can fill other flower beds. As with propagation, you won’t obtain a new variety, but they may interest other gardeners.

5) Exchange your plants

Exchanging seeds and plants is one of the joys of gardening. Stéphanie mentioned it in this article this summer. It’s very economically beneficial as long as you have plants to offer. However, having attended a few local plant fairs, be cautious about what is sometimes offered... Some people are not well acquainted with their garden and, in good faith, exchange very invasive plants, such as Japanese Knotweed. A nightmare awaits.

Plant fairs, friends, neighbours: exchange your plants!

→ To prepare: "Plant exchange: our tips for organising"

6) Focus on quality

There’s nothing more costly than a plant that dies prematurely. You’ll have paid for it, and then you’ll need to replace it, more or less urgently, due to a gap in the flower bed. When making purchases, do as we do when we ship your orders: check for plenty of roots, good health, and the absence of any signs of mould on the bulbs. Avoid succumbing to the temptation of the beautiful flowering plant before all others: it’s a "Bimbo" pumped full of fertiliser, more drip-fed than watered, sheltered in a heated environment... which is likely to struggle with the shock of being planted in your garden. Imagine Kim Kardashian parachuted into the Jungle; it’s the same!

7) Take advantage of sales, with discernment

Who hasn’t been tempted, during the weekly shop, by a pack of mixed tulips on sale for 50% off? A good deal? Yes, if the colours aren’t too garish and you genuinely like them. Otherwise, walk away. From classic to mundane, it’s just a step. And if, at flowering time, the colour displeases you, you’ll endure them as a punishment and end up eliminating them.

Instead, save your money to treat yourself to a variety you’ve coveted for weeks, a new discovery, or a true sure thing. A beautiful acquisition, even at a high price, will give you more satisfaction than ten mediocre ones.