Quite a claim I hear you say but it is quite true. It is possible to create a garden for 50% less if you are cute and patient.
Labour costs
The 50% claim only applies if you are planning to carry out any labour yourself. It is unreasonable to assume any contractor will perform tasks at a discount to his or her normal daily rate. However, timing can help with getting a better deal.
If you plan to have any landscaping work done in the spring or autumn then it is conceivable that contractors will come at a premium. Work is normally in abundance at these times of year and reductions or special deals are unlikely.
January and February and part of March and even July and August can be good times to get a quote. During the January and February Christmas hangover period there is often a vacuum that a contractor has to fill and in many cases will be scratching around to find good quality work. Getting a discount is possible and it pays to shop around for the best offer.
July and August are similarly quiet because of school holidays, summer holidays and sometimes dry weather. Having your garden landscaped or a small project could get you a discount because of work being scarce. Do not be afraid to push a bit and if you do not ask you will not get.
Just be aware that if you push too hard there is a possibility that any contractor will rush the job and reduce the quality of the work.
One other point for consideration - if a contractor is not busy during the spring or autumn and can 'start on Monday' then be cautious. You may just be lucky that he is between jobs but it can also mean that he has a dodgy reputation.
So in summary - the 50% rule does not apply to labour charges but you can get up to 30% off of labour if your timing is good.
Offers deals and discounts
How many times have you seen the release of the latest gadget, car or 'must have' item and bought it within the first month of the launch?
The latest Iphone from Apple is the 'must have' gadget at the moment and it is near on impossible to get a good deal below the asking price. Wait 6 months though and you will be guaranteed a deal.
No matter what area of commercialism there is you can get a good deal if you try. This applies to the garden industry too.
Here a few examples of how to spot a deal.
Bedding plants - two good options are available here.
1. you could wait until late in the season and pick up the straggling plants from the local garden centre who just want the space back. Keeping a few trays of plants watered every day is time consuming so the centre manager will normally be happy to let them go for half price or less.
2. Look out for seed deals so you can sow your own at home. Seed companies have a legal responsibility to sell seeds that are viable and stay within the permitted date range. Write a letter or send an email to seed companies such as Suttons Seeds asking for end of line or out of date seeds. A £1 packet of seed can be picked up for 10p-25p but remember it is first come first serve.
Plants and shrubs
Similar applies to trees and shrubs. Nurseries will often let trees or shrubs that have been kicking around for ages go for less than the trade price. Having a tree that is looking less than fresh is bad for business and taking up valuable space.
All you have to do is take it back and re pot the tree or shrub or plant it directly into the ground. A good planting hole, some fresh compost and a feed will often revive a plant within a few weeks. If the roots are bound up in the pot then tease them out or prune to stimulate re growth.
It is worth a visit to a production nursery too. Now a lot of people will not be aware of this but thousands and thousands of plants are thrown out before they even get to the garden centre. If a liner - a term for a small plant that has not been potted on - does not make the grade because it is weak or malformed it will be thrown onto the compost heap well away from the good stuff so that any infections or virus' can be spread.
This heap is like a little gold mine where seemingly good plants will be thriving as they continue to grow in the spent compost. Offer the nursery owner a cash sum for a days scavenging and reap the rewards. You may have to spend some time identifying the plants because they will not often have a label but you will have a high net worth haul at the end of it.
My brother Dan worked for Baldwins or Liss for many years and we had a good little side line by buying off cheap stock that needed to be shifted. Dan also potted on the compost heap throwaways and made some good pocket money at car boot sales and village shows.
Compost and fertilisers.
Now don't get caught with your stanley knife blade at the garden centre but do look out for damaged bags or packaging. A garden centre has a responsibility to sell products that are accurately properly packed. Often the split bags are put on a pallet to one side and the garden centre would be happy to sell these off at cost or less to get rid.
Similar to scavenging for plants at the nursery there will also be a huge pile of spent compost that is created when a plant is potted on. The nursery will have to deal with this and the bigger the nursery the greater the volume of compost.
Sometimes they will use the spent compost around stock plants but there is always the risk (commercially) of disease or a virus so it is not often a chance worth taking.
We used to buy truckloads of loose compost from Secretts of Godalming which we used as a soil conditioner for pre planting.
Furniture and ornaments
The internet is a great place for this. Many companies that sell on line will often have a section of their site that just sells end of range items. You may not always get 50% off but there is always a deal to be had. Harrods Horticulture has a page dedicated to end of range and sale items.
Look out at your garden centre for the end of summer sales for garden furniture and BBQ's. Retailers will be more than happy to sell off at a small profit rather than hold over the winter.
Turf
I probably shouldn't pass on this little tip but turf companies who cut and stock in their yard can only keep the turf for a few days past it's best before either throwing on the compost heap for shredding or chucking it away.
Pop into their yard and offer to buy anything that is going to waste. It might take you a few days to accumulate the amount you need but more than 50% saving is possible especially if you have a van or small trailer to collect it.
Paving, bricks and trellis panels.
Getting shot of the odd few paving slabs or trellis panel, especially if there is a small amount of damage is a nightmare for large chains like B&Q. If an item is not sold the company has a duty of care and an obligation to dispose of something in an environmentally friendly fashion so selling it cheap and letting you take it away is their preferred option.
Ebay
Keep an eye on Ebay too. There can be some extremely good deals if you keep a close eye on the garden auctions. Take a look at what is being offered in the bricks and stone section. There are many home and garden categories for that bargain.
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