Affordable home landscaping involves an investment in time as well as money. While television has popularized the overnight, total garden makeover, most homeowners don’t have the resources to bring in the planners, crews and materials that make these garden dreams come true. Fortunately, with a little planning, patience and a keen eye for value, you can improve the curb appeal of your home without a cast (and budget) of thousands.

Buy Quality

Trees and shrubs are an investment and you should choose quality plants from a reliable nursery. Avoid vendors selling evergreens in parking lots and off the back of trucks. Many of these trees and shrubs have been dug from the wild. Tossed in the back of open trucks with no root pruning or appropriate care, these trees often die within weeks of purchase.

Start Small

Start with less expensive, smaller trees and shrubs. Research has shown that these more diminutive trees are subject to less transplant shock and quickly catch up and often surpass the growth of larger trees. 

Contact Your Extension

Your local county agricultural extension is an excellent source of landscaping and garden information. According to the United State Department of Agriculture website, the "offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to...consumers and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes." 

Shop The Sales

Buy trees and shrubs in early fall. Cooler temperatures and increased rainfall make fall an excellent planting time, and the discounts available on trees and shrubs can be as much as 60 percent. Choose robust-looking plants with no broken limbs.

Use Annuals

Annuals are a fast-growing and inexpensive solution for quick cover and color. When planting perennials, buy smaller, less expensive plants and fill the gaps with annuals. The perennials grow to fill the space and you will need fewer fill-ins.