Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
National Gardening Week 2023: All the Best Budget Tips
Rachel Hazelwood
2nd May 2023
Now in its 11th year, National Gardening Week is here again.
We are a nation of gardeners – even more so since the pandemic. According to a mental health charity over 7 million of us have taken up gardening in recent years. Personally I love nothing better than putting on a pair of wellies and grabbing a spade, or spending a few uninterrupted (and heavenly) hours in my greenhouse. There is nothing quite like the thrill of watching your seeds germinate and your flowers flourish, ready to plant out in a herbaceous border.
Gardening isn’t just about shrubs and perennials or annuals though. According to Horticulture Magazine, currently over 35% of Brits now grow their own fruit and veg. If you’ve ever had a go yourself, you’ll know that there is nothing quite like the taste of a courgette or potato you’ve grown yourself. My personal favourite is garden peas, so good they don’t make it to the kitchen but get eaten from the pod!
Even if you don’t have the space but love growing herbs and a few flowers in pots to brighten up your living space, the great thing about gardening is that anyone can join in. Whether you’re lucky enough to have access to your own piece of land or you just have a windowsill – all you need is a few pots, some seeds, as well as air, light, water and a little know how. That’s where we can help.
Below you will find our top articles on gardening and how to use your garden space and even how to grow an indoor allotment. I really hope this will inspire you to have a go.
Happy National Gardening Week!
Getting Started
Often the hardest part of beginning anything new is knowing where to start. So why not start with our handy guide: Growing your own fruit and vegetables
In 10 Easy Grow-Your-Own Ideas for Every Type of Space we show you just how easy it can be to grow your own plants (both edible and ornamental) no matter where you live or what space you have.
Also, we show you that you really can have an allotment indoors. In Indoor Allotment you’ll find everything you need to get started, including advice on how to grow your own tomato plants, which not only look great they smell divine too!
Saving Money
Gardening can be an expensive hobby. Even packs of seeds can be pricey and if you need to buy compost and equipment the costs can mount up. In both How to save money gardening – 14 clever ideas and Shoestring Cottage – how to save money in the garden you’ll find lots of handy tips on how to grow your own without spending a fortune.
In 13 ways to make and save money from your garden Raechelle Dias has some brilliant examples of ways you can make money from your garden (or indoor allotment) and also lots of ideas about where you can save, such as using freecycle or community sites for sourcing or swapping seeds and equipment.
Alternative ways to use and share your space
Lastly Rent out your garden as allotments and Lend and Tend explain ways that you use and share the space you have with others. Maybe you have a corner of your garden you don’t use – have you thought about either lending or renting it to a neighbour? After all, gardening can be a great community experience and what better way to show that you care than sharing your space so that others can join in the fun.
We’d love to hear more about your gardening adventures in the comments below!
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