Create Your Dream Garden at a Fraction of the Cost
The Master Gardener’s Bookshelf
The Money-Saving Gardener: Create Your Dream Garden at a Fraction of the Cost by Anya Lautenbach
Review by Susan Wilhelm, Extension Master Gardener
If you have been thinking about creating a new garden or rejuvenating an older one without spending a lot of money, The Money-Saving Gardener: Create Your Dream Garden at a Fraction of the Cost by Anya Lautenbach may be just the book you need. It is filled with money-saving strategies for creating wonderful gardens as cost-effectively as possible.
Lautenbach writes: “In gardening, as in many other areas of life, we often spend money to save ourselves time and effort. However, if you take a different approach— that is spending more time and very little money—you may find that you not only save financially, but you’re also rewarded with a sense of contentment and satisfaction you never thought possible.”
Not surprisingly, careful advance planning is one of the best ways to focus time and money effectively. Lautenbach advises gardeners to first decide what their gardening goals are, for example creating a pollinator garden, a play area for children, or a space for entertaining guests, and how much time they realistically can commit to maintaining it. Equally important is understanding the planting site: Is it sunny or shady, and what type of soil do you have? (A soil test is key to properly identifying your soil conditions.) With this knowledge, gardeners can then look for plants that grow successfully in those conditions (right plant, right place), increasing the probability that they will not need replacement.
Lautenbach suggests several sources for free or low-cost plants. These include rejuvenating an existing shrub (where possible) to make it more attractive or dividing perennials to create additional plants for free. When gardeners do need to spend money, Lautenbach recommends “spending well” to get the greatest value for that expenditure. For instance, purchasing bare root or smaller shrubs and trees, which are significantly less expensive, or selecting perennials over annuals, which return year after year reducing future costs. She also encourages gardeners to be creative when looking for containers, garden tools, or garden furniture, which often can be obtained secondhand from sources such as social media networks or yard sales.
The Money Saving-Gardener contains practical advice on other topics including saving water, improving your soil, companion planting to attract beneficial insects, and propagating plants. Everything is cross-referenced, and key points are highlighted in separate boxes, under the heading “Anya’s Top Tips.” Great photos throughout and a season-by-season planning/planting guide at the end may be particularly helpful to new gardeners. (Gardeners interested in planting native plants or vegetable gardening might augment Lautenbach’s advice with Caring for Your Native Plants Garden for seasonal information on native plant care or Between the Rows – a month-by-month guide to vegetable gardening .)
Lautenbach gardens in Great Britain, but the general principles she describes work anywhere. However, while some of her recommended plants are available in Northern Virginia, it is always beneficial to do further research before selecting a plant to ensure it truly is the “right plant for the right place” in your garden. Readers also may want to consult additional sources for strategies to improve clay soils such as adding compost or other organic matter, a technique Extension Master Gardeners recommend.
Whether your goal is to save money or garden responsibility with little waste, The Money-Saving Gardener has strategies to help. The Money-Saving Gardener: Create Your Dream Garden at a Fraction of the Cost by Anya Lautenbach (DK Books, 2024) is available from the Alexandria Library, the Arlington Public Library, and national booksellers.
Also check out these free Master Gardener of Northern Virginia resources: