artful uses of budget garden materials

Gardening, on a budget?  Sounds like an oxymoron to me!  

Let's face it.  We all start out with a fabulous idea for the perfect addition to our garden or landscape, and inevitably realize that it's more complicated and expensive that we imagined.

Sometimes there's just no getting around it - some projects, whether you do-it-yourself or hire someone are just going to be pricey.  A paver patio for example, or an elaborate gazebo.  In the case of a paver patio there are definitely some materials choices that can be made, some very creative, but there's just nothing like the look and durability of a properly build paver patio.  And that costs.

​But in most cases, there are often many budget friendly material options to achieving your garden addition.  And, I'll just be really honest here, a lot of times it ends up looking (and lasting) like a thrown together project.   

Even with cheaper materials it's really important to consider the longevity of the material as well as the way you build it to make it worth your while.  Because, in the end you're time will be worth way more than the materials and you want to spend your time in a meaningful way so that you can enjoy your beautiful project for a good long while.

So, in the spirit of sharing some artful uses of unusual garden materials, I decided to put together this blog post to focus on a few that I think are worth considering.  I've got 6 Budget Material ideas for you - let's get to it.

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6 budget garden material ideas (used artfully)

1.  Cinder Blocks
Not a new idea for sure.  But I've seen some really wonderful installation ideas using this most basic of materials that make it worth considering.  Here I think it's really ALL about the design and very careful installation that will make it better than just a pile of construction material.  These tend to have a modern to feel them, with clean straight lines, but you can also find blocks with beautiful textures.
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Vertical garden by Contemporist.com

Stanciled Blocks by Hometalk.com

Raised bed by PLP Planters

Images: see captions and image links for source.
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2.  Hypertufa
You might not have heard of this.  It's basically a handmade goop made from portland cement, peat moss, perlite and water.   And then you can make virtually ANY shaped pot or planter out of this stuff that look like they've been in your garden for a hundred years (that's a good thing in my book).  Lots of these links here and on our Pinterest page will take you to great articles on how to make these simple pots. ​
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How-To by Gardners.com

How-To by Empressofdirt.net

Garden Must Have by Better Homes & Gardens

Images: see captions and image links for source.
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3.  Rebar
So here's something that is manufactured to reinforce building structures and concrete.  It's a pretty cheap material that can be used in countless ways and what I love most is that it has a very organic look to it and it will rust and blend beautifully into your landscape.  Extra points here if you are able to weld, because then your project should last forever.  But many ideas I see are put together with wire and should still last a long while.
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Rebar fence by The Whiskey Porch

Tomatoe Cages by Gardening Solutions

Rebar and remesh fence by The Whiskey Porch

Images: see captions and image links for source.
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4.  Steel Remesh
These are building products that are made to reinforce concrete and look like a mesh, so... "re-mesh".  They come in many different dimensions and some are galvanized, but most are not.  What I love about them is that they are very very light, usually extremely flexible, easy to trim, and again they will rust beautifully to blend in with your landscape.  You can weld them into a larger design or just prop them up with wire or wood.  There's even a long narrow one that I love to use to make tall hoops for my herb garden shade.
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Remesh fence and vine support by The Whiskey Porch

Remesh tomato cages by Hollis Homestead

Remesh shade hoops by The Whiskey Porch

Images: see captions and image links for source.
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5.  Gabion Walls
I absolutely love gabions of all types.  Usually they are formed with square or rectangular cages made out of steel that are then filled with various material, often rock, to form a solid structure.  It is possible to make curves too (the image on the right has a link to an amazing how-to article from GardenDrum.com).  The material you fill them with can be as creative as you want - or even in patterns or layers that are pretty intricate.  But the cages and rock are extremely affordable ways to create a very organic and strong structure that can be very rustic or even sleek and modern.
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Gabion planter by Gabionok.hu

Gabion bench by Gabionbaskets.co.za

Curved gabion walls by Gardendrum.com

Images: see captions and image links for source.
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6.  Metal Remnant Panels
These are probably my favorite material, and I'm not even entirely sure what they are called or how to find them.  I've decided they are best described as "metal remnant panels" and they are essentially the leftover material from a sheet of steel that has had shapes or patterns cut out of it.  But the leftovers are sometimes better than the main meal.  It's not always entirely evident what the original cut out designs were unless you look closely, and that's half the fun.  It's a little subtle and a fun way to use trash.  We built some stunning privacy screens on one of our covered porches and hung them from the roof rafters.  Each panel is unique.  We just happened upon the material at a salvage yard many years ago, and knew one day we would put them to good use.  
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Images: The Whiskey Porch
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​more inspiration

We are on Pinterest where I find wonderful ideas and inspiration.  Please check our Garden Design Materials page and follow us there.

Garden Materials Inspiration

​And you will find lots of other original, high quality content on our Garden Resources page.

Garden Resources

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Thanks for following along.  Do you use any other cool budget materials than what I've listed here that you'd like to share?  Please let us know  in the comments below.  I'd love to know!

Peace & contentment,
​~Miriam