The Whiskey Porch
  • Resources
    • Home
    • Garden
    • Art & Color
    • Simple Living
  • Local
    • Porches of Prescott
    • Cottages of Prescott
    • Historic Neighborhoods
    • Gardens of Prescott
    • Picnic in Prescott
  • Services
    • Booking
    • Testimonials
    • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Dragonfly Journal
~ The Whiskey Porch Blog ~

artful uses of budget garden materials

7/21/2021

0 Comments

 
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.


budget materials used in a couple ways in our garden

​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.

~ post continues, click "read more" ~



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.
​
block wall with plants and lights
Vertical garden by Contemporist.com
stenciled cinder blocks as garden planters
Stanciled Blocks by Hometalk.com
raised bed out of cinder blocks
Raised bed by PLP Planters
Images: see captions and image links for source.
​
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. ​
​
a water garden in a hypertufa container
How-To by Gardners.com
A succulent garden in a small round hypertufa pot
How-To by Empressofdirt.net
a large hypertufa trough filled with lush plants
Garden Must Have by Better Homes & Gardens
Images: see captions and image links for source.
​
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.
​
rebar fence and posts underplanted with germander
Rebar fence by The Whiskey Porch
tall square rebar cages for tomatoes
Tomatoe Cages by Gardening Solutions
a rebar and remesh fence covered with wild morning glory
Rebar and remesh fence by The Whiskey Porch
Images: see captions and image links for source.
​
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.
​
a shaded gazebo with climbing vines and lush plantings
Remesh fence and vine support by The Whiskey Porch
remesh in a circle with tomatoes growing inside
Remesh tomato cages by Hollis Homestead
remesh ladders used as herb garden shade hoops
Remesh shade hoops by The Whiskey Porch
Images: see captions and image links for source.
​
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.
​
a small gabion planter filled with a rock garden
Gabion planter by Gabionok.hu
gabion walls with a wood bench incorporated
Gabion bench by Gabionbaskets.co.za
gorgeous curved gabion walls in a garden
Curved gabion walls by Gardendrum.com
Images: see captions and image links for source.
​
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.  
​
covered porch with sky lights and privacy screens
steel privacy panels behind succulent plantings
Images: The Whiskey Porch
​


​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

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
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Hey there.  I'm Miriam ~ and I've been doing this my whole life.  It's my passion.  ​

    Miriam Carlson-Maier

    Categories

    All
    Art & Color
    Before & After
    Cottage Garden Plants
    Cottages & Bungalows
    Cottages Of Prescott
    Downsizing
    Foraging
    Gardens & Nature
    Gardens Of Prescott
    Herb Garden
    New & Noteworthy
    Nordic Lifestyle
    Picnic In Prescott
    Porches
    Porches Of Prescott
    Prescott AZ
    Seasonal Living
    Simple Living

    RSS Feed

The Site

Home Page
​
Resources
Inspiration
Cottages, Porches & Gardens of Prescott AZ
Home & Garden Design Services
Project Portfolio
The Dragonfly Journal (Blog)
​Contact Us
​About Us

sister brands

Baldur Studios Art
Arizona Artisans Collective
​

LIFESTYLE & DESIGN NEWSLETTER

I want to receive occasional inspiration by email.
Inspire Me!

​Let's connect !

find & follow us  @thewhiskeyporch
Picture

we are local

We are a small, woman-owned independent business.  Think local.  Buy local.  Be local.
​

credits

Website Design, Graphics by Miriam
Photography by Miriam & Sonja
​Video Photography & Editing by Miriam
​Drone Footage by Michael
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Copyright 2019-2022  The Whiskey Porch LLC
  • Resources
    • Home
    • Garden
    • Art & Color
    • Simple Living
  • Local
    • Porches of Prescott
    • Cottages of Prescott
    • Historic Neighborhoods
    • Gardens of Prescott
    • Picnic in Prescott
  • Services
    • Booking
    • Testimonials
    • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact