Small Garden Design Ideas on a Budget - tips from top garden designers! 

Having interviewed some wonderful garden designers over the past five years, I wanted to pull together their best tips for saving money on garden design - so I hope you like it. And if you have any good budget-friendly garden design tips, do add them in the comments! Thank you.

It's so rare to find a channel that actually gives new & useful tips & ideas. You are a treasure. Thank you!

Wow! What a change! Eloquent speaker. No awful background music. Really good tips, and information, conjuring enthusiasm to stop staring at the unloved and wilderness space (we just bought a house that was a holiday home in France, where nothing had been done for 30 years. Talk about stony ground!), and GET on with it!! Thanks very much for your encouragement.

I’ve taken up gardening since retiring a few years ago. When I heard you say other gardeners have killed thousands of plants, I felt a load lift from my shoulders! 😁 Lots of useful information in this video! Well done! Thanks so much!

Thank you 'Tiny space, only 52ft long. As a Londoner, that made me chuckle :)

You explain things so clearly. I really don't know why you haven't got your own TV show.

Totally agree with Charlotte Rowe. It’s the view you want from various spots.

I like the guy that said don’t be afraid to fail. You can’t control a garden! I love this because I am just starting to garden abs worry to much I might fail but just words hit home for me.

The author at the book signing’s mention of people afraid to fail - well, that was me. I was terrified. No one in my neighborhood gardens, so whatever I did had to be perfect. Well, that was a terribly stressful few months. Now thanks to your video channel and the others here on RU-vid, I’m happy to fail. Well, except for transplanting. That’s my current perfection/fear issue. Thank you for what you do for us newbie gardeners in the US.

In my new garden I had a big long concrete driveway that I didn't want. I smashed up all the concrete and used it to create a big dry stacked retaining wall in the back, which looks great!

I love Adam Frost’s tip. I wouldn’t have thought of that but it makes so much sense.

My goodness, this is one of your top posts. Very likely your best ever. With all of the great advice and connections to many varied sources, one may spend hours following up on each of the interviewed persons.

This is one of my favorite videos that I watch every so often when I need ideas and inspiration to design more beds etc. Thank you for including your ideas and those of other experts. It is all very interesting and useful.

Appreciate the different aspects in gardening you discuss in your blog. Always looking forward to a new vedio. Thank you very much and best wishes from Sri Lanka.

There are 104 ‘dislikes’ instead of none. What’s not to like here? Thank you, Alexandra, for your generous, down to earth and reassuring videos. There is always something to take away, think about and try out without worrying too much about whether it works or not on the grounds that it can always be changed. In this video l loved Monty Don’s reminder that we are more like the janitor looking after the furniture than the conductor of a grand orchestra. Thank you once again, Alexandra for your homely and inspiring style. Ken (in Umbria)

Rather comforting to know that other gardeners have killed plants.... nothing ventured...on we go. I really enjoy your channel Alexandra. I feel uplifted with every episode I watch, and it gives me the will to keep going. I'm making progress with your encouraging tips and ideas. Thank you.

I have just found your youtube channel and I'm amazed. Who are you that you have interviewed so many people? My Lord. Haha. I love the feel of this channel, it's like talking to a long lost British grandmother I never knew I had.

Yes, planned paths. I heard of a college that opened without putting in the sidewalks until the students, walking to the various buildings, cut obvious "paths" into the ground and then that's where they put the sidewalks. 👍

These were great tips. Thank you so much for sharing! ♥ In my current home I initially had to do a lot of garden paths on a very low budget. What I did was this. I used old garden hoses, which I sourced from people for free, to make the borders. I stapled hoses to the ground with wire staples. Wire staples can be bought or made out of old wire hangers. I filled the spaces with mulch and laid whatever pavers I could find. Many of them were flat old rocks and bits of concrete that I collected around the neighborhood. Parts of wooden pallets can also be used, although those do rot away eventually. Pallet boards can also be fastened to the ground with wire staples. Each path cost me $5-15. My hope is that it will help someone with a very low income, who might otherwise be discouraged from doing these projects at all. If at all possible, please make more budget tip garden videos. These are very useful. Thank you so much! ♥

I'm not really in charge......I will have to continually remind myself of that, it is very freeing. Of course, I have always felt like the janitor, haha.

An early post ... and what wonderful tips! Thanks, Alexandra! I have challenged myself to cultivating a curvy, 60ft x 3ft border to break up one side of my boring square lawn so this advice is right on time. As you suggest, I started by establishing a variety of leggy shrubs - with dramatic large flat leaves and conical red blossom sprays - all bought cheap from the discount table of the garden centre. These are spaced fairly evenly along with clumps of ornamental grasses up against my old picket fence which is a well worn but forgiving dark brown. With help from our lawn man I will prepare the beginning garden beds this weekend and start hatching my smaller bushes from cuttings and perennials from seed reusing small pots I retained from earlier planting sessions. Since my house is a painted a pale sky blue with white porch millwork I am going with reds, golds, pinks and whites with an occasional pop of purple and blue in terms of my floral colour palette. I am giving myself a full year to realise my vision, but can hardly wait!

I have killed so many plants. As a child, going to a convent school, one evening I was tasked with weeding a small flower bed by one of the senior nuns. I have never tended to a flower bed before. Mom or Dad weren't gardeners. "How will I know which one's are the weeds?" I asked in a concerned voice not wanting to pull out any of Sr. Finbar's precious flowers. Everything was in infancy. "Oh," she replied "Just leave the pretty ones and take out the rest." Happy with my simple instructions, I set about my job intent on doing it well. When I finished, I returned to Sr Finbar so she could check the job was done right. She came out to look at her newly tidied flower bed and when she saw the job I had done, her jaw dropped. "You took all the flowers out and left all the weeds." I was distraught. "Oh I'm so sorry. You said to leave the pretty ones. I left the pretty ones." I said "Am I in big trouble?" She paused and then laughed. "No," she said. "You're not in trouble. But you just taught me. Everything really does have it's own beauty. I just didn't see it there before. No harm done. Thank you." Dandelions are some of my favourite flowers to be honest. Smiling heads on them. And I love what Monty Don said "We think we are conductors in control of an orchestra - but really we're only janitors turning off the lights and putting out the chairs." We're janitors of the planet. Love Monty Don. Heart breaks for him since he lost one of his old labradors recently. We know what that feels like in our house.

It’s comforting to know I’m not the only serial plant killer 😜

It must have been exciting to meet Monty Don and have him contribute to your video... Wonderful !

Can’t be believe I found The Middle Sized Garden - every video a tip for me. So much quality content ! Thank you

This was so helpful! Im new and trying again for a colorful but simpler way to garden. I have arthritis and simply cant get down but i think i can manage a nice garden with containers, and these tips and encouragement give me faith. THank you!!!

More videos on beginning a garden from scratch. We’ve moved house recently and the house is about 45 years old. The garden has weed infested lawn with bare patches, a few scraggly trees and in the back an unlandscaped swimming pool. Our signature colour will be dark grey and my wife likes cottage style with lots of roses and lavender. So I’d really appreciate more videos like this one

Thank you for your quality content! I love how you organize and present the knowledge that you’ve gleaned over the years from others. I hope that you take it as the compliment that this is meant to be, when I say that I plan on taking the knowledge you’ve compiled here and will be incorporating some of it in my own garden! This isn’t meant as a compliment because I view my garden as super special or anything, but rather because this means that your voice gets passed on to even more people who visit my garden as well. I’m picky about what gardeners I’d actually recommend trusting/following for my newer gardening friends, but I’d gladly recommend your channel! Great work!

Thank you for the tips, Alexandra. 💖👍🥰 Take care and God Bless, Chris-Raleigh NC

Thanks very much for your helpful tips! I really enjoyed watching this video. The photos of gardens in your video are lovely too. ❤️

Thank you for loads of great ideas presented in a very friendly and helpful way - makes it all seem doable!

Lots of good suggestions.. Especially now that winter is coming ,good time to take nots for next year. Thanks for sharing. Like seeing other designers also.

What a lovely video, Alexandra! Thank you for posting it x

Thank you for the video. Really inspiring and comforting begginers at the same time.

Really enjoy your presentation and presenters and their easy to follow tips and tricks. Keep up the great work.

0:35 What in England is an exotic garden would be quite local here in Buenos Aires, and my idea of exotic is an English cottage garden, lol. Nice video, full of good advice and quite a suprise it came two days before Saturday.

Thanks for sharing! I love these videos.🦋

Thank you, thank you! So very helpful and inspiring.

Hello from Australia. I just discovered your channel (and subscribed) and am happy I did because,although you are in the UK, so many of your tips are relevant for me and probably many other countries. As simple as it is, I never thought to paint my pot plant pots the same colour😀. So many very good ideas in this video. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.

This video is practical and helpful. Thank you for sharing the many tips.

Wonderful idea about re using old concrete!

Such a helpful video! Think i will think on it, come back & watch it again.

Fabulous, as always. Packed with sensible advice and exciting inspiration. Thank you, Alexandra!

Great video Alexandra! Really liked the tip on naming what you want your garden to be. That is really helpful. Thank you for your lovely videos. Watching from Boston Massachusetts.

Thank you for a very delightful informative video. Lots of hints and tips to engage in exploring different ideas put forward. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity. Blessings 👌💐

What a great video! So many thoughtful questions to explore.

Wonderful informative and down-to-earth programme. Glad I have followed a lot of her principles and advice in my own garden. It was redesigned in 2009 when I bought my 1890 house. The start was to rip up the old floor concrete that was more cracks than floor, very uneven and dangerous, it was replaced in the courtyard area by lovely gavel - this is when I found out about the various grades of gravel - and their various prices! - interspersed with large slabs of York stones which make it easier to walk. The courtyard is home to a large collection of pots in different sizes and shapes, filled with roses and other plants. The furniture I found in an antique centre. It is a set of 1920 French garden furniture. A couple of coats of garage door paint every few years keep it sparkling white. The whole fence 15 panels + a gate were also beyond saving. We then turned our attention to the garden proper, overgrown and shapeless but with a beautiful mellow old brick wall at the bottom, except that you couldn’t get near it. Some years before, someone had planted a kind of conifer that had grown enormous. At some point it had been chopped off, probably hoping it would bring about its demise, instead of which it coppiced it, sending further ‘trunks’ and very large branches. This mess had grown to an incredible size, totally obliterating the view of Ely Cathedral that had sold the house to me. It took an entire day for a tree surgeon to bring it down safely! Once we were rid of the monstrosity we could look at the garden, what was there, what could be kept, saved, moved and then we decided on the trees. I already had a lovely apple trees, probably seventy years old which is of no identifyable lineage but is covered with large, red and delicious apples every summer. This tree became a centre piece around which the scheme was designed. Being already in my sixties at the time, I was conscious that I had to buy things of a certain size so that they would fairly quickly come to look like ‘trees’, in went a gorgeous coppiced white birch, a tall pencil-shaped Swedish birch, a Gingko. Its golden shower of leaves are a yearly delight. I could go on.... The garden itself has an amazing number of roses, the beds and path meander, making the garden appear much bigger than it is, with my beloved ‘woodland’ bit at the bottom. The great joy of a garden is to see it develop over the years and change and, as the lady said, allowing it to do its own thing. Every winter, I cook up new projects and 2020 as I was shielding from Covid was no exception. I had little brick surrounds and raised beds built of reclaimed bricks to replace the original ones made of railway sleepers and this has been a great success. A few weeks ago, a wooden arch was erected leading into the woodland bit. Just had a small rambler planted at the side to cascade over it. I also acquired a large wooden trough on legs which I will fill with petunias and other annuals once the risk of frost has finally departed and dahlias for height. Right from the start I put in a daphne plant and I can imagine how wonderful it will be to have its scent next spring and all that waist high. The hyacinths create a wall of scent, even on a cold morning. I am about to have more lights installed and a power point so that I can enjoy the warmth of the electric heater I have just acquired - the perfect oasis to dream up new projects while enjoying a cup of coffee! The joy goes on!

Love your channel! I recently upgraded a wood box spring to a platform frame. After removing the fabric and staples, i stained it and converted it to a grand trellis! Its a smart looking garden feature.

Thank you, Such fabulous ideas

Every time I watch your videos I'm shocked how much good quality information you offer. Amazing! Thank you, love from RO ❤🧡💙

Really enjoyable video. Great to hear you mention health and safety... Most important aspect of gardening, but rarely hear anything on the subject.

This video..and you..are so inspiring! Great ideas. Beautiful Gardens! And your last bit of words was so very encouraging. Thank you! Metta

So wonderful and helpful thank you!

I’ve just moved and I’m planning my garden. Thank you so much for your encouragement, tips and advice!

Thanks you so much for your lovely and informative videos. Your garden is beautiful. 🌸🌷🌺🌼Your Saluki is so beautiful too. My family had Saluki’s in the past. Your videos inspire me in my own garden. I live in Australia on the Sunshine Coast Qld, 🌴🌻🌞🌺🌴 but I was born in England. We came over when I was a child. My mother was an amazing gardener, and grew such pretty English style gardens, where we lived in Victoria. I adore English gardens, also Claus Dalby’s style of gardening. 🌷🌹🥀🪴🌲🌳

Only just discovered your channel. Thank you for these tips. They're great and will help me immensely. I hope you will keep adding new content as i think there are not enough from the UK for this. Thanks again 💞

Inspiring video, thanks 🙏🙏

Very nice!!

Watched twice and worth keeping to watch again. Thanks!

Excellent content. So helpful. Thank you.

Very informative video, a collection of advice from great gardeners ! Very helpful and a great reference for me as I build my own plant paradise.

Thank you. I'm a fan of Monty Don but I found all the advice useful.

Great information loved it and learned a lot

Thank you! I took notes this was so full of good ideas.

Love your videos, so informative , clear & no annoying background music like some . Have learned quite a lot ,being a pretty novice gardener . Please keep them coming ,many thanks 🌱🌼x

Really, really enjoy your channel. So many inspiring images. I’m in Sacramento, going on year 4. The heat can be a beast, but inspiring how many plants do well. Amaranths are turning into my favorites. Anyway, than you for what you are providing. Sincerely, Chris

Really liked this video, gives me some ideas to work with which is why I watch gardening videos, to be inspired! Thank you very much!

I really appreciate your thoughtful and helpful videos. Your channel is really inspiring me, a new gardener in Canada! Cheers.

Thanks for this- I'm designing planting for my small garden and I will have a good think about what word or phrase I want to use. I often get overwhelmed by all the choices- but when I actually have a word I think that will help with the design.

These are some great tips, thank you!

Thank you so much..this has been most helpful and has given me some new ideas...gardening from Texas

What an informative piece and loved the way you illustrated the ideas. This has helped me think about my garden. Thank you!

Excellent helpfulness

really enjoyed this, thank you

Wow; such great advice. As a beginner garden, who's only just started to plan my first project, I'm looking for simple, basic info. The vista on what is possible to accomplish in a narrow, urban backyard has been widened by your videos. I appreciate the philosophical approach to the whole enterprise! Outstanding job.

Monty Don is delightful, funny and he's so right ! K

keep up the great work

Wow this video is so encouraging - thank-you so much for these money saving ideas!!! 🙏😊😊

Interesting advice & insights thank you.

What a fantastic informative factual video Alexandra as ever. Lots and lots of obvious but perhaps ideas I hadn't thought of. I love learning from other Gardeners. I love the pictures you put up on the video to demonstrate what you mean, such as 'garden themes'. Also it's good to see different designs to help me think about what I do or don't like. I tend to see a cheap plant, like it buy and then think about practicalities later lol. Not always a good idea. I never thought about a theme or even a colour scheme I must admit, that's good advice. I too am frightened by gardening especially as a newbie on a tight budget. I feel such a failure if I kill something but I suppose that's how we all learn. So Thank you very. Take Care Natalie 😀 xx

This is really good advice ...thank you 🥰

Great advice!!!!

I bought second hand roof tiles and use it for edging. Works great and blend in.

Best garden channel for sound design advice I have found, other than the one I use for plants to use in my USA zone.

Good advice, thank you. I have a whole garden to do!

Thank you great information

You are wonderful💐

Very good

Liked this very much. 🏡

I’ve just discovered your lovely vlogs thank you, just my cup of tea! Very informative enjoyable and useful

If you have a shabby fence... rejoice! I have an old horse paddock that I look at from the house and my brother wanted to cover it up with a wood fence... but I love it! I do plan on growing around it, but I want some of it to show.

Such a brilliant gardening channel, you deserve many more subscribers!

Useful tip if you are not sure if your pots are frost free Protect by painting them with ship vanish works fine for me Repaint every two years

Hello Alexander, such a lot of information re our gardens in such a shot clip. It is amazing the tips and upliftment I got listening to your chat. I agree, cut back those unwanted trees, it is better than to remove them. I have a Pom-Pom tree, it's a tree for the medium sized garden, BUT those lovely pink ball flowers spread seeds everywhere, You have to either allow them to grow a bit and then ask if people would like the saplings. I decided last night to cut back the branches of this tree so that that more sunlight can reach the conifer, and you confirmed the cutting back so I am safe to do so. I would like to shape something into a ball or triangle shape, but do not have the never surety to trim, I think a professional or another garden fanatic will do the trick for me. Your chats are always so encouraging giving me hope to just carry on it will all come together sooner than later. Have a wonderful day, even though the N Hemisphere could be bracing themselves for the winter whereas we are doing so for December. But it is lovely whether N or S of the equator, make the best of things and prepare accordingly.

Very good channel - Thanks for the tips

Good ideas

Great tips for everyone. dikit na tayo

So coool

Thank you for such an informative and interesting video ...do you have any on creating garden rooms ? 😊

I just learnt to make banana peel water: 1 whole banana peel in a 3 cup - jar (~7 dl) Fill all the way up with water. Lid on, leave for 3 days. Use the water for orchids, calandivas, honeysuckle, pelargoniums.. It is like dynamite :). My problem is that I don't have enough peels to make a whole bucket. Put the used peel in the compost. It's nice to have at home what you need.