Where to Get Garden and Landscape Materials for Free or Cheap
Giving your yard a fresh new look for spring or upgrading your garden to create the serene open space you’ve always dreamed of can get expensive quickly: plants, soil and other materials will pile up if you’re not careful. However, there are ways to get landscaping materials cheaply, and sometimes for free.
Take advantage of free wood chips and mulch
One way to cut your budget is to take advantage of wood chip distribution. To get free wood chips, there are sometimes local governments, tree care companies, and arborists who donate chips for free if they have branches or trees left to process. You can also sign up for free chips at getchipdrop.com . This is a free service that will alert local crews that you need chips, and they’ll keep them if they’re working nearby. This subscription also includes magazines, so if you’re interested in a huge crop, growing mushrooms, or starting a fire, this is also a good option for that.
Where to get compost for free
To get free compost, contact your local municipal, county, or state recycling program. Some places have public compost heaps that are either free or cheap for residents. However, this is its own scenario, so you need to prepare. Many cities and counties also offer free backyard compost bins to get you started if you want to make your own. This is a way to reduce waste and also get nutrient-rich soil for your garden. If you don’t have free options in your community, you can make your own compost bin from a large plastic container with a lid, such as a trash can, or a tub-shaped storage container. Simply drill some ventilation holes in it, place it in a dry place, and toss in raw food scraps, grass clippings, and yard waste. You will need to turn the compost once a week or every two weeks so that it decomposes evenly.
Where to get free seeds
To get seeds for your garden, contact your local community center, library, or university horticulture department. Many seed companies also offer free samples, but make sure they send you seeds from plants that will thrive in your local climate. In addition to community programs, seed exchanges are popular on social media and sometimes you can trade seeds with other people in your area to get a good selection of seeds to plant. Another way to get seeds for free is to save them from last year’s garden. As long as your plant produces viable seeds, you can get vegetables for years to come if you lay a few seeds each fall.
Where to get free and cheap track materials
To get materials for the walkways, you can contact local concrete demonstration companies for free pieces of concrete pavers. They can be installed as steps on a garden path over some landscaping fabric to keep weeds from growing. If you live near a gravel yard or quarry, you can often buy a fine gravel pickup truck for less than $10. Get creative with the materials for the track. Reclaimed bricks, stones, or even wooden boards from a broken pallet can be turned into paving materials.
Where to get free dirt
Many local governments also offer a free dirt giveaway program. While not suitable for gardening, it’s great for filling in a depression or improving gradation away from your structure. Another way to get free dirt is to befriend the local construction crew. If they are digging a basement or foundation, the dirt often has to be hauled off site for reuse. They may just give you some dirt if you can carry it off yourself. Always follow free social media groups for dirt deals. Most of the time, people will offer a free garden or fill in the dirt rather than messing around with it on their own.