SAVE MONEY: Start the new year as you mean to go on (Image: Sorrasak Jar Tinyo/Getty)
We all want to tighten the purse strings after Christmas and Hannah Stephenson has discovered how to keep gardening costs down – not just in January, but all year round. The 12 monthly tips are from thrifty gardener, Anya Lautenbach, author of The Money-Saving Garden Year.
January
“Nobody thinks about gardening in January, and after Christmas many people have lots of stuff they want to clear out,” says Anya, who shares her advice with 1.5 million Instagram followers as the Garden Fairy. She suggests seeing what’s being offered on Facebook Marketplace or posting requests for things you need.
“Now is the time for money-saving gardeners to ask for pre-owned pots, quality tools and garden furniture on social media. I’ve bought some amazing things in January, when you don’t have to compete with an army of money-saving gardeners, which usually happens around April,” she adds.
READ MOREFebruary
“This month is all about pruning. I keep all my prunings and turn them into the most beautiful plant supports. Whole branches can be used as plant supports. Beech branches, for instance, are very ornamental and can be used for supporting spring flowers like hyacinths in pots. They only need to be about seven inches long.”
March
“March is great time for creating herbs for free. If you buy a packet of herbs from a supermarket, those tiny little branches can be put in a bit of water to create more herbs for free,” says Anya.
“Rosemary, oregano and basil can all be rooted this way. It’s also a month for sowing seed and taking cuttings. I take basal cuttings of lupins, which will flower the same year.”
SUPERMARKET HERBS: Rosemary stems can be rooted in water then potted on (Image: Alamy/PA)April
Look out for seedlings from self-seeded plants in your garden – take a picture and get your phone to identify it, then see if you can do something with it. “I didn’t know that hellebores, which are very expensive, self seed,” says Anya.
“Years ago I was working in the garden and realised what they were. I found free hellebores and from that time I’ve never spent any money on them.” She lifts the seedlings in autumn, pots them in peat-free compost and relocates them the following year.
WHAT IS IT? Your phone can help identify unknown plants (Image: Alamy/PA)May
“This month is all about propagation because days can be cool and there’s humidity in the air. Take softwood cuttings – the stem of the plant that is soft – hydrangeas are particularly good for this,” says Anya.
Sowing seeds in May is an economical alternative to purchasing fully grown plants. “Divide plants which have flowered earlier in the year like primulas and pulmonarias, or buy them from garden centres in the sale, when they are looking hopeless, because they will come back,” she says.
June
“For me, June is more about using what my garden has produced so far, like using dried allium heads for decoration or making a lavender wreath instead of spending money on stuff,” says Anya. You can also cut roses and other flowers in bloom in your garden rather than spending money in the florist’s.
July
Collecting seeds from plants such as foxgloves from July and through the summer, will save money on buying seeds and larger plants, says Anya. It’s also a good time to pick nettles and comfrey to steep in a bucket of water to make your own fertiliser and save pounds on shop-bought ones.
August
“This is great time to go to garden centres and pick up bargains in the sales,” says Anya. “Sometimes you can pick up a nice tree or mature shrub for a reduced cost. You can also go for perennials which have flowered. Don’t be discouraged by the look of the plant because if you look after it, it will be fine next year.”
September
“Take cuttings of tender plants such as pelargoniums, nemesias and pinks, Salvia ‘Amistad’, and overwinter them on your windowsill. Then when everyone’s buying new plants next year, you will have yours for free,” says Anya. She adds that September is also a good month for dividing plants such as hostas, coneflowers, rudbeckia and peonies.
LOCAL BARGAINS: Many people advertise cuttings, seedlings and garden furniture on Facebook Marketplace (Image: Alamy/PA)October
Apply a layer of grass clippings or leaves as mulch across your beds and borders to cut costs on store-bought alternatives, whilst keeping weeds at bay and retaining moisture, says Anya. “Be careful, though, if you use (shop-bought) fertilisers on your grass because they often contain weedkillers which could damage your plants,” she warns.
November
“This is a great time for buying reduced-price bulbs,” says Anya. “Garden centres will have all their Christmas stock and you can pick up some amazing bulbs like daffodils and tulips for next to nothing. And it’s not too late to plant your spring bulbs in November.”
December
Anya has two top tips for December: buy bare-root trees, shrubs and hedging plants, as they’re considerably cheaper than potted alternatives, and don’t ditch your festive flowers. Once your amaryllis blooms have faded, the bulb can be saved and replanted for next year.
And forced hyacinths can be transplanted into the garden once they’ve finished flowering. While they may not return quite as vigorously, they should still reappear in years to come, she adds.
Gardening books 🌿🌸🍅
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Save 21% on The Money-Saving Gardener by Anya Lautenbach, now £13.45 on Amazon. Tips and tricks to keeping costs down without compromising on style or impact. The RHS: The Garden Almanac 2026, illustrated by Annie Soudain, costs £14.99 at Waterstones. Monthly seasonal ideas, projects and advice plus budget-friendly strategies. Save 20% on The Preserver’s Garden by Staci and Jeremy Hill, now £17.57 on Amazon. Learn about pickling, fermenting, freeze-drying, salting and canning your home-grown produce. Save 20% on A Wildflower Year by Frances Tophill, now £15.25 at Hive. The Gardeners’ World presenter looks at 60 beautiful wildflowers over a year, explaining their unique features and habitat, plus what else you might find nearby.
Prices correct at the time of publication.
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