How To Save $$ on Patio Planters!

Yikes!  

Have you SEEN the cost of already planted patio planters at the nursery or Farmer's Market?

There are at least eight big patio planters here that need plants!

Even at $25 a pop....that would be a budget breaker for me!

Here is my lower cost solution for big good looking planters!

I use perennials for accent plants.

Yup....

all those plants that need dividing in the big gardens find a temporary home in the planters!

Instead of a $5 accent spike.....a Day Lily can do the trick.

Instead of an expensive trailing plant....Sedum fills the bill.

Two Geraniums....a deal at Home depot for $1.49 each...

A couple of Dusty Miller plants from a six pack that cost $3.33...

A little ceramic bird and some Spanish Moss...

Total Cost:  Less than FIVE DOLLARS!

The area under the front window is a work in progress.

After the landscaping project we did last summer....

we are trying to decide what to plant there.

In the meantime....we plopped down this old bench and a couple of planters.

These planters got a similar "found" plants as fill.

There is a great big patch of Zebra Grass in the garden.....this makes a great "SPIKE" for NO COST!

Grand total cost for all the planters in the front of the house!

$20.00

YIPPEE...

Now...I know that they aren't as "fancy" as the already planted ones....but I can live with that for a savings of at least $80!

Now let's head to the back yard fire pit!

The stone wall has four big planters.

The cost for these is the $7 each for the Purple Fountain Grass.

The fill plants are Sedum.

The Birch logs/pillars are some that are used over and over again.

Mr. S giggles (well not really....if you know Mr S., he is really not a giggler...) But he DID laugh when he saw that the nursery charges four dollars each for birch accents.

I may find some annuals on sale and add them later....but for now these will do!

The accent plant for this little Carnation is a $2 Lemon Grass plant from the Farmer's Market...

This photo shows how nice the Zebra Grass does as an accent.

I did buy some Asparagus Fern and another trailing plant that I can't remember the name of!

So this is my most SPENDY planter!


But the copper wash tub planting was TOTALLY FREE!

This has Ornamental Onion, Bee Balm, and Campanula along with a tiny bit of Artemisia.

I planted this long before it was safe to plant annuals....so it has had green color for at least a month!

When you head to the Garden Store or Farmer's Market this weekend.....walk right on past those expensive accent plants.
Spend your money on the flowers and then head to your own garden to scavenge up some freebies!

Have a Great Day!

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