Top tips for saving money in the backyard

Maintaining a backyard can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it can also be expensive, especially if you have a pool. Here are some helpful tips to help you save money on maintaining your backyard.

Before you design your garden

1. Plan your garden: Before you start planting, make a plan for your garden. This will help you decide which plants you need and how much space they will take up.
   
   Some plants may have invasive root systems which can damage pipes, while others might ‘take over’ leaving you with an expensive removal cost. Anyone who has removed a big Bougainvillea will know what we’re talking about!
   
   
2. Use native plants: Native plants are well-adapted to your local climate and soil conditions. They require less maintenance, water and fertiliser than non-native plants, which will save you buckets of money in the long run.
   
   

Maintaining your garden

1. Mulch your garden: Mulching your garden is a great way to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil quality. You can use organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, or compost (made from your own food scraps).
   
   
2. Irrigate efficiently: Proper irrigation is important for the health of your plants, but overwatering can waste water and money.
   
   Consider using a watering system that is designed to conserve water and above all else choose one which is best suited to your garden’s conditions. For example, mist sprayers won’t be as effective as drip irrigation in a high wind area.

Saving water

1. Use drought-resistant plants: Drought-resistant plants require less water than other plants. This can reduce your water usage and lower your water bill. And guess what? They look great too. Think of planting ‘leathery’ type plants such as Agaves (picture above) and succulents.
   
   
2. Water plants in the morning or evening: Watering your plants during the heat of the day can cause significant evaporation, so it’s best to water them in the morning or evening when the air is cooler.
   
   
3. Repair leaks promptly: Leaks in your irrigation system or hose can waste a lot of water. Fixing leaks promptly can help you conserve water and save money.
   
   
4. Applying a pool blanket during the heat of the day reduces the amount of water evaporation and the need to replenish your pool as often. 
   
   

Saving electricity 

Having a pool can be a great way to cool off and have fun, but it can also be a significant source of energy consumption. Here are some tips to help you save electricity and reduce your pool’s energy costs.

1. Use a pool cover: A pool cover can reduce evaporation and keep your pool warm, which means you won’t have to use as much energy to heat it. Check out our recent blog on when are the best times to use a pool cover for more tips.
   
   
2. Use a pool cleaner that runs off the skimmer box. Kreepy Kraulys do not require an additional power supply.
   
   Simply connect up to your skimmer box and go. By contrast, a robot pool cleaner runs off the mains power supply which means you’re not only paying to run your pool pump, but your robot cleaner too.
   
   Plus, you save your own energy not needing to lift it out of the pool to clean. See how a Kreepy Krauly stacks up against a robot pool cleaner here.
   
   
3. Go solar: Electric pool pumps run off the mains power supply and can use a lot of electricity. Running a pool heating system with the aid of solar will significantly reduce your heating costs.
   
   As technology improves and solar panels become more ubiquitous, their cost is also dropping making them a highly attractive option.
   
   Just remember to time your energy consumption during the day when you can get the most out of your system.
   
   

Grow your own produce

1. Fresh herbs: Save money on buying expensive herbs from the shops by growing your own. This way you’ll always have fresh ingredients for your cooking. They are also a great way for your kids to get started with gardening and learn more about plants. What price can you put on that?!
   
   There’s so many things you can do to make your backyard easier and cheaper to maintain, and by applying some of these tips, you’ll not only save money but you’ll also gain a healthier, more beautiful backyard in the process. See you out there!!