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Generally, the most costly items will in the long term, become the most maintenance-free; these are the hard landscape items such as paving and walling. Some ideas for obtaining materials more cheaply are:

• Find out whether costs for 'bulk buys' are cheaper than for a small amount of the same material. If so, consider sharing the material and cost between yourself and your friends. Allotment and horticultural clubs often have this arrangement.
• Look out for materials which can be recycled, eg bricks and paving slabs. However, although such materials may be cheap or even free, there may be the proviso that you have to collect them yourself. They may also need some work in cleaning before they are ready to use. You could put an advertisement in the local paper for second-hand materials, stating roughly the quantity you require.
• It is not necessary for all structures or surfaces to be in the same material. A patchwork of different but compatible materials can be attractive and less costly than using just one type. However, bear in mind that crazy paving needs to be laid with some care, to prevent an uneven surface which may require future maintenance.
• If you have to pay for any work, try to obtain at least three written quotes. Also try to speak to someone who has recently used the same service, to see whether the job was carried out satisfactorily and was worth the price charged. It may also be an idea to ask for the quotation to be split into various elements, if possible.
• Consider whether the work could be spread over a period of time. A patio area, for example, does not have to be completely paved at one time. Gaps can be left, filled with suitable plants (herbs perhaps), until more paving can be acquired. However, take care not to create an obstacle course - keep main access routes clear of gaps and plants.
• Look out for tips on inexpensive alternatives, such as using newspaper and grass cuttings as a mulch, rather than buying expensive bark.
• Share tools and equipment with neighbours and friends. Splitting the cost of hiring a specialist piece of equipment will be cheaper and more convenient if you want its use for only a limited time. However, powered machinery can be heavy, difficult to handle and in some instances not particularly well maintained. It may be worth paying a contractor to do the job for you (which you could perhaps make less costly by getting together with neighbours who require similar work - thus creating a larger task - for which the contractor may be willing to lower costs).
• Heating a greenhouse can be expensive. However, there has to be a balance between cost and the fact that heating makes the greenhouse a comfortable environment within which to work and enjoy a hobby. Rather than heating a glasshouse all winter, you could, with changes of technique and plant types, heat the greenhouse only during the start of the growing season, from March to May, ensuring that the temperature is prevented from falling below 45F (7C). Alternatively, a small, electrically heated propagator will use little current and will save the expense of heating the whole greenhouse. If you are thinking of buying a greenhouse, bear in mind that it is cheaper to heat a lean-to glasshouse of the same capacity as a free-standing greenhouse. If the lean-to faces south, the wall will absorb heat on sunny days, giving it out at night, thus reducing heating costs still further.

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