13 Garden Design Ideas for Under $1,000

With a $1,000 budget, consider hiring an expert to help you create a landscape plan to determine the garden design, key features, and which plants will work best with your climate, soil and color preferences. You can start to put that plan into action, such as adding plants, then refer to it as your budget increases. You can create a landscape plan on your own, with resources such as expert guides on HGTVGardens.com.

A glazed ceramic pot filled with annuals can be a wise and beautiful investment for your doorway. A decorative planter of this size and weight - it took three people to carry it onto the porch and position it with Pot Pads underneath for protection - can cost a few hundred dollars. A matching container on the other side of the door helped create a new focal point for the entryway.

Consider using your $1,000 budget to update beds with the best curb appeal. Spruce up the landscape beds in front of your home with plants, mulch, and large and small stones, suggests Bob Graves, owner of Carex Design Group in Knoxville, Tenn. When redoing a bed, also think about what plants have and have not worked for you in the past.

Insert low-voltage landscape lighting into a retaining wall, to make pathways more safe and to bring a glow to your outdoor space. It can be a DIY project, using a landscape lighting kit, or you can work with an expert, such as a landscape designer or lighting company.