How Much Does It Cost To Start A Balcony Or Courtyard Garden?
Pots, seed trays filled with potting mix, and a large white waterproof table that can just be hosed off make up part of my courtyard garden!
Since the pandemic I’ve become someone who wants a return on investment for everything I do or I’m probably not going to do it (work, socialising, getting out of bed), so it kills me to remember how much time, energy and money I wasted on learning how to grow veggies in the beginning. And by wasted time, I unfortunately mean years, not hours. And by money…I don’t want to think about it.
But having gone through the learning process of gardening to arrive at a place where I have a very clear idea of how much time and money it costs, I believe that growing veggies and flowers is a great return on investment. Starting up a new courtyard or balcony garden is not cheap, but it’s not expensive either - especially when you plot it against what you usually buy from the supermarket over time. So how much does it cost?
Last year I moved from my house with a large garden to a place with only a courtyard and balcony so I have become very acquainted with costs relating to a balcony garden. I grow my own seedlings in seed trays and then grow them in raised garden beds. For me with 5 planters ($150) filled with soil ($70) and seeds and seed trays ($30) my garden starting cost was in the $250-$300 region. There are much cheaper ways to start (use a few pots) and much more expensive versions too. I go through some of the numbers from my recent experience below.
Some of the steps and materials I used along the way to start my balcony garden in Brisbane (above) including the seed trays, potting mix, seedlings I grew and the final basil and lettuce I ate a lot of!
How Much Does It Cost To Start A Balcony Garden | Some Numbers
1 bag of potting mix = $10 (fills 6 seed trays, fills 8 small black pots, almost fills a planter box)
1 black planter box/raised garden bed = $30 (fits up to 8 seedlings)
1 seed packet = $5 (includes up to 50 seeds, which is 50 whole plants)
1 seed tray = $3 (plants 30 seedlings, which is 30 whole plants)
Is It Worth Planting Your Own Veggies? | ROI on Homegrown Lettuce + Basil
I grew a lot of basil and lettuce in my raised garden bed this year (see above) so I thought I would do a quick comparison on the garden set up cost versus the savings I made on veggies by growing my own, across a year.
In Season 1: I grew about 10 lettuce (cost would be $20 in supermarket) and 10 basil (costs would be $40 in supermarket) = $60 compared to the cost of setting up my garden $250. $250-$60 = $190 difference
In Season 2: I grew about 10 more lettuce (cost would be $20 in supermarket) and 10 more basil (costs would be $40 in supermarket) = $60 compared to the cost of setting up my garden $250. $250 - $120 = $130 difference
In Season 3: I grew about 10 more lettuce (cost would be $20 in supermarket) and 10 more basil (costs would be $40 in supermarket) = $60 compared to the cost of setting up my garden $250. $250 - $180 = $70 difference
In Season 4: I grew about 10 more lettuce (cost would be $20 in supermarket) and 10 more basil (costs would be $40 in supermarket) = $60 compared to the cost of setting up my garden $250. $250 - $240 = $10 difference
If this feels like an annoying high school maths problem, just know that the moral of the story is that the more seasons you use your garden, the more the cost becomes nothing… and after a year it starts to be an asset!
Holding up my homegrown lettuce on my balcony garden in Brisbane
Looking for more information? Check out my 2023 Brisbane Planting Calendar or My Veggie Garden Story In Brisbane.