Gardening doesn't need to be an expensive hobby and if you are prepared to shop around you can save yourself a small fortune. We've asked around and come up with our Top Five ways to save money in the garden.

Number 5: Try the High Street

You don't need to go to the garden centre to get what you need for the garden. You can pick up a great bargain in shops like Wilkinsons or budget supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi. There is even a gardening section in Poundland. While you may 'get what you pay for' in terms of items such as secateurs and tools, items such as pots and branded plant food are the same as you would find in a garden centre. Lidl and Aldi also do seasonal gardening offers and promotions in the spring where there is a huge amount of choice at very affordable prices.

Number 4: Ebay and Amazon

You can find pretty much everything on ebay and Amazon and they can be a good way to save a lot of money on big-ticket items such as furniture or a new greenhouse. However, be aware that they might not be the cheapest for smaller items. We discovered that a 1 litre bottle of Tomorite was 50% more on ebay compared to a local garden centre.

Number 3: Discount Codes

If you know which retailer you want to buy your item from, then it is always worth looking for a discount code. Sometimes also called promotional codes, this is the code that you enter just before you pay on a website. Simply go to Google and type the name of the retailer followed by discount code. For example: 'B&Q Discount Code'. While you might not get something every time, it's worth a go.

Number 2: Wait for the sale

This is an oldie but a goodie. If you wait for a sale you can save a fortune, especially on larger items. The best time to buy something like a BBQ is at the start of September. They are large items that retailers want to clear because they need the floor space ready for Christmas. It works out more cost effective to sell it at a large discount than to try and store it for 6 months and try and sell it alongside the new models in the Spring. If you can store it in a garage or a shed over winter you can enjoy a brand new BBQ at a lot less than you would have otherwise paid.

Number 1: Look for gardening offers

Gardening offers are a great way to save money in the garden. They take place throughout most of the year and most retailers run a promotion of some sort. There are big discounts to be had on sites like Amazon as well as smaller suppliers like Kings Seeds or Suttons. You can also find them in places that you would not necessarily think to look. Waitrose (the supermarket) frequently run gardening offers as do Wickes (the DIY store).

We hope we have given you a few ideas to save money in your garden - it really is just all about searching for the best deal. Although, if that sounds like a lot of effort, then check out our most recent gardening offers.