How do you afford the practice of planting designs that feature large blocks of each species? I understand benefits but how do you make it affordable? ( I have poor outcomes when trying to establish via seed.)
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Here are few things you might try:
If you don't have luck with sowing seeds directly in the ground in the location where you'd like the plants to be, you could try starting seeds indoors to plant out later or try winter sowing. Check out this thread from the forum on that topic:
https://www.finegardening.com/forum/winter-sowing
You could also reach out to your local gardening community. Perhaps there are folks with perennials they need to divide and have some to share. Is there a Master Gardener's program in your area? They may be able to connect you with some local groups or swapping events.
Another thought is to purchase plants in the form of plugs. These will be much smaller to start out than what you might typically buy at a nursery, but they also cost much less.
Finally, a lot of nurseries and big box stores often have great sales at the end of the growing season because they want to clear out their inventory. I know right now it's the wrong time of year, but it's something to keep in mind for next fall.
Also, take a look at this article:
https://www.finegardening.com/article/an-affordable-way-to-buy-native-plants
One more:
https://www.finegardening.com/article/two-ways-to-add-mass-plantings-without-breaking-the-bank