Simple ways to save money while you garden
That $20 tree sitting outside the garden center might look like the perfect bargain for your yard. It’s small enough to fit in your trunk, promises beautiful shade, and seems like an inexpensive way to improve your landscaping. But plant it in the wrong spot, and that innocent-looking sapling could eventually contribute to cracked pavement,…
That strawberry patch that produced baskets of sweet berries all summer could be in trouble when freezing weather arrives. While strawberry plants are surprisingly cold-hardy, their shallow roots and vulnerable crowns can suffer serious damage during harsh winter conditions. Even worse, some of the most common gardening mistakes, including applying mulch too early, can actually…
Imagine spending $150 at your local garden center on colorful flowers, carefully planting them along your front walkway, and receiving a letter from your homeowners association demanding that you remove them. You own the house, you pay the mortgage, and the flowers are growing on your property. How can someone else possibly have the authority…
Before you grab your pruning shears and start cutting down every faded flower in your garden, there’s something worth considering: those dried, brown seed heads could be providing free meals for hungry birds all winter long. Fall garden cleanup is practically a tradition for many homeowners, but removing every spent flower can eliminate an important…
That pile of dead leaves, dried flowers, and broken twigs might look like something you should haul to the curb before winter. But what if cleaning up every last piece of garden debris actually makes your yard less healthy? Many gardeners spend hours clearing flower beds each fall, believing that a spotless landscape will give…
Those beautiful zinnias that filled your garden with color all summer could provide next year’s flowers for free. But if you’re planning to save their seeds, there’s one mistake that could ruin your chances: waiting until a hard frost damages the flowers before collecting them. Zinnias are among the easiest annual flowers to grow from…
Before you pull those fading marigolds out of your garden this fall, take a closer look at their dried flower heads. Hidden inside those shriveled blooms could be dozens of seeds capable of producing another colorful display next spring, without spending another dollar at the garden center. Marigolds are among the easiest annual flowers for…
What if some of the flowers you planted this year could come back next spring without spending another dollar at the garden center? While most gardeners treat annual flowers as one-season investments, certain varieties have a surprising ability to return year after year. The secret is allowing them to complete their natural life cycle instead…
Those scraggly petunias, stretched-out marigolds, and tired zinnias might not look like much by the end of fall. After months of flowering, many annuals become woody, overgrown, or covered in dying leaves, making them tempting candidates for the trash. But before you pull everything out and toss it away, there’s a better way to handle…