Simple ways to save money while you garden
Your strawberry plants might look perfectly healthy heading into fall, but one harsh winter could undo months of gardening work. Unlike many perennial plants, strawberries have shallow roots and crowns that sit close to the soil surface, making them vulnerable to freezing temperatures and repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Without proper protection, those productive plants could struggle…
Every fall, the same frustrating scene plays out in neighborhoods across America. Your neighbor has a beautiful, towering oak tree, but somehow you’re the one spending every weekend raking up its leaves. You didn’t plant the tree, you don’t own it, and you certainly didn’t volunteer to become its personal cleanup crew. So, can you…
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,…
Before you cut every dead flower stalk down to the ground this fall, consider what’s hiding inside those dried stems. Some of the plants you were planning to throw away could become valuable nesting sites for native bees, including species that help pollinate your flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees. Many gardeners focus on planting flowers…
What if the best thing you could do for your garden this fall was actually less work? While many homeowners spend hours raking leaves, cutting back flowers, and hauling away plant debris, wildlife experts say some of those familiar cleanup habits could be doing more harm than good. Your garden may look like it’s shutting…
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…