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Simple ways to save money while you garden

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mulching

Why Mulching Too Early Can Damage Perennials

October 8, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Mulching too early can damage perennials.

You finally feel it—the first warm weekend after a long, gray winter. The birds are singing, your gloves are on, and you’re ready to mulch like a pro. You grab that fresh, earthy-smelling pile of mulch and start spreading it around your flower beds, feeling productive and proud. But hold on—before you cover your perennials…

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Filed Under: garden tips Tagged With: flowering, flowers, frugal mulching, garden tips, harmful mulch, healthy soil, moisture, mulch, mulching, organic mulch, Perennials, plant damage, plant tips, planting, plants, roots, soil, soil alternatives

12 Garden Chores You Can’t Skip in November

October 8, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Some garden chores you can't skip in November.

Ah, November—the month when pumpkin spice takes over, sweaters make a comeback, and your garden starts whispering, “Don’t forget about me.” While the chill in the air tempts you to trade your gardening gloves for a hot mug of cocoa, your outdoor space still needs some love before winter fully settles in. Neglect it now,…

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Filed Under: garden tips Tagged With: Affordable garden materials, backyard garden, backyard gardens, beginner gardeners, Beginner gardening guide, best plants, gardens, healthy soil, hoses, mulch, mulch laying, mulching, november, plant bulbs, prune, rake, soil, sprinklers, winter, Winter Garden

9 Garden Tools You’ll Use More in Fall Than Summer

October 7, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

You use some garden tools more in the fall than the summer.

Summer might get all the gardening glory—lush lawns, bright blooms, and hours spent basking in the sun—but real gardeners know that fall is where the magic happens. Once the temperature drops and the air gets crisp, your yard transforms into a whole new kind of project zone. From prepping the soil for next year to…

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Filed Under: garden tools Tagged With: Affordable Gardening, cheap garden tools, Cheap Gardening Tools, cheap tools, free mulch, garden tips, garden tools, gardening, leaf, leaf blower, mulch, mulching, pruning, rake, raking

11 Trees With Leaves Worth Collecting for Mulch

October 3, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Some trees with leaves are worth collecting for mulch.

There’s something magical about fall—the crisp air, the pumpkin spice, and the avalanche of leaves carpeting your yard. Most people see those leaves as a weekend chore, but savvy gardeners know they’re sitting on a goldmine. Fallen leaves, when used as mulch, can enrich your soil, lock in moisture, and reduce weeds without costing you…

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Filed Under: trees Tagged With: apple trees, ash trees, autumn gardening tips, benefits of mulching, birch trees, chestnuts trees, elm trees, free mulch, garden mulch, gardening, gardening tips, leaves, linden trees, maple trees, mulch, mulch laying, mulching, oak trees, organic mulch, overgrown trees, poplar trees, sycamore trees, tree, trees

How to Grow a Garden That Survives Neglect

September 30, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

You can grow a garden that survives neglect.

You love the idea of a garden. The smell of fresh herbs, the pop of colors from flowers, maybe even the satisfaction of biting into a tomato you grew yourself. But then reality hits: life gets busy, watering cans get dusty, and suddenly your “green oasis” looks more like a desert wasteland. Don’t worry—neglect doesn’t…

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Filed Under: garden tips Tagged With: Affordable garden tips, fall planting, frugal garden tips, Garden, garden neglect, garden tips, gardening, mulch, mulch laying, mulching, neglect, organic mulch, planting, Planting Ideas, plants, water, Water Usage, watering

The Mulch Trick That Saves Water and Fights Weeds

September 24, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

There is a mulch trick that saves water and fights weeds.

Gardens everywhere have a not-so-secret hero that works harder than most people realize. It’s not fancy fertilizer, it’s not high-tech irrigation, and it’s definitely not some rare seed that costs a fortune. The trick is mulch, and it’s one of the simplest ways to transform a struggling garden into a thriving one. Mulch isn’t just…

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Filed Under: weeds Tagged With: garden mulch, mulch, mulch laying, mulching, organic mulch, save water, water, water retention, Water Usage, watering, watering plants, weeding, weeds, where to get free mulch

7 Places Where You Can Get Free Mulch

July 5, 2021 by Steph Coelho Leave a Comment

get free mulch

  Mulch is one of the most useful tools for gardeners. It’s especially helpful at a time when the weather is unpredictable. We’ve begun to see the drastic effects of climate change in earnest, namely hotter summers. And while many garden plants love warm weather, there’s a point where the heat becomes unbearable—even for heat-loving…

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Filed Under: frugality, garden tools Tagged With: free mulch, how to get free mulch, mulch, mulching, where to get free mulch

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Vegetables worth growing to save money

We Compared Grocery Store Prices With Seed Costs — These 7 Crops Look Like Better Deals

A packet of seeds can cost less than a single trip through the grocery store’s produce aisle, but does growing your own food actually save money? The answer depends on what you’re planting, how much you harvest, and whether you’re comparing your garden against everyday grocery prices or weekly sales. Some vegetables are so inexpensive…

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Cheap backyard projects

5 Backyard Projects That Look Cheap Until the Repair Bills Arrive

That $150 backyard makeover might seem like a brilliant way to improve your outdoor space without spending thousands of dollars. A few bags of gravel, some inexpensive landscape edging, or a small DIY water feature can completely change how your yard looks. But what happens when that budget-friendly improvement starts causing drainage problems, damaging nearby…

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Tree planting mistakes

That $20 Tree From the Garden Center Could Become a $2,000 Problem

A $20 tree at the garden center might seem like one of the best landscaping bargains you’ll ever find. It’s small, healthy-looking, and promises years of shade, privacy, or beautiful seasonal color. But that inexpensive purchase could eventually lead to thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses if you plant the wrong tree in the wrong…

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Fresh manure in garden beds

Why Fresh Manure Should Not Go Straight Into Fall Beds

A neighbor offers you a truckload of free manure just as you’re cleaning out your garden for fall. It sounds like the perfect opportunity to improve your soil without spending money on expensive fertilizers or bagged compost. After all, manure has been used to enrich gardens for generations, so what could possibly go wrong? Quite…

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