Simple ways to save money while you garden
That weekend landscaping project might seem like an easy way to save a few hundred dollars, especially when online tutorials make everything look simple. A few bags of gravel, some inexpensive edging, or a rented trencher can transform a backyard without hiring a professional. But what happens when that budget-friendly improvement leads to a flooded…
Your neighbor has extra topsoil from a landscaping project, and they’re offering it to you for free. It sounds like a great deal, especially when buying several bags of garden soil can quickly add up. But what if that free dirt brings invasive worms, stubborn weeds, or plant diseases into a garden you’ve spent years…
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…
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…
That pile of dead leaves and dried flower stems might look like a weekend cleanup project, but it could also be home to hundreds of tiny creatures helping keep your garden healthy. Before you reach for the rake, leaf blower, or pruning shears, it’s worth understanding what you might accidentally be throwing away. Many beneficial…
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…