Landscaping: Your Green Thumb vs. the “Green” in Your Wallet
Whether your landscaping goals include being the best-looking house on the block or simply not being the worst looking house on the block, we bet the smell of fresh rain, Easter, and the first signs of green probably have you thinking about landscaping. But what a letdown it is once you start adding up the costs of new annuals, re-mulching, fertilizing, and all that time spent mowing and weeding - landscaping gets pretty costly! Here are a few spring gardening tips to help you keep the “green” in your wallet while pleasing your green thumb.
Research Native Plants
One of the most hip spring gardening tips these days is to use native plants. But don’t be put-off by the craze. This environmentally-friendly practice can legit save you cash and time. Learning about native gardening is actually pretty easy. Amazon and Barnes and Noble have tons of books on how to choose plants that are native to your specific area.
Using plants that are native to your area means you’ll have landscaping that needs less water and less fertilizer and you’ll spend less money having to replace plants that don’t last. Win-win-win!
Look for Splits
On the off-chance that one of your neighbors has better landscaping than you, get neighborly! Any perennials she has will eventually need to be split or they will over grow her garden. Offer to trade her a gift card to Plow & Hearth or Bed Bath and Beyond in exchange for some splits. You’ll know you’re getting plants that are hardy in your area, and you’ll get them at a huge discount.
Buy at the Right Place
Another great way to make use of your neighbors is by finding out where they’ve gotten landscaping that grew well in the past. Your small local shop might not actually have flowers that perform any better than what you can find at Lowe’s where you can get discounts and coupons.
Consider Mulch Alternatives
We doubt your favorite part of landscaping is mulching. Transporting, lifting, spreading…and all on top of the ridiculous yearly price! A great alternative is rubber mulch. You get the same look as mulch but you don’t have to replace it all the time. Plus, Overstock has it for cheap!
Mix Perennials and Annuals
Your perennials save you money and time because they don’t need replaced, but they aren’t as colorful and they can get too tall. By putting perennials behind the shorter, more colorful annuals, you get a full look without all the work and money of filling with annuals.
Choose plants carefully and make friends with your neighbors, and before summer gets here, you’ll already have saved hundreds of dollars on having easy-to-maintain landscaping. Bonus: With the money you save by following these simple spring gardening tips, you can splurge for that outdoor fire pit. If your neighbor with the great landscaping isn’t too jealous of your yard now, you’ll be able to invite her over for s’mores this fall!