A beautiful lawn and garden add value to your home and provide space for fun and relaxation for everyone in the family. It can also be very costly. Here are five tips to help you save money on lawn maintenance and new landscaping projects.
- Turn your kitchen waste into free plant food
Compost made from your own food scraps is not only a great way to recycle and adopt a sustainable habit, it is also virtually free and some of the best fertilizer you can produce for your lawn and garden. Take advantage of the class at Natural Gardener to learn more about how you can get started and receive a rebate.
2. Plant sturdy, weather resistant plants
Look for native and adaptive plants that are tolerant to our weather extremes of intense heat, long droughts and heavy rains. You can see some wonderful options for free during Lady Bird Day at the Wildflower Center.
3. Test your soil and use quality fertilizers
Before applying fertilizers or amending your soil analyze precisely what is needed so you do not waste money on the wrong product. When you know what type of fertilizer you need, look for quality. Big box fertilizers may look better based upon price, but higher quality and, especially, organic fertilizers far outperform them making an investment in quality ultimately a cost saving choice.
4. Maintain instead of replace
When it comes to your large investments, like fences, irrigation, patios and decks, keeping up with regular maintenance will always save you more money than waiting until the only option is replacement. Irrigation, especially, benefits from regular maintenance to keep the water flowing.
5. Do the work yourself
When you roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty, you save money. We love to help you with your landscaping projects, but we always encourage homeowners who wish to do work themselves. It is a great way to reduce the cost of a large project, by using professionals for the larger parts and completing details, like plant installation, yourself.
