Spring is just around the corner. You’ll find several of our articles start out with that sentence, but it’s only because it can not get here fast enough.
So, while you’re waiting, planning, or simply shoveling the driveway – here is a list of beautiful Spring Flowers that are popular, and perfect for that first break in the weather.
Agapanthus
Amaryllis
Anemone
Birds of Paradise
Cherry blossom
Dahlia
Freesia
Heather
Hyacinth
Orchids
Peony
Sweet pea
Tulip
Zinnia
Up until a few years ago, I remember going out to my flower bed every year after a long New York winter had passed to find that the flower bed almost always needed a complete over haul. Meaning, that during the course of late Summer/Early Fall and the Winter, the look, texture, and resilience of the bed had fallen flat. Actually, more like, packed flat from all the snow and ice.
After rearranging or replacing dead plants and flower, the last thing we always had to do was go out and get more mulch for the bed. I noticed year after year, that within a month, the mulch had faded, been blown away, or had weeds growing up through the black canvas underneath and through the mulch. Or the weeds us the mulch as soil and grew in it.
We finally decided, that we were going to give stone a try.
Using stone, for us, has saved us a lot of time, money, and energy.
While stone is a little more expensive on the front end – depending on how much and how often you had to replenish your mulch, it should pay for itself within the first two or three years. For us, if I remember correctly, the cost of mulch vs. using stone was not that much different. Ordering it by the yard, ended up giving us a lot more than we needed, so we used the rest in areas that we had always planned on doing.
Advantages of Stones:
Only have to be placed once
Won’t blow away
Can be easily maintained, transferred
Multiple colors, shapes, and sizes
Advantages of Mulch:
Cheap
Biodegradable
Easy to transport
Below are two fun videos to help you with planting seeds.
Vegetable Garden How to start your vegetable seeds / plants indoors to beat the weather and save money.
Vegetable Garden How to start your vegetable seeds / plants indoors to beat the weather and save money.
Well the snow is melting for those who get it and temperatures are starting to warm up! About time to start planning the seasons growing ideas.
In this economy it is no doubt that everyone is looking for ways to save cash, and gardening is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to make
your dollar go further. Tomatoes, Potatoes, Cabbage, Corn, Lettuce, Green Beans, Squash, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Bell peppers and the list goes on
and on; limited only by ones imagination.
Did you know a lot of Plant shops and Gardening Centers are selling more seeds now than they have in the past few years combined. Some stores
can’t even keep vegetable seeds in stock. Seeds last for years so if you need to buy those extra few packages of strawberries or pinto’s then by all
means do so.
The price of produce rises and falls with the economic situation. When gas rises the cost of produce rises, the cost of canned produce rises. So it
is only smart that one plan to grow a garden and watch mother nature do it’s thing. A pack of Silver queen Corn can grow in a couple of months
while feeding your family through the winter. Savings for that alone could save one a hundred plus dollars. Add the other vegetables one grows
during the growing seasons and you could save hundreds of dollars per year.
Yes gardening takes a little more work than driving to your local grocer, but the taste and cost savings will be well worth it. If you have never
planted your own Garden, or have but just haven’t done so in the past few years with the economy the way it is now there is no better time to get
back into it and with the savings take that vacation or buy that new dress you have been wanting.
Who knew there would be so many rewards to Gardening, saving money and stress relieving!
