In the last two years I have been given the luxury of working at my boyfriend nursery. While I help him run the everyday functions of the business the most rewarding duty I am given is helping people with all their landscape questions, and the question I receive at least once a day (once a day is very conservative) is "I am on a budget, what can I do to keep costs down and looking nice?" I am asked this question so often I can't help but think there are so many others out there wondering the same thing! I am here to share 5 tips that all people can benefit from, giving my personal incite on how these tips have helped my customers and myself. Tip 1. Young ShrubsJust this morning I was helping a young couple who recently got married and bought a house in the last year. The first thing the wife said to me is " this is all new to me but we are on a budget as we just bought this house and got married." They also shared with me that they had called around to a few different landscape companies and those large companies wanted to charge a good bit of money just to plan their new landscape, and that was before the installation and plant purchase. To help this couple get that professional look they were looking for, my first tip was start small. What I mean by that is choose shrubs that are young. Most shrubs do not grow at the same rate as a puppy therefore the larger the plant the more money it costs. By choosing younger shrubs when redoing the landscape it helps keep costs down when purchasing beautiful nice shrubbery. For example when looking at boxwood, they are slow growing so by buying a boxwood that is 15-18 inches verses a boxwood that is 24-30 inches you can keep cost down and still get a beautiful boxwood. Boxwood are also a lovely choice as they stay green all year round, therefore your house will always have a beautiful landscape. Tip 2. PerennialsOne of my favorite suggestions I give to people who are looking to add some color to their yards is suggesting that they purchase Perennials. Perennials are plants that die off in the winter and come back every year. These great plants are low maintenance and add a pop of color to your garden every year. Another wonderful advantage to perennials are that they can also be split, which means you can dig them up and split them up and replant them getting multiple plants out of one purchase. While splitting is a little more advanced there is plenty of YouTube videos out there to help you in your ventures of splitting your perennials. At my local garden center 2 gallon perennials are around 15 dollars making it a great investment as you will have that pop of color in your garden every year that cost you 15 dollars one time. Perennials are truly a cost effective solution to adding color to your garden every year without breaking the bank. Tip 3. Container GardensEvery time you buy coffee or tomato sauce save the can wash it thoroughly and it is ready to use. Keep it by a window or on a patio so it can still receive sunlight and thrive all year long. Where the nursery I work at is located there is a ton of Urban communities therefore many of my customers don't have much yards if they have any at all. One wonderful tip I love suggesting to the customers who live in these settings and want a vegetable and herb garden is creating a container garden. A container garden is exactly what it sounds, it is when you plant different plants (often times succulents and herbs) in recycled tin cans. What I tell my customers to do is instead of buy those expensive planters that break, or buy those throw away plastic pots is to save all of the cans you purchase when buying coffee and tomato sauce. Every time you buy coffee or tomato sauce save the can wash it thoroughly and it is ready to use. I keep my herbs in cans right on my kitchen windowsill and those herbs thrive all year long. Tip 4. All about the WaterOne thing that is often not thought about but can end up costing you a whole lot is the water involved in gardening. The cost of water in many towns is rather pricey but the only way your gardens can thrive is if it is given water, especially in those hot summer months. One way I save on water is by putting a watering can under my sink. Every time I find a half drank water bottle around my house or I boil water for hard boiled eggs, I dump the water into my watering can. Once that can is full I can use it to water my vegetable garden or container garden and keep down on my water usage. Tip 5. Local Garden CentersThe last but most important tip that I cannot stress enough is to keeping your gardening adventures cost effective by shopping local. Many times people think the big box stores that sell plants and flowers is the cheapest way to go but that is not the case. Big box stores often charge the same or more on plant material that is smaller and not as nice compared to what you can find at your local garden center. The other advantage of shopping at your garden center is the people that work there is almost always more knowledge on the plant material and can help you choose what is best for you and your needs (and your budget). Woolman Nursery located in Willingboro, NJ is always cheaper than the box stores near by and the people that work there are always willing to work with you to help chose what plant material is best for you on your budget and for your yard.
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AuthorMy name is Jacquelynn Hart and I am a Junior at Rowan University. While going to school I also work at a plant nursery where we grow and sell a large variety of plants, trees, and flowers. I am here to supply Tips & Tricks to help anyone with their gardening needs using my own first hand experiences. ArchivesCategories
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