It’s time to start thinking about your summer garden plans. Here are 3 tips that are easy and inexpensive to beautify your outdoors.
Recycle for outdoor art
“Unwanted light fixtures, wooden barrels, hat boxes, wicker baskets, beer crates and wash basins can be easily converted into unique and eye-catching containers for plants. Scrap pieces of metal, wood and old broomsticks (saw off the brooms) can be painted in bright colors and used to create visually striking borders for your gardens or serve as offbeat yard art. Create garden paths out of a mixture of marbles, stones and ceramic pieces or try logs, cut in circular discs from a fallen tree. A discarded wooden door could be transformed into a garden gate or a wall in your yard for climbing roses.” Source: https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/planting-and-maintenance/cheap-garden-ideas-no-cost-and-low-cost-ways-to-save-money
DIY Water Feature
Using old barrels, wheel barrows, large vases and some sort of pouring device (tea kettle, watering can) can create a pretty water feature that doesn’t take up much space. Check out this example: https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/g3133/landscaping-tips/?slide=3
Use one type of plant a LOT
Something my Master Gardner mother has been telling me for years is that less is more when it comes to varieties of plants. Large clumps of one thing make a much bigger impact than scattered pansies, tulips, althea, snow-in-summer, sweet-potato vine, echinacea, daisies, and on and on. If you find an annual that you love, look for it on sale and get a TON. Easy to plan and plant and not too expensive.
Great, now your yard is lovely, and your bank account is intact. Go forth and fund that Roth IRA!
