gardening posts

I'm not cheap but I'm not a sucker either. I understand that most of the services we end up paying for we do so because of the convenience. But now that spring has arrived and the wear and tear of winter is showing up everywhere, I'm realizing there's a lot of manual work to be done and it could be so much more satisfying if I do it myself. This spring, if I know how to do something I'm keeping my wallet in my pocket and rolling up my sleeves. Here are a few things you could be doing yourself that will save you money:

Painting
I've got steady hands, an iron will and a step-ladder so if I need a couple of rooms painted in my house, I'm going to do it. Hiring pros costs thousands of dollars and for basic painting jobs involving drywall and right-angles, that's an unnecessary expense. Yes, it will take up your weekend and yes your skin will not appreciate the turpentine bath but you'll feel satisfied and richer by Monday.

If you've decided to throw in the hoe because of your lack of botanical know-how, chin up your plant killing days may soon be over.

After witnessing the deaths of many of his plants, Mattias Lepp, wanted to use technology -- aeroponics to be exact -- to allow him and other people who were not born with a green thumb to successfully grow plants year round. What he came up with was Click and Grow, the ultimate hassle-free garden.

The precious summer months aren't known as a time to save money.

Summer equals vacation time, blockbuster movie nights and going to amusement parks. It's not about putting money in a jar to save for a rainy day.

But there are opportunities to do things that can help save money - especially around the house where costs can be reduced with a bit of planning.

Here are some tips that work especially well in summer, and can keep more loonies and toonies in the pocket for ice cream and other summertime indulgences.

We've all heard of upside down gardening. The idea is a simple one. The PVC hanging planter acts as a greenhouse and when you water your plants, the moisture goes directly to the roots, helping to accelerate growth. And the best thing is, you can grow your own fresh vegetables no matter where you live, even on an apartment balcony or a tiny townhouse lot.

Personally, I've always been a seedling's worst nightmare and it isn't because I don't try. I just don't have that elusive something that it takes to raise a struggling plant to maturity. If, on the other hand, you'd like to try something like this, you may be interested in the upside down gardening planters that are now being sold at Dollarama for two bucks each.

There are two different planters, one for growing tomatoes and other vegetables and one that's strictly for show that will, with the right kind of flowers, attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your backyard. Both are "As Seen on TV" products called "Topsy-Turvy®" and cost only $2 each.

There's this rock in my backyard. It sits about halfway down the fence line between our house and the back of our property. It seems to me that it's sitting in a place that would be perfect for planting flowers. Here's the problem: The rock is painted white.

The painted rock could be just about anything. It's just a rock – other than its colour, there is really nothing all that special about it. There are others like it in our front yard too. It is possible that someone, once upon a time, began some kind of rock garden landscaping project. (There's all kinds of weirdness in our yard which suggests that could be a possibility.)

At the same time though, there's this niggling fear I can't get over, that I might end up unearthing the previous owner's beloved and long-deceased pet chinchilla or something.

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As far as home costs go, the great outdoors don't immediately jump to mind as a concern.

There are two ways to landscape a property, though: One way is planned and the other is impulsive. If you're reading this today, in late September, chances are there's hope for you (and for me too!) – the instinct to plan ahead exists, and it may very well save you money come spring.

Related articles:
Save Money With a Rain Barrel
Gardening On The Cheap
Transplanting Shrubs and Other Gardening Advice
To DIY or Not (That is the Question)


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As the weather continues to warm up and the grass grows green again, we start thinking about cleaning up the yard and puttering around in the garden. Some of the supplies you may need can be found at the dollar store for a lot less than you can get them at a hardware store.

You can always find sturdy garden tools, peat pots and seeds. Here's what else I found on a recent trip to Dollarama:

The other day, I strolled through a residential neighbourhood admiring the pretty flowers. At first it was all sweet and pure, then something ugly reared its head: garden envy.

Everyone on this street had lush, vibrant blooms protruding from funky containers. Meanwhile, all I had to show for Spring thus far was a wilting window box. Oh, the self-pity.

If you, too, are suffering from this evil seasonal plight, here's a discount coupon to help you keep up with the Joneses. Simply print this coupon and bring it into The Home Depot between July 2 and 5 and you can get 20% off all in-stock pots and planters.

Happy bloomin' gardening!

How to build a landscape without breaking the bank? That is the question.

For the first time in my adult life I'm in a position where I can plant a garden and reasonably expect to be around and enjoy it for longer than a year or two.

It's an exciting thing but long-term planning, as applied to backyard gardening anyway, is also a new-ish concept for me. Still, after being absolutely and completely floored to find out just how much certain shrubs cost when you buy them retail during high planting season in late May, I became even more convinced that a long-term approach is the way to go. (No matter how appealing it might be to go and buy a garden all at once they way they do on TV.)

I'm not new to gardening but I'm definitely new to this landscaping thing.

In the past as a renter, I tended to favour annual plants, vegetables and herbs – all things that were immediately useful or tasty and which wouldn't last much longer than a season.

Recently though I've started taking a new interest in perennial plants (those which grow back again, year after year) and things like shrubbery.

I had NO idea just how expensive these things could be! No idea. At first I felt like a newbie all over again. Then, of course, I started looking for ways to build a greener backyard that wouldn't cost more than our new mortgage payments.