With so many things vying for our family’s money, lawn care always seems like one of the last things to get accounted for. I can always find something to spend our hard-earned cash on that outranks lawn care. I don’t, however, want our yard to take on the neglected, brown look that so many homes have taken on lately (foreclosures are hard on curb appeal). How can a family have a presentable lawn without spending more than we absolutely have to? Here are a few things we’ve tried.
Do It Yourself Lawn Care
Although I would love to delegate the mowing and trimming tasks to someone else, paying someone else to perform our yard maintenance is way too expensive. We have a relatively small yard, so we just have to relegate ourselves to the reality of having to drag the mower around. (Mr. NMOM usually has this job but I think that’s because he actually enjoys it somewhat – except when it’s 100 degrees outside).
Limited Bedding Plants
I love a splash of color in our landscaping as much as anyone does. I don’t love, though, the extra time and care it takes to mow around flower beds. Buying plants for these beds can carry a hefty price tag, too. Limiting our family to one or two flower beds allows me too enjoy a few flowers without edging up the cost of our landscaping too much.
Choose Hardy Plants
Whether you’re choosing shrubs, flowering plants, or the type of grass to use in your own, your choice of plant can go a long way towards keeping costs down. Try to choose plants that belong in your region so that you don’t have to feed them tons of fertilizers. You can also select drought-resistant plants that won’t need an excessive amount of water during the hot, summer months.
Everything Starts from a Seed
When you buy mature plants, a portion of your payment can be attributed to the labor that some nursery worker put into nurturing a seed into the beautiful plant you see today. If your budget is limited, you can save money by putting that labor into your plant yourself. Start bedding plants from seed during the early spring. You should also skip purchasing sod; seeding your existing yard may not be as gratifying right away, but you’ll certainly save money.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
i agree with your comment about mowing around flower beds. i think have a nice central location where you can enjoy some color can go along way.
my daughter loves to mow the grass for $10 the only problem is she almost always mows over some freshly planted flowers. the break even on this is not something i want to go into but i love her and the beauty of a colorful yard.
Another tip:
Buy plants after they go on sale. Places like Home Depot and Lowes regularly put their plants on sale when they don’t move quickly. They are often the ones that look a little puny, but if you are a decent gardener, you can easily bring them back to life. My family does this every year and we save tons on new plants. Often they look puny because they are container bound, but once placed in the ground, they start to perk up quickly. Just a thought.
Another thing we do to save money, is we only plant perennials, so you get a lot of use for your money because the flowers keep coming back, there is no reason to re purchase every year.