Spring Forward
Need a little fresh thinking to liven up your outdoor living space? Whether new on the scene or tried and true, here are some ideas to make this landscaping season your best ever. Even better, they're all designed to save you time and money.
Plant more perennials.
Pick up some extra perennials this year and you'll gain a lot of ground. Planting perennials is an economical way to produce plants season after season. Plus, you'll save time on replanting each spring.
Discover very now native displays.
Get Mother Nature on your side by adding native plants to your landscape. Because they're already adapted to your local environment, they'll better tolerate yearlong climate changes, and are more likely to flourish. That means easy care, trouble free foliage for you.
Do more with deer-resistant plants.
You work too hard on your yard to make it a feeding ground. And while deer will always find something to munch on if food is scarce, you'll have more success keeping your plantings in tact if you know what they'd rather pass on than snack on. For a list that rates 500 common garden plants and how tasty they are to deer, go to http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/default.asp.
Make the most of recycled mulch.
Laying down mulch every year is expensive, time consuming, not to mention backbreaking! But now you can enjoy natural looking mulch that can last for years and is virtually maintenance free. Made from recycled consumer products such as rubber tires and soda bottles, these mulch products have even more advantages. It stays put, won't sink into the soil, and allows for easier water and air flow to your soil. Plus, pesky critters like termites won't be munching on this mulch.
Grow more grass. Water less.
Imagine a smooth, green lawn -- without chemicals and with less watering. That's the claim of the creators of Eco-Lawn. A mix of slow-growing fescues with thin green blades, they say this grass seed grows equally well in clay or sandy soils and in sun or shade. And it's drought- and pest-resistant, meaning you can skimp on watering and give up fertilizers and pesticides. Seem too good to be true? Good reviews seem to confirm it works. This may be the season to give it a try.
