Subject: Better Homes & Gardens Blog Placement
From: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" <[email-masked]>
To: "'Steve Jacobs'" <[email-masked]>, "Chris Herman" <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 15:15:21 -0700

Re: Recession Gardening Tips www.bhg.com/smartgardening

      Smart Gardening 

      Smart Gardening
      By Luke Miller
      Luke is the editor of Better Homes and Gardens® Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living. Each week he'll share tips for saving time and money in the garden. He'll cover all aspects of the home garden, from how you can raise tasty organic produce to low-cost ways to plant a new garden.
     
      Smart Gardening
      Cost-Saving Strategies
            Cost-Saving Strategies
            Posted 6/9/2009 4:20 PM CDT 
            Here's a press release I recently received. It has some good tips about saving money. (I've added CAPS to some tips to identify my comments.)

            While many are pinching pennies amid the economic downturn, there are a number of thrifty ways to manage a garden and landscape to ensure it looks good and flourishes while also costing less to maintain. Lawn and garden expert Steve Jacobs of Nature Designs Landscaping uncovers ways to save money when planting and managing a yard. 

            1)       Plant perennials instead of annuals. Annuals are short lived, use excessive water and must be replaced, while there are many drought-tolerant perennials that can live for many years and offer plenty of beautiful color. ANNUALS HAVE THEIR PLACE, TOO, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT SELF-SEED AND COME BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR, SUCH AS BALSAM (SHOWN), POPPIES, BACHELOR'S BUTTONS, AND LARKSPUR. THEY ARE A REAL MONEY SAVER WITH LONG-LASTING COLOR.
             
            2)       Eliminate lawn where you are not using it. Lawns are one of the most intensive maintenance and water consuming plantings in a landscape, requiring weekly mowing, edging and recurrent irrigation. OR CONSIDER REPLACING THIRSTY VARIETIES WITH SOMETHING DROUGHT TOLERANT, SUCH AS BUFFALOGRASS.
             
            3)       Leave lawn clippings--don't bag. Many lawn mowers have a recycling feature which allows you to mow without a bagging the clippings. Lawn clippings contain water and nutrients that can benefit your lawn. The result is a need for less water and fertilizer. IF YOU MUST BAG, ADD THE CLIPPINGS TO YOUR COMPOST PILE OR SPREAD THEM THINLY (ABOUT 1/2-INCH THICK) AROUND SHRUBS. DO NOT USE CLIPPINGS FROM RECENTLY TREATED GRASS AMONG FLOWERS OR EDIBLES.
             
            4)       Prune naturally instead of formally. When you prune for the natural growth habit of the plant you will reduce the amount of pruning needed annually. Hedging and balling your plants will create a need for frequent pruning, and the tools and/or professional landscape maintenance services that goes with it. KEEP A PLANT'S PRUNING REQUIREMENTS IN MIND WHEN PLANTING. A MUGO PINE TAKES NO PRUNING; BOXWOOD TAKES AN ANNUAL PRUNING; AND PRIVET NEEDS ATTENTION MONTHLY DURING THE GROWING SEASON. 

            5)       Cut back on water. Reduce your watering schedule to the bare minimum required to keep the yard and garden healthy. Overwatering can cause excessive growth, resulting in more maintenance, higher water bills, and a greater chance of disease. INVEST IN A RAIN BARREL (OR MAKE ONE YOURSELF OUT OF AN OLD WATER HEATER, TRASH CAN, OR PLASTIC DRUM) TO HARVEST RAINWATER FOR IRRIGATION.
             
            6)       Identify and rectify irrigation problems. By keeping an eye on the condition of your irrigation system, including leaks, overspray, broken heads, incorrect water pressure and trajectory problems, you can reduce your water costs while also avoiding water damage to your home and hardscape. ALSO, WATER EARLY IN THE DAY TO REDUCE LOSS FROM EVAPORATION.

            7)       Apply a mulch to cut down on weeds and also water usage. Mulch creates a barrier so weed seeds have a hard time germinating. It also adds organic matter to your soil and insulates the ground, which reduces the soil temperature and evaporation of soil moisture. SHREDDED LEAVES MAKE A STELLAR MULCH. AND THEIR GOLD, TAN AND BROWN HUES LOOK AT HOME IN THE GARDEN.

            8)       Select drought-tolerant plants. These plants will use less water and can require very little maintenance. LOOK FOR SEDUMS AND SUCCULENTS, AS WELL AS PLANTS WITH GRAYISH FOLIAGE. 
             
            9)       Put the right plant in the right spot. Install plants that can grow to maturity where they are planted with minimal care or pruning. Such "zone appropriate" planting will ensure the plant or tree won't outgrow its space and need to be frequently pruned or, worse, relocated at risk of losing the plant all-together. SEE TIP 4.
             
            10)   Fertilize only as needed. If you have good soil, some of your plants may need no fertilizer. Not only is overfertilizing expensive and time consuming, it can also require more water and cause excessive growth resulting in increased maintenance needs. ALSO, AN OVERABUNDANCE OF NITROGEN OR PHOSPHOROUS CAN POLLUTE AQUIFERS, STREAMS AND RIVERS.