Lou here, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man” and today I’m sharing some great budget-friendly tips on adding curb appeal to your home this summer.

The first step to having a home that looks great from the street is a healthy lawn. It is easier and cheaper than you might think. First you’ll want to clear away any leftover debris, including leaves, branches and your kids’ favorite summer toys. If your lawn is loaded with weeds, spray it with Ortho Weed and Feed – just attach to your garden hose and spray away. It costs about $10.00 and will kill the broadleaf weeds and also feed the healthy grass.

In about two weeks you can reseed the bare spots. First, scratch the soil a bit with a rake and sprinkle the seed over the area. Cover with peat moss and then water lightly. The peat moss will keep the seed moist and will prevent birds from eating it. Water just a bit every other day to help the seed take and try to keep the kids and animals off of these areas while the seeds germinate. After two weeks, the grass should be filled in and your lawn will look terrific!

Another budget-friendly secret to a great lawn is to run a rake across it to thin out any dead grass and promote healthy growth. This will keep your lawn looking thick and neat, and the only cost is a little bit of your time and some elbow grease.

Now that the grass is looking better, how about adding some perennial flowers along the walkway leading up to your home?  While perennials cost a little more, they will come back each year, giving you more bang for your buck. Look for plants that bloom at different heights like Moon Beams, Hostas and even rose bushes. Make sure you give them room to grow to create a beautiful, full border leading up to your door. Most plants will come with a recommended spacing to allow for full growth. I always take two inches off the recommended spacing because I like the thick, bursting look of healthy plants. Each year you can add a few more plants to change up the look and keep the front of your home fresh.

What low cost ways have you used to boost your home’s curb appeal?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You’ve started a garden to save money, not to spend it! Who knew that it could be such a costly operation? Mulch, soil, fertilizer…the list seems to go on and on. Before you shell out a lot of cash, you may want to try thrifty alternatives for some items. Here are a few things I do to make gardening frugal:

• Make friends with a farmer. If you know a farmer, paying for expensive fertilizers will be a thing of the past. I asked my neighbor if I could buy a wheelbarrow of aged cow manure and he dropped an entire backhoe load of manure in for me and wouldn’t take a dime. Even if you pay for manure, odds are that it will be cheaper than the stuff that comes in bags at the store. (Make sure it is aged, though. Fresh manure can burn your plants right up!)
• Swap plants with friends and neighbors. I found a good price on parsley – a four pack for $2. I split it with the rest of the family. I also gave away over 30 of my prolific strawberry plants. They hopped out of their bed to grow in the path. In return, I’ll get help digging out a few big things I need to move. In years past, I’ve gotten tomato seedlings, peppers and a ton of perennials.
• Use cardboard and newspaper. I lay cardboard on my temporary vegetable garden paths before I put down a layer of mulch. This way, I can make the layer of mulch a lot shallower and still keep weeds at bay.
• Collect leaves in the fall and chop them up with your mulcher or by running over them with a mower. (Make sure there aren’t any sticks, first.) Chopping leaves gives you a head start on leaf mold, which sounds unpleasant, but is rich crumbly stuff that plants love. This can replace expensive bags of hummus.
• Head to a real farmer’s market. We have one of those overpriced markets where plant nurseries set up booths, but there’s also a local market at the local auctioneer’s barn every Monday. That market is filled with booths of veggie plants that are downright cheap.

Katelyn’s first love is holidays, but she also enjoys living a thrifty lifestyle and has been gardening frugally for many years.

image (c) Linette Gerlach

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You can plant a garden even on a shoestring budget. For very little money you can grow enough food to help feed your family through the winter.

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

• Start your plants in recycled pots, or containers you make yourself. You can make your own plant pots out of newspaper, or egg cartons.
• Buy your seeds at the local farm store. There you can buy as much or as little of each type of seed as you want, and you’re paying by the weight. You don’t have to buy extra if you only want a few watermelon seeds, and the seeds are usually cheaper than purchasing pre packaged seeds.
• Swap seeds and plants with neighbors. If you have extra tomato plants, or chives trade them with your neighbor for peppers, or thyme.
• Save your own seeds. You can save your own seeds from many plants for next years crop. Before you save a particular seed do a little research to make sure the plant will grow back true from seeds.
• Start a compost pile, and make your own fertilizer for your garden. This is a huge money saver, and you’re also recycling your waste at the same time.
• Make your own potting soil, by mixing about half regular soil, with half compost. You may have to play around with the mixture a little to suit your soil.

If you have tips for saving money in the garden, feel free to share them in the comment section.

Linette shares more gardening advice at Mother Earth’s Garden, and cooking and gardening advice at The Home and Garden Cafe.

Image L Gerlach

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Only use reusable or recyclable  planting gear:  Old egg cartons can be used to start seeds or you can make your own growing pots with recycled materials you’ve got laying around the house. If you’ve already got plastic seed starter posts make sure to reuse them (just wash well).

Never buy new garden tools: Thrift stores and garage sales carry every garden tool you’ll ever need, you just have to look. It’s silly to buy shiny new garden tools anyhow, they’ll just get dirty!

Make homemade fertilizer: This is cheaper than store-bought, plus a very eco-friendly way to grow a garden. You can compost all your old coffee grounds, food scraps, grass clippings and more for a healthy soil additive.

Make your own non-toxic weed killer: Mix 1 ounce orange oil and 1 teaspoon liquid soap with 1 gallon of 10% white vinegar. Shake it altogether in a spray bottle and spot treat weeds. You should also learn about natural garden pest control ideas that save you money on store bought pest control.

Save your old seeds: Check to see if they still work – often they do.

Trade with friends: You can trade and share garden tools, plants (i.e. cut and share), seeds, gardening books, and more. You can even arrange to grow different crops. Say you grow corn and your pal grows tomatoes – then share.

Water the garden at night: This saves you water and money because overnight the water has a chance to absorb well, vs. drying up in the hot daytime sun.

Learn about gardening where you live: If you jump into gardening unprepared, you might get lucky. OR you may just waste time and money. Learn about gardening topics that are relevant to your local area. Plants made for your climate will thrive better than exotic plants.

BONUS: Don’t forget, gardening is a super cheap summer activity for the kiddos. You don’t have to pay for an outing if your garden is cool enough. Check out 10 Fun Organic Gardening Projects for Kids for ideas.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

I just came in from weeding our vegetable garden. I have to say, it’s looking very promising out there!

Last year we planted a dozen strawberry plants and this year they spread to take over half the area we designated for our veggie garden. We’re going to have so many strawberries they’re going to last way past the spring. I’m sure we’ll have plenty to freeze.

We’re also growing broccoli, tomatoes and corn. I think there’s nothing like fresh tomatoes grown in the garden. This is our first year for corn and broccoli so it should be interesting.

What are you growing this year?

Image: Buy at AllPosters.com

Technorati Profile

Post from: Thrifty Mommy