Published: September 24, 2009 04:33 pm      

Here’s some bang for your gardening buck

EDMOND — It’s real easy for me to sit at my computer and type away about all of the beautiful plants there are to plant in a flower bed, but it’s not nearly as easy to go pay for all of those new flashy varieties. I realize that money is tight in most homes these days, and it’s completely understandable that landscaping is considered to be a line item in the budget where cuts can be made. There are a few tips, however, that can make your gardening dollars stretch further across the yard.

I have the typical line of green shrubs that go across the front of my house. In order to break up the monotonous green between the boxwoods and the Bermudagrass I always plant spring and fall annuals at the foot of the shrubs. This fall I am planning to plant groups of flowers rather than a solid line of color. The same goal should be achieved with a third less flowers in that area. Planting flowers in clusters often will look just as attractive to passersby and is a great trick to cut costs.

Containers also are a way to concentrate splashes of color in a drab winter landscape. Keep in mind that these may need to be checked a bit more frequently for moisture through dry periods in cold months. An average-sized pot can be planted with pansies for under $10 if you were to use the leftover soil from the summer.

Another added plus to containers is that they can be placed in locations where they are visible from indoors. Consider placing color by the most used entry points of the home. Concentrating the money spent on these locations will make you glad you spent a few dollars to keep your winter colorful. I don’t typically stroll around the landscape when it is 15 degrees outside. But it is nice to have a pot of pansies on the back porch that I can see from my perch by the fireplace. Always remember to place any landscape plantings so they can be enjoyed from angles inside and outside of the home to get the optimum rewards for your work.

Right now is a great time to invest in perennials. Perennials live year after year as opposed to annuals that live for only one season. They typically cost more upfront, but the cost is spread out for as long as you can keep the plant alive. As far as I know there isn’t a “first-time perennial buyer” tax credit available; but there are a lot of sales in the fall. Keep an eye on the larger retail centers, as they typically clean out their garden centers at the end of each year. There often are some good bargains to be found there.

The final tip that I have is the true heart of gardening. Sharing plants with friends is the most economical way to diversify your landscape. I am reworking a flower bed at my house, and I need to find a home for some Hosta and Daylily plants. My friend just bought a new house, and her yard is overflowing with new plants that I don’t have. The swap meet is already scheduled!

Being a little savvy will help you stretch your gardening dollar as far as it can go this fall. The value of flowers in the winter is something that is hard to put a price on. Just skip that drive-through restaurant a couple times and take your money to a garden center. Then tell me how you feel about this decision in December.



SAMANTHA SNYDER is a horticulture educator for the Oklahoma County OSU Cooperative Extension Service.