Over the past few years, I have grown to love growing things. Ha – I just read what I wrote. Funny stuff. Anyway, my mom’s years and years of green thumb advice and instructions have finally paid off, and I am growing things and not killing them! Whoop whoop!
Here are some basic tips that have helped me without breaking the bank.
1. Check Lowe’s nursery OFTEN for plants on clearance. Almost every time I go to Lowe’s, I just run through that part of the outdoor garden section that has the clearance racks. Sometimes I find good stuff, sometimes I don’t, but I have probably landscaped our house so far with 75% of it from Lowe’s clearance racks. Seriously. Good deals to be had. I was told by Miss Ivy (yes, I know our Lowe’s nursery lady by first name) that most of the time, plants are put on clearance because they are just between bloom times (so they just “look bad”) or it comes down from corporate for whatever reason. Meaning there is NOTHING wrong with these plants, people! I can’t tell you how many plants I have paid $1 for. Like my sweet potato vine:
Or my coleus: (the coleus are the bright foliage behind and to the side of the pink geranium)
5. Make planters/containers out of what you have or repurpose or go cheap. I have a bunch of plants on my front porch planted in galvanized buckets. Just drill some holes in the bottom of stuff to allow drainage. I’ve used wire baskets with coco liner in them, regular baskets (they look super cool when they get all weathered and chippy), and some metal office supply holders I found at Home Goods. Anything goes, as long as it holds plants and allows drainage! Big Lots has some good containers (for awesome prices) that you can easily spray paint.
My thumbs are starting to develop a greenish tinge, after all :)
Anyone else have some good landscaping tips?
