HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-05-03, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2007.
(MS) — Who doesn’t want a
picture-perfect garden? After all, if
you’re going to invest the time and
effort into revamping your landscape
you don’t want to cut corners, right?
Actually, you can take shortcuts in
the garden to save a lot of money
without compromising the finished
product.
This mostly involves using some
inexpensive items in place of more
costly ones when possible.
Here are a few ideas to get you
started. Then use your imagination
to cut costs even further.
Radical recycling:Container
gardening is an easy way to add
visual appeal to a home. Containers
are generally simple to maintain and
can be moved or changed as whimsy
directs.
Containers come in all sorts of
shapes and sizes, from small terra-
cotta pots to large window boxes.
Large containers can be somewhat
costly, and filling them to the brim
with rich soil can be even more so.
Instead of spending a fortune, look
for inexpensive resin containers that
have the look of real ceramic or
stone. Fill the bottom half of a rather
large container with crushed up
aluminum cans and those discarded
plastic flower pots that your annuals
were packaged in at the nursery. Fill
the rest of the container with soil and
you’ll save money in the process.
Most plants have shallow roots
and they will never even reach the
cans you have in the bottom.
What’s more, the containers are
much lighter from this effective
“fill,” and have improved drainage.
Use what you’ve got:Why spend a
lot of money on specialty items that
cost more when you can use what
you have around the house, or
modify inexpensive gardening tools
for your purposes?
For example, many at-home
gardeners enjoy the look of topiaries
in their yard. Topiary forms can be
$20 or more, depending upon size.
Instead, use a tomato plant cage with
the ends tied off to mimic a similar
shape.
The cages cost a fraction of the
“forms,” and no one will know the
difference once your topiary has
filled it out.
Make your own soil:Pre-
packaged gardening blends cost
more than if you whip up some on
your own. The cost is even less if
you mix in some home-grown
compost.
Creating a rich soil can be as
simple as mixing in some fallen
leaves that you’ve let sit in a trash
bag over the winter with some
ventilation holes cut in it. Mix the
leaf debris into your soil for spring
planting.
Grocery gardening:You can
experiment with planting produce
from the grocery story. Whether you
have garlic cloves that are past their
prime or potatoes you want to
discard, try planting them in the yard
to see if you can obtain a new crop.
Other things to experiment with
include avocado pits, citrus seeds,
pineapple tops, and more. There’s no
harm in taking a chance at
expanding your garden for no
additional cost.
Grow lettuce:Salads are the
quintessential diet food. But those
bowls of mixed greens can be pricey
if eaten out, or even if you purchase
pre-mixed salad from a store.
You can grow your own lettuce
varieties relatively easily and
cultivate what you need for personal
use. Add a little homemade dressing
and you have a light meal.
Tips for frugal gardening
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(NC)—The warm Canadian
summer is quickly approaching and
many Canadians are looking for
ways to stay cool at home and
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time.
The energy management team at
Canadian Tire has the following tips
for beating the heat without
breaking the bank:
• Thermostat timer – A
programmable thermostat timer will
allow you to minimize the number
of hours your air conditioner is
running, but still keep the house
cool.
There’s no need to keep the air
conditioner running if no one is
home. Program it to turn on about an
hour before you get home so it’s
comfortable when you get in. A
programmable thermostat can save
up to 33 per cent on energy costs.
• Dimmers – Install dimmers on
all your lights. They can reduce
energy consumption by 20 per cent
and with the long summer hours of
daylight, you don’t need the full
strength of bulbs.
• Motion sensors on exterior lights
– Installing motion sensor lights on
the exterior of your home means the
lights will automatically turn off
when not detecting motion.
• Energy efficient light bulbs –
CFL bulbs use up to 78 per cent less
energy and save money on your
electricity. CFL bulbs have the
advantage of lasting up to ten times
longer than traditional bulbs and,
because you won’t have to replace
them as often, you’ll create less
landfill. This quick and easy solution
will pay off in the long run – both in
your pocket and for the
environment.
• Low flow items in the bathroom
- Switch to a low flow toilet and
showerhead and save up to 52,000
litres of water per year. Fixing any
leaky faucets can also reduce wasted
water.
• EnergyStar appliances – When
purchasing new appliances look for
the EnergyStar symbol.
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Tips on conserving energy
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