Curb Spending or Curb Appeal?
The economists are telling consumers that this is not the time to cut back spending. We are something like 70 percent of the economy and if we stop buying, eveything grinds to a halt.
It is also true that this is not the time to cut back on the annual investment you make in your lawn and gardens. If you ever want to (or have to) sell your house, it is important that it look good from the street.
April is National Lawn Care Month and the folks at the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) offer a few tips to hold down expenses without sacrificing the value of - and the pleasure you get from - your yard.
- Protect what you have. Take a walking tour of your yard and make sure the big ticket items such as trees and shrubs are in good health. It costs a great deal more to remove and replace these things than it does to keep them healthy with trimming and fertilization.
- Look for tree and plant give-a-ways this month in conjunction with Arbor Day or Earth Day celebrations. Some jurisdictions also give away free mulch, compost, rain barrels or composters.
- Purchase small plants, trees and shrubs. They cost a fraction of what a more mature plant costs.
