BIZARRE: 10 - You Need To See This

6 Soil Tests Worth Doing Before You Buy Fall Fertilizer

Fall fertilizer season can turn a garden center into a strange little game of nutritional roulette. Bags promise greener lawns, stronger roots, bigger blooms and all sorts of botanical miracles, but none of those promises tell you what your particular soil actually needs. A soil test can give you that…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 30

7 Kitchen Scraps That Belong in Compost—and 4 That Do Not

The compost bin can turn a surprising amount of kitchen waste into useful organic matter for the garden. Apple cores, coffee grounds, vegetable trimmings, and even crushed eggshells can all find a second life in the pile, while certain leftovers can create more trouble than they are worth.

Frugal Gardening · Aug 30

Understanding Native Plants That May Lower Watering Needs Over Time

Native plants can make a noticeable difference in how much attention a landscape needs, especially once their roots settle into the soil. The trick lies in choosing species that naturally fit the local climate, soil, moisture patterns, and growing conditions rather than assuming every native plant behaves like a drought…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 29

6 End-of-Summer Weeds You May Want to Identify Before Pulling

Late summer can reveal the plants that spent June and July quietly plotting a takeover. Before grabbing the garden gloves and yanking every unfamiliar green thing from the soil, take a closer look, because some weeds deserve a proper identification first.

Frugal Gardening · Aug 28

How Much Water Does a Garden Need During Late-Summer Heat?

Late-summer heat can turn a perfectly reasonable garden into a collection of thirsty plants by lunchtime. The tricky part involves knowing how much water actually helps because a quick sprinkle across the soil can look productive while doing very little for the roots. During hot weather, most gardens need consistent…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 28

A Lawn Dispute With an HOA Ended With 7 Days in Jail: Here’s How It Got That Far

Brown grass usually calls for a sprinkler, a hose, or perhaps a resigned shrug at the weather. For Irena Green, a homeowner in Riverview, Florida, brown grass became the opening chapter of an HOA dispute that eventually led to a court order, an arrest warrant, and seven days in the…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 28

7 Budget-Friendly Tasks That Prepare Raised Beds for Fall

Raised beds do not need an expensive autumn makeover. A little cleanup, some strategic soil care, and a few inexpensive materials can leave those beds in much better shape when spring rolls around.

Frugal Gardening · Aug 28

Understanding Low-Cost Ways to Protect Fall Seedlings From Wildlife

Fall offers a wonderful window for planting seedlings, but the garden buffet can look even more appealing to wildlife once summer food sources disappear. Young vegetables, herbs, flowers, and newly planted trees often present tender stems and leaves that rabbits, deer, squirrels, voles, and other hungry visitors can find remarkably…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 28

How to Reuse Rainwater Without Creating a Mosquito Problem

Rainwater can become a wonderfully useful garden resource, but a forgotten bucket of it can also become an open invitation to mosquitoes. A properly designed rain barrel lets gardeners capture roof runoff for watering plants while keeping insects out of the stored water. The trick involves treating rainwater storage as…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 27

7 Herbs That Keep Producing After Summer Vegetables Slow Down

The tomatoes are slowing down, the pepper plants look increasingly tired, and the zucchini has finally stopped behaving like it owns the neighborhood. Herbs, meanwhile, often keep sending out fresh leaves long after the summer vegetable garden starts calling it a season. That makes herbs some of the most useful…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 27