garden center “cents” getthemostforyourmoneythisspring

By Julie Young House and Home Feature Writer

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to bust their budgets at their local garden center. With so many flowers, trees, shrubs, herbs, vegetables and materials to choose from, it’s easy to get a little carried away. Of course, when you buy in haste, you typically repent in leisure so it’s best to make wise money moves in order to get the biggest bang for your garden center buck!

Know What You Need

Judy Clayton, owner of Clayton Garden Center in North Webster says it’s important for the home gardener to know what they have in order to purchase what they need. Every spring, she sees customers come in and purchase items for their yards without knowing how big their space is or how many plants they require. This can result in overbuying, underbuying or buying the wrong material entirely.

“The first thing you have to do is measure your space, then I recommend that you take pictures to give us an idea of what kind of space it is,” she said. “Is it sunny or shady? What kind of soil do you have? All of this can help us make the best recommendations as to what will survive in your area.”

It’s also important to know how much wildlife visits your yard, how much patience and time you have to nurture your plants and the level of effort your desired varieties will require. Some flowers, such as petunias (though popular) must be watered every day while a dragon wing begonia only requires watering twice a week. Clayton says even plants that are on sale can become quite expensive when you consider the amount of watering and fertilizing they may need.

“This applies to other garden materials as well, so it’s important to consider all of your options and what it will cost you in the long run,” she said. “Mulch is cheaper than landscape rock, but it has to be replaced each year while rock lasts. However, both require weed killer.”

Work Smarter Not Harder

Gary Schwartz at E+R Seed in Monroe said a lot of gardeners make the mistake of trying to do too much each year, which only leads to frustration and heartache. Many of his clients become enamored by the variety of options available and want to try a little bit of everything rather than sticking to the tried and true. And in many cases, they have no idea the amount of work involved to cultivate a successful outcome.

“I see a lot of people buy seeds that the average home gardener cannot successfully start themselves versus plants that you can put in the ground and grow fairly well,” he said. “While I like to see people try new things, it is easy to go overboard so if you are trying to save money, stick to those varieties that you see a lot of around here and you know will do well in your yard. You’ll be happier in the long run.” n