One
of the main elements of the landscape is the use of plants. Plants provide interesting places for
the eye to dwell, as well as providing soothing scenery and
even contributing to the energy efficiency of a home. Unfortunately,
the costs associated with purchasing plants for use in your
landscape can be rather steep. In order to save money and use
you landscape budget wisely, it is important to buy cheap plants.
Just
because a plant is cheap, however, does not mean that it
is quality. Be sure that the plant you are buying is free
of disease, and that it is in generally good health. Purchasing
a plant for a rock bottom price may only result in you having
to go out and buy another plant if your wilted or diseased
“find” dies shortly after planting. Planting can be a traumatic
thing, so you want a plant that will survive and then flourish.
Another thing to keep in mind when purchasing inexpensive plants
is to think about the maintenance costs on down the road. A
cheap plant may in actuality end up having a great many care
needs. You may spend more taking care of the plant than is
worth the savings of an initial bargain.
Inexpensive
plants can be found in a variety of places. Most
people buy them at big box home improvement stores like Lowe’s
and Home Depot. There are even plants available at some WalMart
and Kmart stores. These plants are often very cheap, but many
of them have not received proper care, and may not be healthy
enough to survive planting. One sliver of peace of mind that
stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s offer is that these places
offer guarantees of up to one year, so if your plant dies,
you can be compensated.
Nurseries
are great places to find healthy, professionally cared
for plants. These are a little more expensive, but they
are often of a higher quality. If you are looking for a bargain
at a nursery, they can still be found, however. Many nurseries
have a clearance table full of unpopular plants or plants that
they plan to discontinue carrying. These are often discounted
dramatically. Additionally, going to end of season sales can
help you find good prices on the plants that nurseries have
to offer. Most nurseries also provide plant guarantees, and
you can receive expert help and advice if you are a novice.
The
Internet also offers cheap plant deals. It is possible
to order online and have your plants shipped. Online providers
often provide a variety of seeds and starts that can be shipped
without incurring too much damage, and that are very inexpensive.
Check to see if your online plant provider has a guarantee,
however, and make sure that the costs of shipping do not make
the plants more expensive.
Other
ways that you can reduce your plant buying costs is to
choose plants that are seeds or starts. These are available
online or in stores and nurseries. A packet of seeds costs
less than a start, and starts cost significantly less than
plants that are already growing. Choosing smaller plants not
only reduces the amount of money that you pay up front, but
it also reduces the amount of money you pay later in maintenance.
Mature plants require more care when they are first planted,
and they also require more water and maintenance. So, while
you do not have to purchase tiny plants, you can purchase plants
that are off to a good start but that have not reached maturity.
Related to the idea of choosing plants that are smaller, is selecting
slower growing plants. While these may take longer
to fill in your landscape, if you plan accordingly you can
save a great deal of money and still have an attractive yard.
Rapidly growing plants require more care and the maintenance
costs are often much more than the costs associated with their
slower growing counterparts. Choosing slow growing plants is
a great way to save money in the long run.
Looking for cheap plants for landscape can be a fun adventure
as you search for the best deal. Just remember that the best
deal is not always the cheapest plant. The best deal is a plant
that is reasonably priced, healthy, and has low cost maintenance
requirements.
# # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
> Home
> Landscaping
Articles: Main Page
|
