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Gardening is one of the most enjoyable things (in my opinion) a person can do. But like any other hobby, it can cost quite a bit of money, if you don’t plan ahead.

In this article you’ll learn 5 tips that can save you a bundle this spring and summer season.

1. When planning your vegetable garden it’s a great idea to talk to your neighbors and see what they are planting.

This way if you all plant different vegetables you can share and save some money on produce bills. Often I’ve had too many of one kind of vegetable I couldn’t give away because my friend’s were ripe at the same time.

2. When planting your flowerbeds, opt for perennials instead of annuals.

As the perennials multiply each year you can cut them back and exchange them with your friends and neighbors so you all have lush gardens and save money at the same time.

3. I cannot stress enough how wonderful it is to home compost.

People are intimidated by it but it is so simple to do and has such wonderful benefits. Compost your kitchen scraps such as coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit peels etc… The compost you make will be so much more nutritious than any potting soil you can buy.

Talk about saving money - it’s free and it’s a wonderful way to really recycle.

4. Many people use mulch in their flower beds, but mulch can be very expensive. Try using small pebbles or rocks instead as a ground cover.

Not only will you save money every year because the rocks and pebbles will not need to be replaced as mulch does, but it’s a wonderful way to spend time with your children if you have any. Make a big deal with them of going rock and pebble hunting. Not only will you save money but you’ll make memories as well.

5. One area that will save you money is actually by spending more in the beginning.

Don’t skimp when buying gardening tools. So many people try saving money here but it only backfires. Good tools will last for years and years actually saving you money because they won’t have to be replaced every couple of years.

The same goes for gardening gloves. Make sure you buy the best that you can afford. You hands and wallet will thank you.

Happy Gardening!

Gretchen Walsh is an avid gardener who loves nothing more than helping living things reach their beautiful, full potential. At her blog Organic Gardening 101 you can learn all about home composting as well as how easy it really is to grow an organic vegetable garden.

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To have the most success with your indoor gardening as you possibly can, then you should want to hear some of the top indoor gardening tips, because they are going to help you with basically everything from choosing the right gardening tools and fertilizer, to figuring out how to choose the best garden site and how frequently you should water your plants.

Out of the multitude of indoor gardening tips that are out there and which you can use to your advantage, there are a few in particular which are especially important to learn, and which will be discussed here in further detail.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the best door gardening tips you will come across. All plants in general need light to survive. But the real question is, how much and how often? During the summer months, put your indoor plants outside so that they may have as much real sunlight as possible and really strive throughout the warmer months.

Because most plants seem to rotate towards the light, you should also make sure to rotate your plants on a regular basis to ensure your plant does not grow to be lopsided

Water

Another one of the best indoor gardening tips is to water your plants appropriately.

As you know there are some plants that need more water than other, so how do you know if your plants need more water? If the soil is moist to the touch, you can let it go a couple of more days before watering again. But if the soil is dry to the touch then you are going to have to water it right away!

Remember that how often you water is also going to depend on how much light your plants are getting, mainly because the more light they receive, the quicker the soil is going to dry up.

Pots And Containers

You have to make sure that you have a pot that will adequately able the water to drain out. If not, the plant may end up flooded and drown in the very water that’s meant to nourish it.

By taking these and other indoor gardening tips into some serious consideration, you will quickly notice just how much your gardening has improved, not to mention how easy gardening is overall. Ask your friends and family for more gardening tips if you can, because you should get as much as you possibly can - who knows, it may come in handy one day!

Sylvia has been writing articles professionally, both online and offline, since 4 years ago. This author is not only writing in the subject of health, but also in dieting, fat loss, fitness and many other more. Check out her latest website in Honeywell Quietcare which discuss and review about Hunter Air Purifier

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Gardening in the summer months can be challenging, both for you and your plants. Keeping hydrated and covered while the sun beats down on you is extremely important, as is keeping your plants just as hydrated and properly shaded. In July there are some specific green gardening tips to remember.

Tomatoes and basil are prominent foods/herbs that grow in July. Here are some tips to make them both blossom to their best potential.

* Remove tomatoes with rot

- This might sound pretty self-explanatory, but examining each blossoming tomato for end rot, a disease that turns the bottom of the tomato brown, can help decrease the risk of tomatoes around the infected one from getting the disease. End rot usually occurs due to uneven watering or a calcium deficiency. To help the infected plants, sprinkle limestone around the base of the plant on the top layer of soil. Also, in dry periods hand water the plants deeply once a week.

* Harvest basil leaves

- Harvesting basil leaves comes down to one simple motto: Take as many as you can! Cut off as many leaves as you can when they seem fully blossomed, then cut the stems back by one-half or two-thirds to promote bushiness later in the season.

* Remove dying flower heads

- You can tell a flower head is dying by its fading color or loss of petals. Also, cutting off heads of flowers like the rose of Sharon or buddleias can help prevent the excessive seeding from the flowers head. Removing the flower heads will also help the re-blooming of the flowers in the late summer.

* Beware Japanese beetles

- These fun little critters will get everywhere! Roses, hollies, grapevines, Japanese maples, apple and linden trees, and tons more are hot spots for these plant-eating bugs. Removing them now, early in their attack, will prevent an onslaught of the beetles later in the summer. Try help with organic gardening; do not use pesticides that can damage your plants and the environment. Instead, handpick the beetles and put them in soapy water.

* Prevent plant mildew fungus

- Lilacs, zinnias, garden phlox, asters, bee balm, crape myrtles and verbena are plants that are prone to developing mildew. This powdery layer on the plants can be sprayed by an organic spray and will prevent disfiguring diseases. If the fungus goes untreated, the plants can turn a gray-white color and plants can be totally dried out.

* Fertilize container plants

- Container plants are just like your regularly grown plants, just more mobile! That means they deserve the watering, and fertilizing you would give it if it was planted in the ground. While you’re fertilizing, make sure the pot is still draining freely and re-pot lost soil.

* Thin tomato plants

- This green gardening tip is done extremely easily; simply pinch with your fingers any stems that are growing out of the crotches of the tomato branches.

Don’t forget to look for these flowers blooming in your garden this month:

* Black-eyed Susan

* Garden Phlox

* Daylilly

Melissa Rubin is a senior copywriter and Web developer at OTO Networks, a digital marketing company located in Baltimore, Maryland. Her primary responsibilities include SEO, link building and creating content for multiple sites. A preview of a site on which she has worked, http://www.AGreenRetirement.com, is available with this article.

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