Landscape Tips to Save Money

Do-it-yourself landscaping projects can be lots of fun.

Better Homes and Gardens magazine provides the following money-saving landscaping tips.

--Don’t buy plants with wilted foliage, broken branches or uneven growth. Cheap plants aren’t always a bargain.

--Buy younger trees and shrubs, and be willing to wait an extra year or so for then to mature.

--Always use plants that are hardy in the climate. Species listed as “tender” in the area are probably not worth the effort.

--Salvage existing shrubs and incorporate them into the landscape plan. Even overgrown specimens can often be rejuvenated by careful pruning. Spirea, viburnum, barberry, privet, forsythia and lilac are just a few of the many deciduous shrubs that will sprout new growth after being clipped.