It's the dead of winter and we're now past the excitement of the holidays. Here in the Chicagoland area and more northern climates, we're settling into the months of more severe cold. These cold days and nights bring blistery winds and temperatures that make us shiver ... and finds us dreaming of the warmer spring weather
ahead.
About this point in the winter, many of us begin to check our mail and search the internet for new gardening magazines and websites showcasing inspirational gardening ideas.
We then hunker-down on the couch flipping through the catalogs and magazines we've received. Computer on our lap. Pen and paper in hand, so we can make notes off the internet regarding the latest variety of flowers and new landscaping ideas that will brighten-up our property.
Especially now with the challenging economy, many of us are searching for ways that we can:
- (A) Save Money while landscaping and gardening
- (B) Improve the overall appearance of our home.
- (C) Increase the value of our home.
Elevating your home's "curb appeal" will definitely help accomplish that. But with money tight, professional landscaping sometimes just isn't in the cards. With some research and knowledge, the right tools, smart plant purchases (or sharing), and hard work ... you can save yourself some money by performing l
andscaping upgrades and improvements on your own.
So what I've done, is a little research on my own. It will help you get a jump on Spring. The information and sites I offer will provide you some good reading, lots of great web surfing, and lots of gardening inspiration. And oh yes, perhaps while you're sitting in front of your fireplace or enjoying a few warm blankets ... a few thoughts of beautifully warm weather ...
The following website offers some suggestions and tips as to what you can begin planning and doing right now ... so you're ready to rock come warmer weather. Ask any true gardener, half the fun of gardening is in the planning.
Knock yourself out folks viewing and considering options within this site: It's custom-made for garden dreaming. http://www.bhg.com/gardening/gardening-by-region/midwest/march-tips-the-midwest/.
If you live in the Chicagoland area ... you may find that the soil surrounding your new home has a pretty heavy concentration of clay. Most gardening experts will advise you to prepare and improve your soil to make it better for the flowers you wish to plant/transplant. But that obviously can raise the cost of beautifying your property.
There are those flowers that will grow well even in clay soil. Consider these 25 hearty plants in some of the areas you're hoping to spruce up and cut down on the costs of black dirt and soil preparation. http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/perennials/best-plants-to-grow-in-clay/
Here's a website that will provide some inspiration and motivation. It will help to chan
ge dreams into concrete ideas you can work with. The information contained within this site addresses all aspects of landscaping and has loads of great pictures and garden layouts provided too.s http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/gardendecor/
For my fellow Illini, our very own University of Illinois' extension services are far-reaching. The University sponsors workshops of all kinds in many locations throughout the State.
If adding a fresh vegetable garden to your home is in your plans for this spring, here's a University of Illinois link you'll want to check out. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/directory.cfm. And ... if you're looking for a natural and inexpensive way to fertilize your garden soil ... think manure. That's right! Manure! The U of I extension service can help you with that too! Check this page out: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/manurecentral. They've got the topic covered ...
In Part 2 of this post ... I'll offer some more great websites, ideas, and information for you that dream of green thumbs.
Make sure you check it out!
Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President
Personal NMLS #216987
The Federal Savings Bank
1823 Centre Point Circle, Naperville, IL 60563
Now on Skype! 630-219-1316
