It's Not Too Late to Plant

Many people think that late fall is a time to stop gardening, but this is the perfect time to be thinking ahead. Winter and spring blooming bulbs should be planted now through November with bulb food, and by following the instructions for planting. They actually need the over-wintering to flower in the spring. Just think about the surprises you will have when they begin to burst from the ground with color in the spring after you have forgotten all about them through the winter! If you can't wait for color, plant pansies over the top of them for winter color.

There are many cool season vegetables that you can plant as well, such as broccoli, cabbage, garlic, onions, along with ornamental cabbage and kale. For fall color, look to heucheras and mums to spice up your garden.

This is also the perfect time to do cleanup in your garden. Doing this now will help prevent problems next year. Prune dead branches from trees and shrubs. Rake your leaves and pick up falling fruit that can harbor insects and pests and to keep away garden diseases.

As always, if you are unsure about when and how to plant or take care of certain areas of your garden, you should ask your local garden center!

Landscaping Improves Your Home's Value

In these tough economic times, we are all looking for ways to save money. One of the ways you can protect yourself is by increasing the value of your home. Did you know that by doing some simple landscaping you can increase the value of your home?

Two studies, one by Mark S. Henry of the Department of Agriculture and Applied
Economics at Clemson University and another by Robert L. Degner of the Florida Agricultural Market Research Center, University of Florida found that landscaping contributed to higher resale values in single residences. Interestingly, Mark Henry’s study, "The Contribution of Landscaping to the Price of Single Family Houses: A Study of Home Sales in Greenville, South Carolina," pointed out not only did homes with excellent landscaping sell 4 to 5 percentage points higher, but homes with poor landscaping in neighborhoods with excellent landscaping sold for 8-10% less.

Planting trees and shrubs helps, and so also can paving areas of your property. You may not be able to afford or have the ability to build a deck, but paving areas with flagstone or paving blocks can have a similar effect with less cost and labor. If you spread bark products or gravel in certain areas you can make them more uniform and attractive. A little landscaping can go a long way!