gardening ideas – user's Blog!

School’s out and summer’s here. Along with the more relaxed routine and the warmer weather, many families are finding that they have a lot of time on their hands right about now. If you’re looking for something to do with the kids, why not tackle a few projects around the home? Not only can you keep the kids entertained, you can improve your property values, and make your home more comfortable for everyone at the same time. Best of all, each of these projects is budget friendly and can be done for under $500.

1. Create Homemade Stepping Stones

If you have a garden path, outdoor patio or eating area, consider making some homemade stepping stones with your kids. Stepping stones can enhance the whole area, and you and your kids can customize them to make a personal statement around your yard.

Budget

You can make stepping stones for around $20 a piece depending on the types of embellishments you use.

Money Saving Tips

Make molds out of things you already have in the house such as pie tins, pizza boxes, and bucket lids.
Buy your embellishments in bulk and use them again and again throughout the stones.

Helpful DIY Tips

Mix up only enough concrete for one stone at a time.
Get your mold and embellishments totally ready before mixing your concrete to avoid it beginning to set too soon.

2. Build a Brick BBQ

If your kids are handy with Legos and other building blocks, why not give them a real challenge to build this summer, and take on a family brick barbecue. A brick BBQ is actually not too difficult to build, provided you take your time, and it costs a lot less than some top-of-the-line grills. Best of all, it’s sure to become a point of pride for the whole family for years to come.

Budget

The average cost to build a brick BBQ is around $500, including the concrete pad, bricks, mortar, and other tools necessary to build.

Money Saving Tips

Look for reclaimed bricks or pavers to build your BBQ with. Many can be found for free or low cost at salvage sites.
Rent equipment rather than buying it to save money on set up costs.

Helpful DIY Tips

Pour a level concrete pad that you can build on for stability first.
Hose off your bricks about 30 minutes before you start. This will prevent them from absorbing too much moisture from the mortar.
Remember that you can turn your bricks 90 degrees every so often to create a pattern in the sides of the walls.

3. Install a Fire Pit

Does your family love to entertain in the outdoors? If so, you may want to consider installing a fire pit near your patio for everyone to enjoy. Fire pits can be large and imposing or something simple and minimal, so it’s possible to find something that will fit your landscaping and your family’s needs. Your kids will find that stacking the stone is as easy and fun as creating a block structure indoors.

Budget

The average cost of a 5’ x 5’ stone fire pit is around $500. The total costs for this project range from $200 for a DIY pit to $1400 for a decorative, granite fire pit.

Money Saving Tips

Look for reclaimed bricks or pavers to build your fire pit with
Buy things like crushed stone to fill the surrounding area with in bulk to save money

Helpful DIY Tips

Use fire bricks or stones meant for this purpose to ensure they will contain the fire safely.
Use curved bricks or blocks for a round pit that doesn’t require any cutting.
Dig out the area around the pit and fill it with crushed stone to prevent fires from stray sparks, and to increase the visibility of the project.

4. Paint Your Front Door

Summertime has everyone running in and out the front door, which can mean that it starts to get a little battered over time. Adding to this, is the impact that your front door has on your curb appeal. Break out the paint and have your kids help you paint the front door to revitalize the entire area.

Budget

The average cost of painting a door is around $100, including the cost of paint and supplies for the whole entryway.

Money Saving Tips

Ask to see odd paint at the hardware store – this is paint that was mixed, but wasn’t sold. Often you can get several cans of high quality paint much more cheaply this way.

Helpful DIY Tips

Use an angle brush around the edges of the door, then roll the paint through the center.
Plan on applying at least two coats of paint for the best coverage.

5. Build a Waterfall

If you have a pool, garden, or small pond in your yard, and you want to enhance your landscaping, consider building a waterfall feature with your kids. Waterfalls add a tranquil, soothing atmosphere to your yard, and can be a real draw for everyone on the property. Best of all, DIY kits are available that allow you to build the waterfall out of lightweight composite materials – perfect for putting together with your kids one hot afternoon.

Budget

DIY a waterfall kits are available for around $450.

Money Saving Tips

Save money by installing your waterfall someplace you already have water flowing like a pool or pond. While you can buy waterfalls without current sources, they cost more money to run when you need to add water to the set up.

Helpful DIY Tips

Purchase a kit with lightweight material that doesn’t require cutting; just follow the stacking and mortar instructions as if you were putting together a block kit with your kids.

Summer can feel endless without enough to do. These five projects will keep everyone busy, and will help enhance your enjoyment of your property this summer. Take on any of these DIY, budget friendly projects with your kids under $500 this summer and beat the summertime blues in style. To find out more about what things cost, be sure to visit Fixr’s Cost Guides.

Get everything you need for these home improvement projects with Cash Back at Ebates here: Ace Hardware, Build.com and Lowe’s.

Spring is the time of new beginnings. And if you’re thinking of taking advantage of the new season by spending time in your yard and starting a garden, we have a few tips for you. Make sure to check out all the stores that have Double Cash Back during Home and Garden Week over at Ebates! You’ll find some great deals on all the gardening tools you need a stores like Home Depot, Sears, and Walmart.

1. Plan
The first step may seem obvious but it is important! Plan what you want. Do you want a flower garden, vegetable garden or herb garden? Keep in mind that it is better to start small. You can always add more once your garden starts to be successful.

2. Choose a place to plant
Do you have a sunny or shady space to plant? This can be a deciding factor on what to plant as most vegetables and some flowers require about six hours of sun each day. So if you don’t have a lot of sun, look for plants that can tolerate the shade. Make sure that you plant your garden where you can’t ignore it. If your garden starts to need attention, you’ll notice it faster than if you put it in an area you rarely see daily.

3. Prepare the ground
Get rid of the sod that is covering the area you want to plant and spread compost to improve the soil. Using an organic material will boost your soil. Using compost, dry grass clippings, decayed leaves, or old manure will improve the soil and make a perfect starting point for your garden.

4. Decide on your plants
Now that you’ve picked your area and what type of garden you want to have, you’ll want to pick what you want to plant. Some plants are harder to grow and maintain than others, so we suggest these easy-to-grow plants for beginners. If you’re planning to plant flowers, try out marigolds, geraniums, pansies, or daylilies. If you’re planning to plant vegetables, go for peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers.

5. Put them in the ground
Learn about which plant you’ve chosen and when the best time to plant them is. Some plants and vegetables are picky about the cold and you will want to wait until all frost has passed. Some plants will fare better planted in autumn or late winter. Some plants, such as lettuce and sunflowers, are easy to grow from seeds. But you may find that it is easier for some flowers to buy a set plant or transplant and just pop it in the ground and grow from there.

6. Water your plants
You’ll want to water your seedlings daily, as they should never dry out. As they grow, you can taper this off. The new transplants will need watering every other day until their roots become established into the ground. After the initial process, watering depends on the humidity of your climate, soil, and how often it rains. If you see that your plants are starting to wilt, they are in need of water. Slowly water so that it is absorbed and does not run off.

7. Keep it up
You’ve started your garden! Keep in mind that the garden will take work. You need to water when needed and pull weeds before they grow large and overtake your garden. In the end, just stop and smell the roses. Or whatever you choose to plant!

Do you enjoy gardening? Are you planning to start one this year? Let us know by leaving a comment!

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