Female Speaker: Trends in all areas of the economy or leaning toward cost-effective solutions and gardening yard care is no exception. Homeowners are looking for solutions that will enable them to maintain their yards while reducing cost. Mark Cullen, Home Hardware's garden expert has some cost-effective ideas.

Mark Cullen: Saving money in the yard doesn't necessarily mean that you have to put up with a second rate garden. The truth is there are a number of solutions that you could use, that not only will save your money but also help the environment. Two of those solutions include the use of water, and the actual plant material that you buy this spring for both your containers and your garden itself.

Female Speaker: According to environment Canada, domestic water use can increase by up to 50% during the summer months. Much of it attributed to watering lawns and gardens.

Mark Cullen: Gardening provides a wonderful opportunity to be resourceful. For instance, when the rainfalls you can capture it into a rain barrel and now you have a ready supply of warm, oxygen charge water for use in all of your containers and your garden. Not only that, but it could be handy. Should we have water restrictions implemented in the summer? I strongly recommend the use of mulch the whole moisture in your soil and for even better results use a soaker holes underneath the mulch and save even more water.

Female Speaker: Tropical plants might seem like the logical choice for gardens during a hot summer months, however, native plants that have adapted to their surroundings can benefit your garden in three ways.

Mark Cullen: First, you'll save on water since they've adapted to our climate. Second, you will minimize the need for pesticides due to their natural insect and disease resistance. And third, you'll save money by collecting seeds and taking root divisions that you plant around your garden.

Female Speaker: For more tips and tricks on how to save money on your yard this spring and for any questions, you have on everything from decorating or renovating visit homehardware.ca.