Three Landscaping Tips That Will Save You Money

Landscaping projects are expensive and can be time-consuming. You want to make sure that you are getting a bargain on the supplies without compromising the quality of said supplies. This can be challenging because prices fluctuate seasonally. Here are three landscaping tips that will save you some money.

Todd Hotaling

The first thing that you should be doing before you even start landscaping is coming up with a plan and design. This is important because planning and designing will tell you where you are spending money, how much money, and where you can save money.

Don’t do anything that you have any doubts over. If you want a patio but don’t like the design that you have come up with, don’t build the patio. Save your money for a time where you find and design the patio that you want. Essentially, only spend money on things that you are sure about. Save money on things you are on the fence about for a time when you are ready to be more decisive about your landscaping decisions.

It's almost impossible to complete a landscaping project at once. If you do your landscaping project in phases, you will save a lot of money. You will be able to save on credit cost and progress as you can afford. This allows you time to evaluate your plans, make adjustments, and complete your next phase efficiently and in a cost-effective manner.

Todd Hotaling is a professional landscaper and owns Champlain Shores Landscaping and Stonework in Bristol, Vermont. He has a degree in plant and soil science with an emphasis in landscaping from the University of Vermont.

Three Tips for First-Time and Beginner Fly-Fishers

Fly-fishing is an artistic form of fishing that requires skill and technique. It is a relaxing way to fish and can be mesmerizing to watch. Learning to fly fish is difficult, but like most things can be mastered with patience and practice. Here a few tips for first-time and beginner fly fishers to consider.

Todd Hotaling

• Assemble your equipment. You will need a graphite fly rod that will need to be put together. Assemble the rod by starting with the tip section and attention it to the middle section and the butt section. Gently twist the pieces together so that they are tight. Follow the guidelines given with the rod.

• Know the terminology of your rod. The bottom section of the rod is called the butt. The circular metal pieces that are attached to your rod are called the guides, and the real is the piece that is hanging on the bottom of your rod. There are additional guides with differing names but, in general, those pieces are called the guides.

• Figure what grip you prefer to use. Beginners are usually taught to crank the real using their left hand unless they are left-handed in which cause they should crank the real using their right hand. It doesn't matter which hand you cast with, but you went to bring in a fish using your strongest hand.

Todd Hotaling lives in Vermont and enjoys fly-fishing on his days off. He is a professional landscaper and owns landscaping company, Champlain Shores Landscaping and Stonework in Bristol, Vermont.