It's safe to say everyone has had retail regret and bought something they deeply wish they hadn't. In the gardening world, sometimes that regret isn't realized until it's too late.
One gardener shared their regretful purchase on r/gardening in hopes of preventing anyone else from making the same mistake.
The photo reveals a bag of seeding mulch. The problem is that the buyer thought they were buying regular straw mulch.
Their mispurchase wasn't realized until lots of grass started popping up in the garden beds. Turns out it wasn't a bad batch at all, but it was a mistake too late to fix without some sweat.
"Always read what you are getting before you get it!" they warned.
Gardening is a phenomenal way to save money, decrease stress, and stay healthy. While there is a bit of a learning curve, it's a great hobby that can bring together neighbors and communities.
It's important to know exactly what you're getting before purchasing, especially with online shopping rising in popularity. Labels are now using misleading jargon more than ever to push products and sales despite false advertising.
Particularly in gardening, it's essential to maintain transparency of what you're putting into the soil. One wrong move could lead to countless hours of weeding, and, let's be honest, that's not how anyone wants to spend their time.
Speaking of time, maintaining a traditional lawn can become a part-time job that you don't get paid for. Turf grass is the single most irrigated "crop" in America, and it's for nothing but show. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that Americans use more water for outdoor use than showers and washing clothes combined.
Rewilding or going natural with even a portion of your lawn with native plants, clover, buffalo grass, or wildflowers helps conserve water and lower water bills while creating a healthy habitat for pollinators who are the unsung heroes of our food supply.Â
Using natural pest control methods like ladybugs, trap crops, and mosquito-repellent plants helps keep toxic chemicals out of the yard, which helps keep our waterways and oceans cleaner and greener.
The gardener's mistake was met with empathy by another Redditor who suffered through the same fiasco.
"I did the same," said one comment. "It's all cleared out now!"
"Make sure to read the label," the OP exclaimed.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.