Want a Shrubbery? And Not Too Expensive? Now’s the Time

It’s the perfect time of year for planting or moving shrubs, perennials, and trees: The soil’s just right, the mix of rain and sunshine are just right, and as a bonus, discounts abound as garden stores and nurseries are eager to sell off inventory before the winter lull sets in. So if you don’t buy a shrubbery and soon, I’ll be forced to say, “Ni!”

A Boston Globe story gives a nice primer on why you should shop now, and what works and doesn’t work for autumn plantings:

Nurseries want to unload excess inventory, so shop the sales and be flexible about your choices. And don’t buy evergreens. They do better with spring planting. The fact is, most hardy plants actually prefer fall planting.

There’s also lots of good how-to info for getting your plants or shrubs into the ground, like:

Dig the hole, shoveling the dirt into a wheelbarrow where you can mix and enrich it with compost (which you can buy in bags) and a sprinkling of lime and super phosphate. Then, dig an inch of this amended soil back into the bottom of the planting hole. Knock your plant from its pot and use a three-pronged hand cultivator to lightly loosen the outside of the root ball and the sides of the planting hole.

Oh, and if you have no idea what was up with this post’s headline is, congratulations: You are not a Monty Python dork like me. But if you’re interested in pursuing the path to weird comedy dorkhood, here are the Knights Who Say Ni! (and who demand a shrubbery) in The Holy Grail:

As Gas Prices Go, So Go Prices for Used Cars

What do prices at the pump have to do with prices at the used car lot? They actually tend to mimic each other. Higher gas prices tend to cause drivers to want to spend less out of pocket on their automobiles. That means rising demand, as well as rising prices, for used cars—fuel-efficient used cars especially. Used car prices spiked last summer as gas prices soared, and then spiked again earlier this year as the national average neared $4 a gallon. Now that gas prices are retreating, relief is also in sight for consumers in the market for used cars.