Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts have been given some horticulture tips to help them cut down on their contributions to the estimated $40 billion per year that is spent on lawn care in the US.
According to Bureau of Labour Statistics figures, the average American also spends approximately 73 hours per year looking after their grass by mowing it, watering it and performing other tasks.
Bankrate.com has come up with a number of ways to cut down on the effort and expenditure required to maintain a healthy lawn.
The best way to achieve this is to replace as much of the lawn as possible with native plants using a technique called xeriscaping, which involves introducing drought-tolerant species to reduce the need for watering.
This alone can save up to $200 on those with 4,000 sq ft of grass, thanks to the garden only needing half of the water it used to.
Planting fruit trees can also save cash by providing shade for homes, reducing the need for air conditioning.
Furthermore, they also provide nutritious food for next to nothing, with a single semi-dwarf apple tree able to provide four bushels of apples per year.
Meanwhile, Daily Mail writer Bob Beyfuss recently recommended the Big Beef variety of tomato as one he has always had success with.