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"Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul." -The Koran
Here’s a list of ways you can save money on gardening while still creating a beautiful and productive outdoor space:
1. Soil & Compost
1. Soil & Compost
Make Your Own Compost – Use kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and leaves to create nutrient-rich compost.
Mulch for Free – Use grass clippings, shredded leaves, or wood chips from tree services.
Use Natural Fertilizers – Eggshells, coffee grounds, and banana peels provide nutrients for plants.
Soil Testing – Avoid unnecessary fertilizers by testing your soil with an inexpensive kit.
2. Plants & Seeds
2. Plants & Seeds
Save Seeds – Harvest seeds from your own plants or swap with friends.
Start from Seeds – Buying seeds is much cheaper than purchasing plants.
Use Cuttings & Divisions – Propagate new plants from existing ones.
Grow Perennials – Invest in plants that return every year, reducing replanting costs.
Plant Native Species – They require less water, fertilizer, and maintenance.
3. Tools & Equipment
3. Tools & Equipment
Buy Secondhand – Check thrift stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces for used tools.
Maintain Tools Properly – Clean and oil garden tools to extend their life.
DIY Garden Tools – Use household items like old spoons for digging or buckets for watering.
4. Water Conservation
4. Water Conservation
Collect Rainwater – Use rain barrels to water plants for free.
Use Drip Irrigation – Reduces water waste compared to sprinklers.
Water in the Morning – Prevents evaporation and ensures plants absorb moisture.
Choose Drought-Resistant Plants – Less watering means lower water bills.
5. Pest & Weed Control
5. Pest & Weed Control
DIY Pest Repellents – Use garlic spray, neem oil, or vinegar for natural pest control.
Attract Beneficial Insects – Ladybugs, praying mantises, and bees help control pests naturally.
Hand-Pull Weeds – Avoid expensive chemical weed killers.
Use Cardboard or Newspaper as Weed Barriers – A cost-effective alternative to landscape fabric.
6. Garden Structures & Decorations
6. Garden Structures & Decorations
Repurpose Household Items – Use old tires, pallets, or containers as planters.
DIY Trellises & Raised Beds – Use scrap wood or branches instead of buying new.
Shop Discount Stores – Dollar stores and thrift shops often carry affordable garden décor.
7. Smart Planting Strategies
7. Smart Planting Strategies
Companion Planting – Certain plant combinations help each other grow and deter pests.
Succession Planting – Grow different crops in the same space at different times for continuous harvests.
Grow Vertical – Maximize space by using trellises for climbing plants.
8. Community Resources
8. Community Resources
Join a Community Garden – Share resources and plants with fellow gardeners.
Attend Plant Swaps – Many communities host free plant exchange events.
Follow Local Gardening Groups – Online forums and Facebook groups often share free gardening supplies.
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Buy smaller bushes and tress which are less expensive to buy and easier and cheaper to plant. Mail order garden catalogs like www.bluestoneperennials.com and www.classygroundcovers.com specialize in selling tiny perennial plants for fewer dollars.
Dig out older perennial plants and divide them to make more plants. Then you can trade to get new plants. Try your neighbors and local gardening clubs or visit online gardening swap sites like www.davesgarden.com and www.gardenweb.com.
Your city or county may well give away shrubs and trees to keep overstock from dying and to keep the neighborhood green. Some municipalities also distribute free mulch. You can also check local horse stables for free manure.
Use backyard insects to control pests. Go to www.garden.org and click on the pest control library for more information.
The Paul Parent Garden Club site (www.paulparent.com) provides valuable information and seasonal tips for gardeners in all regions of the country. Paul’s topics include horticulture, perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, lawns, flowers, herbs, vegetables, cooking and gardening supplies. You can also reach Paul’s Garden Club on Sunday mornings (check his website for more information-just click Listen). Paul Parent has been on the radio providing gardening advice to listeners in New England for over 17 years. Tune in and find out what you have been missing.
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QUOTES:
QUOTES:
Natural Homemade Insecticidal Soap: "I love to garden! Yes, I am a certified Master Gardener. One of the things that I have learned to do is to make my own insecticidal soap. You can make your own for much less than you can buy in the stores. You will need:
2 tablespoons baby shampoo
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 gallon of water
Mix all of the ingredients together. An old, gallon milk jug works great. Then pour it into a hand sprayer or a clean spray bottle. Mark any bottles and store them properly. Spray the solution on all of the plant that is infected with bugs. You may need to spray your plant everyday for three or four days to make sure that you have killed off all of the bugs and any newly hatched ones.This will save money for insecticidal soap and save money on replacing plants that have died due to insect infestation. Now, sit back and enjoy your bug free garden! RKH from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Homemade Organic Pesticide: Combine 1 head of peeled garlic and 2 cups of water in a blender and blend on high until garlic is finely pureed. Store covered for a day and strain out the pulp and add 1 gallon of water. Put brew in mister bottle and spray tops and bottoms of plants' leaves. Insects don't like the smell and will keep off. Use weekly. EB from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Next Year's Garden: When you are raking leaves this fall, don't just bag them up and have someone haul them away. Instead, use them to put a thick layer of mulch on your garden. This will save you a ton of money in the spring. To keep the leaf mulch looking good and from blowing away, pile your leaves against a wall and run over them with the mower once or twice. Rake them up and layer them thickly on the garden. If you have enough leaves, you can bag them for use during the following spring and summer. They smell better than bagged wood mulch, break down into wonderful humus in the garden, and are free! Angela from Dollar Stretcher tips
Winter Lawn and Garden Tools Prep: Most of us are near the end of grass growing season. We'll be putting away all of our gardening tools for the winter. I take a little extra time now to prepare everything for storage. I empty any gas tanks or run them dry. Ethanol will separate over the winter, and the mower won't start next spring. Then I clean off anything that's crusted on my mower. Finally, I coat just about everything with WD40 to prevent rust. It only takes a few minutes now, but it saves me trouble come spring! Jenn from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Easy Liquid Compost: I love to garden and have a spinning compost tumbler. In the past, the problem was that sometimes I had more compost scraps to add to the bin than I had space in the tumbler. I didn't want to spend money on another large-capacity tumbling compost bin because they can get very expensive. I started grinding up my leftover food scraps, a few used napkins or paper towels, egg shells, etc. (with water — you don't need it super thick) in my Vitamix blender. I then put the ground up mixture into a five-gallon pail and add water up to the top of the pail. I water around my fruit trees, plants, and bushes with this solution. I'm composting instantly, and food scraps aren't left whole to entice raccoons and other animals. Plus, I manage fine without purchasing an additional compost bin. As a word of caution, I don't grind up corn cobs or animal bones in my blender. Zoe from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Water-Saving in the Garden: Living in the desert can make gardening challenging without much water. Several years ago, I started using plastic soda or water bottles to maintain moisture on some of my plants. After rinsing the bottles out, I poke a hole in the lid. I then thread a piece of cloth, torn into a strip about 10 to 12 inches long, through the hole. I leave about 4 to 6 inches on the outside and stuff the rest down into the water-filled bottle. I then place it on its side by the plant to keep plants moist. I put a good layer of mulch over the bottle to keep the sun off. This is particularly good for transplanting small trees and bushes, but it also works well with many veggie plants.
Retha Y. from Dollar Stretcher Tips
Host a Produce Swap Party: If you garden, consider making parties out of produce swaps and canning/preserving activities. Invite friends over with their extra garden bounty and trade with others while enjoying refreshments and trading garden stories. Or, consolidate produce and can or preserve food in a group setting, asking everyone to bring along canning jars, fruits, veggies, etc. It's a lot of fun and you can try new methods and recipes. A swap party is cheap entertainment and a great way to put up veggies and jellies for winter or holiday gifts. If friends don't have a garden, invite them anyway and they can swap other items like the pectin needed for jelly or a bottle of wine or seltzer.
Z. from Dollar Stretcher Tips
A Great Source of Cheap Landscaping Plants: As an avid gardener, I am always looking for ways to save money while creating my ideal garden. One way I have found takes patience but is well worth it. Everyone knows that plants from the nursery are at a premium price during the growing season. To avoid these high prices, I have designated a section of my garden as a test garden. Late in the summer or early fall, when nurseries are trying to reduce their stock with clearance sales, I snap up plants I think I would like to include in my landscaping plan and plant them in the test garden. Sometimes, these poor creatures are wilted and neglected. But for a few pennies and a little love, they always come back the following spring. By placing these orphans in my test garden, I get to see how they look when healthy and can take my time moving them to a permanent home. No more paying top dollar for plants that may not thrive in my yard or spending good money on plants I may not like.
Mischelle from Dollar Stretcher Tips
BOOKS
1) Upcycling Outdoors: 20 Creative Garden Projects Made from Reclaimed Materials
2) The Frugal Gardener: How to Have More Garden for Less Money
3) BOOK: Small farms can reap BIG profits!
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