You’ve started a garden to save money, not to spend it! Who knew that it could be such a costly operation? Mulch, soil, fertilizer…the list seems to go on and on. Before you shell out a lot of cash, you may want to try thrifty alternatives for some items. Here are a few things I do to make gardening frugal:

• Make friends with a farmer. If you know a farmer, paying for expensive fertilizers will be a thing of the past. I asked my neighbor if I could buy a wheelbarrow of aged cow manure and he dropped an entire backhoe load of manure in for me and wouldn’t take a dime. Even if you pay for manure, odds are that it will be cheaper than the stuff that comes in bags at the store. (Make sure it is aged, though. Fresh manure can burn your plants right up!)
• Swap plants with friends and neighbors. I found a good price on parsley – a four pack for $2. I split it with the rest of the family. I also gave away over 30 of my prolific strawberry plants. They hopped out of their bed to grow in the path. In return, I’ll get help digging out a few big things I need to move. In years past, I’ve gotten tomato seedlings, peppers and a ton of perennials.
• Use cardboard and newspaper. I lay cardboard on my temporary vegetable garden paths before I put down a layer of mulch. This way, I can make the layer of mulch a lot shallower and still keep weeds at bay.
• Collect leaves in the fall and chop them up with your mulcher or by running over them with a mower. (Make sure there aren’t any sticks, first.) Chopping leaves gives you a head start on leaf mold, which sounds unpleasant, but is rich crumbly stuff that plants love. This can replace expensive bags of hummus.
• Head to a real farmer’s market. We have one of those overpriced markets where plant nurseries set up booths, but there’s also a local market at the local auctioneer’s barn every Monday. That market is filled with booths of veggie plants that are downright cheap.

Katelyn’s first love is holidays, but she also enjoys living a thrifty lifestyle and has been gardening frugally for many years.

image (c) Linette Gerlach

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Your frugal challenge for Saturday is to be patient with your plants. I intend to buy 2 small plants from my local nursery and then let them grow this year in the pots. Next year I will divide them up and plant them outside. I am hoping that by then, I will have several shoots to plant and won’t need to spend a lot of money to cover my flower garden. Perennials are a great way to save money if you can have patience. Buy the smaller plant this year and divide them up next year. That way you have 2 plants for the price of one and an equally satisfying garden to enjoy. Although, if I could divide and save money, I would enjoy my garden much more! Also make sure you get plants that are very hearty for your area. That way they will grow well with little effort. My personal favorite is celosia. It will grow great and with little effort. They come in all kinds of colors and are beautiful. They are an annual but I haven’t had to replant them as they came back 3 years in a row for me. Go figure.

So enjoy your garden this summer and remember, patience literally pays off if you buy small and then divide and replant next year.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

When you go, don’t fall into the trap of getting the big, beautiful mums.  Pick a smaller plant that is less expensive.  It might take 2 seasons to grow into a massive mum but you will be able to get 2 smaller ones for the price of one big plant.  That is being responsible with your money.  And don’t forge that your little one will love to help you plant it into your garden.  They just love to get their hands dirty!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy