Spring gardens on a budget
April 14, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Eco Simplicity, gardening
Now that spring has arrived you might be planning your spring and summer gardens. Gardening is overall a budget deal because it saves you money on fresh veggies and fruits (seeds cost way less than store-bought produce). That said, the cost of starting a garden can add up. Here are some ways to save.
Only use reusable or recyclable planting gear: Old egg cartons can be used to start seeds or you can make your own growing pots with recycled materials you’ve got laying around the house. If you’ve already got plastic seed starter posts make sure to reuse them (just …read more
Frugal Flowers
May 5, 2007 by Deborah Ng
Filed under Eco Simplicity, General, Simple Pleasures
Today I made my annual pilgrimage to the local garden center for cheap annuals. I love gardening but buying enough flowers to add color to my property can cause bankruptcy. I find that by buying flowers from the clearance racks, I can still beautify my property, but spend very little money. Case in point: this afternoon I bought six flats of petunias. Normally they’re $4.99. I bought them for .50 cents each because they were wilted and some of the leaves were a little brown. That’s easy enough to fix, after I plant them in some nice, …read more
Thrifty Gardening
March 23, 2007 by Deborah Ng
Filed under Eco Simplicity, General, Reusing and Recycling, Simple Pleasures, Simpler Thinking
In another month or so it’ll be planting season. For many gardeners this can be an expensive time. Plants and supplies really do add up. Many plants are worth the investment, for instance, vegetables. It’s much cheaper to grow your own fresh, delicious veggies than to buy produce at the supermarket. Bulbs are another good investment, because they come back every year. Because annuals die out after the first or second frost, they’re seen as a bigger risk. Still there are ways to save.
My marigolds are the gift that keeps on giving. About five or six years ago, my sister …read more
