|
Gardening can get expensive. Soil, fertilizer, flowers, plants and
shrubs can cut into your tight budget yet there are ways you can
garden and stretch your money.
Shop around. Plant nurseries are not the only place to purchase
plants. Local grocers, farmers markets and flea markets are places
to find great deals. One idea is to shop end of season sales with
nurseries or garden departments since they get rid of current stock
to make room for new plants and shrubs in season. Plants are markdown
significantly at end of season sales. Try shopping during weekday
mornings and cultivate relationships with nursery salespeople who can
be valuable in your quest for items and markdowns.
Trading bulbs and plants with friends, neighbors and family is a
great way to garden with little or no expenses. You can swap plant
clippings, bulbs and other plant material. Just clip a portion of
your plant to swap with your friend or neighbor. That is one way I
got many of the houseplants I have today. They started out as
clippings from my mother and now they are full grown plants!
Try gardening with creative containers. Let's face it store
bought containers can get pricey so why not use what you have at
home? Try wheelbarrows, tool boxes, wagons and other things you have
lying around your home. Drill holes in your container and add
pebbles or stones before adding any soil to insure good drainage.
Recycle what you have on hand. An old nursery changing table can be
transformed into a potting table for your gardening materials and
tools. All you need is a coat of plant and water sealer for it.
Unused bricks and/or rocks make good flower bed edges. Dig around
your flower bed and place bricks diagonally along the edges.
Don't forget and leftover paint you have around the house can
decorate pots and containers.
When you think about it, you have many resources to choose from to
garden on budget, so why not starting gardening today?
| 
