How to Have a Frugal Gardenby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 01 Apr 2009 11:27 AM
My husband's biggest concern is prepping an area for a garden. Because of our location, we would need fencing to protect a garden from deer, bunnies and other critters who would love to have a free lunch. For this end, I am putting all of my feelers out for free fencing. My plan B would be to use the screen on our porch, nailed to some lumber, after we replace the screen with a newer one (this has to be done anyway). His next concern is for the cost of soil in a raised bed. I simply pointed out all of the rich, dark soil in our two acres that has been laying under years of leaves. A raised bed could be made out of scrap lumber, if need be. Next comes the cost of the plants themselves. There are a few ways to get plants inexpensively. You can start your plants from seed. Seeds are much less expensive to purchase than are seedlings. Also, if you plan well, this year's garden can yield your seeds for next year's garden. You can trade for plants. Save any good plants that result from your thinning of your garden or purposefully plant extra seeds. Then trade these seedlings with others to have a well-rounded garden. How do you garden frugally? Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right. Favorite Deal Websites: Related Articles: Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments StBridgit (322) 01 Apr 2009 06:24 PMOne of the most frugal things you can do is to have your soil tested. Yes, it will cost you a small amount of money upfront, but getting your soil properly balanced with nutrients and with the right pH will do more to raise your yields than anything else you can do. Most areas have soil deficiencies that require specific amendments, and unless you test your soil, you won't know what it needs. Also, look for free gardening classes through your county extension office, your county's master gardener program, or local plant nurseries. You will get plenty of local know-how for free (again, increasing your yield), and you can make friends who might have seeds or seedlings to spare which they will share with you. The last thing is to plan your garden properly. Be aware of the water needs of different plants and group plants with the same watering needs together. Give the plants the right amount of room to spread or climb as necessary, and make sure your shorter plants aren't shaded for half the day by your taller plants (i.e. know which way the sun tracks across your bed through the day).  Mary Ann Romans |
Frugal categories |
Every year when I talk to my husband about gardening, he gets that look in his eye and says, "You know, it isn't going to be cost effective." This is because although growing our own food could in fact cut our grocery bill, all that is entailed with actually starting a garden from scratch could cost money. So in dedication to the love of my life, I thought I would come up with some ways to have a frugal garden.
