When I was younger, I was so disheartened by the expenses that I thought were unavoidable. So many sources of information only address gardening in terms of what products, equipment, and modern cultivars are recommended to the home gardener. I was unemployed for the first few years that I lived in this home, but having the time to devote to the garden, I was determined to create a beautiful garden. Nowadays, when I stand back and look at the burgeoning beds overflowing with color, I'm amazed at how little money has gone into it. Below are some ways I found to accomplish the look I wanted to achieve, without breaking the bank. Please share your money saving ideas!
1.Seed starting: Seed starting can be challenging for the home gardener, especially those lacking experience, but is a great way of filling a garden with minimal investment. I was terrible with seeds for many years, till I discovered Wintersowing (or as I sometimes call it, seed starting for dummies). Unlike many seed starting techniques that require greenhouses, lighting, heating pads, various chemical products and growing mediums, Wintersowing requires only seeds, potting soil, and recycled containers. This site is great for explaining how the method works:
http://www.wintersown.org/
2.Composting: Poor soil is a common issue for gardeners today. Modern home construction usually entails bulldozing and leveling that often leaves the home owner with rocky clay subsoil. Leaves, grass clippings, vegetative kitchen refuse, and newspapers, all have the potential of becoming rich, fertile, compost- the best soil conditioner you could hope for! Lack of space for a traditional compost pile prevents a lot of people from composting, but there are other ways to make use of this free fertilizer. One simple method is to just bury small amounts of raw compost here and there throughout the garden. It doesn't take long to see the increase in your earthworm population. Lasagna gardening is another great way to use your raw compost, in a layered fashion to create new beds without digging. Mulching with grass clippings and mulched leaves is a great way to compost on site.
3.Recycling: I reuse anything I can. Every plastic pot is saved, bleached, and used over and over till it falls apart. Milk jugs serve as mini greenhouse containers for my seed starting. Old plastic window blinds and bleach jugs get cut up into strips I use as plant tags. All sorts of wicker, clay, and metal containers get spray painted and used for annuals on the porches. The top of my cold frame is an old sliding glass door. Its amazing how creative you can be with re-purposing items you have laying around!
4.Plant and seed sharing and trading. Gardeners are always finding themselves with surplus of various plants, and are usually happy to share. Plant swaps and trading can be lots of fun.
5.Propagation: Learning to start new plants from cuttings and divisions has been a joy for me. Great for producing more plants to plant, share, or trade!
6.Bargain Shopping: There are lots of great clearance sales to be taken advantage of. Box stores often deeply discount perennials and shrubs when they've finished blooming or are showing signs of distress (I lucked into 5 gallon Lilac bushes for $3.00 each because they had mildew on the leaves). Good mail order sources often have end of season clearance sales- I love ordering 50%off bulbs from Brent and Becky's the day after Thanksgiving! Box stores will often sell torn bags of potting soil, compost, and mulch for 50%off (typically not advertised, and you have to ask the clerk).