smnoel
10-09-2003, 03:59 AM
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?
~ Happy Gardening ~
About the Author
Sandra Kuykendall-Lombard is a free-lance writer, craftswoman, artist and homeschooler as well as a SAHM to a special needs child. As a free-lance writer, her content focuses on gardening, crafts, relationships and family life. She is currently working on writing a children's book for Special Needs on Bedtime stories while maintaining a position as a Moderator and Community Leader at Baby University, an online parenting community.
http://www.babyuniversity.com (http://www.babyuniversity.com/)
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?
~ Happy Gardening ~
About the Author
Sandra Kuykendall-Lombard is a free-lance writer, craftswoman, artist and homeschooler as well as a SAHM to a special needs child. As a free-lance writer, her content focuses on gardening, crafts, relationships and family life. She is currently working on writing a children's book for Special Needs on Bedtime stories while maintaining a position as a Moderator and Community Leader at Baby University, an online parenting community.
http://www.babyuniversity.com (http://www.babyuniversity.com/)