How to be a frugal gardener

This is Marilyn’s reworking of Hubby’s idea. We replaced our grill, so planted a garden in the old one. She saw what we’d done and did it herself. Hers looks better.

I owe this list to Nature Moms Blog.

1. Grow Your Own Plants from Seed — Seeds are cheaper than nursery-grown seedlings so growing your own will save you some green. Local seed exchange programs and community gardens might also provide you with free seeds.

We overdid on seed starting last year and were overwhelmed with eggplants, something I don’t even like that well! We didn’t get around to starting any tomatoes and peppers this year, but I intend to try again next year, just with a more reasonable amount.

2. Don’t buy peat pots when you can use your leftover toilet paper rolls, eggshells, or newspapers for free.

I don’t use peat pots. We throw our eggshells in the garden for fertilizer. As I’ve written before, newspaper makes wonderful mulch. We generally burn our toilet paper rolls in our fire pit. Toilet paper isn’t romantic, but the fire is.

Marilyn remodeled her kitchen last summer and used the old sink as another container. In her yard, container gardening even includes the kitchen sink!

3. Instead of buying containers for container gardening, why not recycle household stuff like old boots, buckets, baskets, metal tins, old toys, apple barrels, wheelbarrows, broken plastic tubs, etc. A few years back, I took two old wheelbarrows and stacked them on top of each other in my front yard and planted in them. The result was so gorgeous that a picture of it ended up in a small local newspaper.

I’ve never gotten my planter’s picture in the newspaper, but I have used all sorts of objects as planters. Someone in town has put a bike in their garden, lined its basket with moss and planted annuals in it. I love that. However, the work of continually watering containers in our semiarid climate wore me out last year. I’m taking a break from most container gardening this year.

4. Make your own pinwheels. I use pinwheels in my garden to deter critters and while they are not that expensive (usually only $1 a piece at the store) I can save $10 or so and have a nice time crafting with my kids by making my own — and they aren’t plastic, which is a plus. I just love the look of pinwheels blowing around in the garden; it is lovely. Ribbon attached to a stake works well too.

The link above shows how to make paper pinwheels. I wonder how well these would hold up in our lovely High Plains winds. They do look fun.

5. Look for open bags of soil at your local gardening center and seedlings that are past their prime. You can usually get some steep discounts on those items. Ask the cashier if they can cut you a deal.

We recycle our potting soil, dumping it into a metal trash can we salvaged. And we shop end-of-season garden sales.

6. Re-purpose broken watering cans by using them as planters or by cutting off the spout and using them as refill containers for bird feeders.

I never thought of using a watering can to refill bird feeders.

7. Do you or any of your neighbors have fish tanks? When it comes time to clean the tanks use the water to give your plants a tonic they will love.

No fish tanks here, but it’s a great idea for those who have access to one.

8. Use a plastic garbage can to collect rain water by putting it under a drainage pipe. Then just scoop out water as needed instead of reaching for the hose to water plants.

Rain water? What rain water? I keep a dish under the spigot to catch the water that inevitably drips from it. Mr. Kitty loves to drink that water.

9. Use kitchen scraps to make your own compost and put banana peels under your roses to give them a potassium boost.

We also throw our coffee grounds in our rose bushes. Vegetable kitchen scraps go straight into our garden.

10. Cut down on fanciful flowers and plant some drought-tolerant plants instead, like one of my personal favorites, hens-and-chicks.

I could definitely do a better job of this.

11. Grow food and you won’t have to buy as much at the grocery store! You can even grow your beauty products.

Last year we made our own salsa and spaghetti sauce. This year I want to make both of those again, plus our own pesto. I did a poor job of bean picking last year and intend to remedy that this year. I feel virtuous when I look at jars full of our own produce.

12. Put old saucer or plates under your pots to collect water run-off.

Unfortunately, these old saucers catch just enough water to breed mosquitoes. Nasty things.

13. Line your pots or containers with 6-8 sheets of newspaper to help them retain moisture so they won’t need to be watered as much.

I had never thought of this. I do lay down a heavy mulch blanket over my containers. When I started doing that last year, I was amazed how much watering I saved.

14. When it rains, scoop up your indoor plants and set them outside for a little while to get a drink.

Rain has wonderful nutrients that tap water doesn’t have. Definitely give those poor indoor plants a drink.

15. Shop for gardening tools, containers, and lawn and patio furniture at yard sales, garage sales, and barn sales.

Or fish them out of the trash!