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Creatively
Frugal Gardening
What creatively frugal tips do you have for keeping down the cost of
gardening?
"Once a year in May a group of women at our church has a perennial
swap. The perennial beds need to be thinned anyway. What better way to
get rid of the extra plants than sharing it with friends? I have picked up
new varieties of plants for my garden this way, too." ~ Jacki
"My gardens are filled with plants
that friends have shared with me and now I'm able to share with other friends. Plants such as
hostas, lamium, bleeding hearts, (what we call) scented geraniums, etc, etc,
etc, can all be split into more plants.
Living in northern Wisconsin poses the problem of 'munching'
deer. But ferns transplanted from the woods to my gardens don't seem to tempt
them. My gardens are bordered by great looking rocks also
gathered in
the woods and along roadsides. Small rocks may be used to create walkways.
Anything I do purchase has to be deer-proof and able to be split - for
sharing!" ~ Lyn
"For annuals and vegetables I save seeds
from last year's plants. Also, having a compost pile is a great money saver.
It saves water when used as a mulch. It fertilizes the plants as it breaks
down and keeps the weeds at bay. The other thing we use is drip irrigation.
It saves A LOT of water and the water goes right to the plant, which also
keeps weeds down, since the ground isn't all wet and weed seeds won't
germinate as easily in dry soil." ~ Tinuveil
"Our church is having a 'Plant Swap'
for the second
year. The local newspaper did a great article about
it last year. What a wonderful way to meet new
people and share our bounty! This year's 'Plant
Swap" is April 30." ~ Diane
"I use a rain barrel to cut down
on the cost of watering my yard. I got the rain barrel for free
through www.freecycle.org
" ~ Suzie
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"The best way to cut gardening costs is to host a Perennnial Swap
Party. Invite your guests over and ask everyone to bring a perennial
or annual plant from your garden. Then swap. Make sure
everyone marks their plants so you know what you're getting.
It's a great way to welcome spring and start an annual event!" ~
Anonymous
"Though this is a frugal method
of gardening, I think of it more as a joy, frugal or not.
There are several plants in my garden that have come from the
gardens of my friends. In the front corner is a Rose of Sharon
given to me by my next door neighbor, Barb. She also gave me a
slip of a rose bush that originally came from the garden of the
mother of our 87 year old friend, Margaret. I see fernleaf peonies
from Diana, trillium and Jacob's ladder from Sandy and that is
just a small example. Many of my plants have found homes in
their gardens. It is a wonderful living reminder of good friends
and neighbors." ~ Laura-Jean
"My husband makes me so proud! We've just moved into
a new home (our first), and he just couldn't wait to plant some
tomatoes. The problem is our backyard has a considerable slope
to it. I suggested terracing it, but the cost of those fancy
stones they sell at the home improvement stores almost made us
sick! So hubby started asking around and found a local quarry
that sells their rock for $20 per ton. The stone is
beautiful, just the right size, and, with a little work, fits
together very nicely to make a perfect wall. Well done, Hubby!"
~ Emily
Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to share
his or her ideas!
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