Gardening can be a cost-effective way to provide your family with healthy food and flowers, but for some, it can get expensive.
Here are five tips to save you money in the garden:
- Buy only what you need. It is easy to get carried away when you walk into a garden center and see lovely plants in full bloom. A good rule of thumb is to stick to your list and don’t buy anything that isn’t on it. If you do, be sure to put the plant where it belongs in your garden before you get distracted with other tasks. And if you forget where you planted it, take a photo so you can find it later!
- Grow from seeds. Growing from seed is significantly cheaper than buying established plants. A packet of seeds can produce more plants than you’ll ever need, and a packet of beans or peas could be enough to keep your family supplied for years to come. Plus, you can often find packets of seeds for just a few cents each at the dollar stores.
- Grow what you eat. If your family doesn’t eat zucchini, don’t grow zucchini! The same goes for other types of squash, as well as other vegetables that are notoriously easy to grow and prolific producers — unless you plan on giving much of it away, avoid varieties that produce more than your family will eat.
- Use mulch. Using mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil and minimize weeds, which means less watering and weeding for you! In addition to straw (which is the traditional choice), consider using old newspapers or grass clippings.
- Recycle pots and containers. You don’t have to buy brand-new pots every year — instead, look around your home for things that can be repurposed into containers for your plants.
