| Divide and transplant. It doesn't take long
for plants to start to take over your flower beds. I grow some herbs and
daisies that seem to creep inches through the flower bed each week. Instead
of letting plants like these take over the flower bed, transplant them to
another part of the yard. Flowers like daisies are easy to dig out in big
clumps and move around wherever you want them. In several years time, the
investment of a few dozen flowers or flower bulbs can multiply into many
times the amount you recently purchased.
Give and receive. It's fun to trade plants with
friends and family. I've landscaped much of my yard this way. Iris bulbs
from one friend, grape vines from another, it adds up fast! And all from
people who were looking to get the excess plants out of their yard. After
your yard has had a few years to get established, you will be able to share
also. This is the best way to plant your yard with no expense at all.
Look for unexpected opportunties. One of our
neighbors gets free sod from several local curb companies. After a job, they
just unload the sod at his house. When he doesn't have a need for the sod,
he gives it to us free of charge. We've put down several hundred dollars
worth of sod at no cost to us.
Creative container gardening. I like to plant
in containers a lot, but planters can be so expensive. Get creative about
your garden containers. People use wheel barrows, tool boxes, kitchen sifters,
colanders, old boots, children's wagons, baskets, and many other things for
creative container gardening. Just make sure there is adequate drainage so
the water can find its way out. See
http://www.gardenguides.com for
more container gardening ideas.
Weigh the alternatives. It's easy to get carried
away in the vegetable garden. I get all caught up in having a little of this,
and a little of that, often spending more than I had intended to and growing
vegetables that cost next to nothing at the grocery store when they're in
season. For example, green peppers in season you can get for 4 or more for
$1. That's maybe not worth it to me to grow them. Tomatoes, on the other
hand, are definitely worth the effort and will save us a lot of money throughout
the summer.
You don't have to have a lot of money to have
a nice garden. You just have to be creative and look for opportunities. Make
the decision that you will only spend what you can afford, and you will still
end up with a beautiful yard you can be proud of.
~~~~
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~~~~~
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and
mom who is the author of the Creative Homemaking Recipe of the Week Club
Cookbook, a cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For
recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, frugal living,
and family fun, visit Creative Homemaking at
http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
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