Gardening for Less

Answer 1

How to Save on Garden Supplies

Gardening is an American pastime that is enjoyed by millions. Whether it's a flower garden or vegetable garden, it can be an expensive pastime. There are various ways to save money to enjoy the gardening hobby without taking out a second mortgage on your home.

Become friends with people in your area that may be in gardening groups or individual gardeners. Community gardens will often have excess plants that people have given to the garden when they thin out their own crops. Check out online resources such as Craigslist and freecycle.org to locate seeds, plants and cuttings to fulfill your gardening needs. You can often find great deals on gardening tools as well, including some compost or tools that are free.

Start new plants from cuttings of bushes, flowers and vegetable plants that you already have growing. Often, these cuttings are not hard to propagate and can give you filler plants and shrubs without having to purchase them.

Save seeds for seed sharing with other gardeners in your neighborhood or through online resources. Call your local nurseries or landscapers that may wish to rid themselves of old plants they have acquired through business dealings or if nurseries have plants and flowers that are outgrowing the marketplace area.

Gardening can be fun but there is no need to make it expensive as well. Between the online resources of the internet, friends and neighbors that enjoy the same hobby, you can obtain the tools, plants and information you need to be a successful gardener.

Answer 2

To save on gardening costs, consider starting plants from seeds, swapping plants with friends or neighbors, using homemade compost as fertilizer, and shopping for discounted plants at the end of the season. Additionally, using mulch to retain moisture and reduce weed growth can help save money on watering and weeding.