Having a beautiful garden can be costly. Whoever coined the
phrase
”
dirt cheap
”
never shopped for garden goods in a modern garden center. Drop a
few bucks for compost and flowers, a few more for conifers and
pavers, and suddenly there’s a gaping hole in your wallet. But you
can ease the pain by using smart garden tips to garden on the
cheap.
Having a beautiful garden can be costly. Whoever coined the phrase “dirt cheap” never shopped for garden goods in a modern garden center. Drop a few bucks for compost and flowers, a few more for conifers and pavers, and suddenly there’s a gaping hole in your wallet. But you can ease the pain by using smart garden tips to garden on the cheap.
Don’t overbuy
Who needs a six-pack of tomato plants or a half ounce of seed? Sure you want some leftovers for next year, but for the next decade? Buy a couple tomato seedlings in 4-inch containers or share seed with a gardening friend. You buy the tomatoes and cucumbers, they buy the squash and peppers.
Keep on the lookout for sales
Sure, we all know the big box stores have garden departments where prices are usually cheaper, but independent garden centers have top quality items that are often cheaper than big box stores when they go on sale. Check out those sales and be a bargain hunter.
Search for alternative retail sources
Your home and garden center may not always offer the best value for the money. For instance, mulch comes in many types and bagged, usually in sizes no larger than two cubic feet. A bale of straw, which can also be used as a mulch, can be bought very cheaply at a farm supply or feed store.
Buy bulk
You can buy bulk compost from area rockeries for around $30 a cubic yard. That’s about enough to fill the bed of a compact pick-up truck. That same quantity bought in bags at a nearby nursery would be more than $100. Bark chips, river rock, gravel and other items also are cheaper when bought in bulk. If you have a truck or can borrow one, you’ll save big bucks. If you need to buy a lot, it’s still cheaper to buy in bulk and pay the delivery charge.
Go small
Buy flowers in six-packs instead of 4-inch pots or gallon cans. Six packs cost around $3 for six plants instead of $3 for a single 4-inch pot or around $5 for a single gallon can specimen. Both big and small flowers all end up the same height eventually.
Purchase late
A shrub that costs $25 in June often can be snapped up for $14.50 in October. Discounts of 50-percent or even 75-percent can be found during autumn sales. The following spring after a winter to put down roots, plants will often be about the same size.
look for free garden materials
Limbs cleared away from power lines are shredded and you can sometimes get the mulch for free from the utility. The same goes for tree-cutting companies. They have to get rid of that shredded material somewhere don’t they?
Brew your own potions
We’ve talked in this column about white household vinegar or even plain boiling water to kill weeds. Why pay for Round-Up when you can brew your own? A little liquid soap mixed with water will kill aphids and snails.
Don’t buy at all
In other words, swap with your gardening friends. Ask a neighbor if you can take a clipping from his favorite geranium.
