How to Develop your Garden on a Budget
March 2, 2010 by admin
Filed under Gardening Tips
These days, all of us are looking for ways to get more for less, and when it comes to starting a garden and developing it to maturity, this happens also to be the BEST way of doing it. There are two reasons for this. First, when starting a garden on an unlimited budget, we can be far too likely to purchase too many plants. Gardens should be started with fewer plants that are allowed a season or two to establish their place in the garden. You’ll also learn how to best care for them when there are fewer that require your attention, and along the way they will become old friends. Secondly, when the budget is large, the tendency to use store-bought fertilizers is greater. The long-term health of your garden is dependent on developing natural, organic fertilizer to feed your flowering friends. So, be glad for a limited budget and enjoy the process of slowly developing a fantastic garden that will mean so much more to you in the end.
The first step to developing a garden on a budget is to be very discriminating in your choice of plants. As you consider what you will plant, read widely on plants that grow well in your climate zone. Talk to gardening friends about their favorite plants, and why they appreciate them. Spend time at a local nursery walking among the perennial flowers and bushes, studying their characteristics and asking lots of questions of the nursery plant specialists. You’ll discover that each plant species has its own personality, and with careful consideration you’ll be able to choose plants that you will truly enjoy nurturing and tending to.
Secondly, and related to the first step, find gardening friends who are willing to divide some of their plants and share them with you. You’ll have the added pleasure of knowing you received your plant from a fellow gardening enthusiast, which will strengthen a friendship while offering the plants you desire.
The third step involves vegetables in the garden. Ask your family which veggies they will most enjoy, and then stick to those options. That way, what you grow won’t go to waste, and you’ll get all your money’s worth from the plants you choose. This is especially true if you plan to spend a little more to get starter plants like tomatoes, peppers, broccoli or seed potatoes. With vegetables and flowers, start with seeds whenever you can to further reduce expenses.
The next step is to start a compost pile so that you never have to buy expensive fertilizers. See our guide on composting for complete information. For starters, save your non-meat kitchen scraps and your garden or yard waste. Pile these together in a corner using a border of hay bales, chicken wire, or old lumber. Add a 10 to 1 mix of brown material like dead leaves and green material like grass clippings. Stir up the mixture, soak it with water, and wait until it fully decays into compost. Then use it to feed your growing vegetables, perennials, shrubs, and more. Along these lines, find a local rabbit raiser, and ask for rabbit manure, which is an outstanding source of organic fertilizer!
Finally, look for multi-purpose plants to grow. Herbs often boast beautiful, usually small and delicate flowers that are aesthetically appealing. The bonus is that they can be used to add zest to any meal made in the kitchen. Some flowers, like violas, pansies, bachelor buttons, and even roses may be eaten, too, if you are really adventurous!
In the end, you’ll be glad you had a limited budget, because the process of developing it will be more intimate, more hands on, and you’ll have more energy and emotion invested in this wonderful process.
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