As most gardeners will tell you, keeping and maintaining a garden is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable hobby imaginable. Not only do you have a creative outlet that provides you with satisfaction and hours of peaceful endeavor, at the end of your effort you are provided with fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers.
However, they will also tell you that it can be very easy to go overboard with accessories and additions that can make your gardening habit an expensive one. If you are looking to make gardening a more economical hobby, then read this article and see if you can incorporate some of the tips in your garden.
Recycle those plastic bags you get at the grocery store for clean up. Not only can you use them as trash bags, but you can also use them to store your garden shoes in. That way you don’t have to clean them every time you bring your shoes inside, just seal them up in the bags.
If you have some time, simply buy a high gauge wire and construct tomato cages. With tomato cages running around ten dollars a piece, you can build your own with just some pliers, some wire and some tin snips for only two dollars. Additionally, you can shape them to better fit your specific space.
Instead of using expensive paving stones or flag stones, you can visit a local construction site. If you can find concrete blocks, you can use paint to create a fun and interesting design for little or no cost. This is great for stepping stones, although you probably won’t be able to make a patio out of discarded concrete.
Instead of using small garden pots or starter pots to get your seeds to grow inside, simply use those red plastic cups that they sell at the grocery store. This gives you fifty cups for just a couple dollars instead of fifty cents a piece. You will be set for starter pots for the year, and you can use them as cups, of course.
Instead of buying weed blocking landscape paper, purchase tarps or drop cloths at your local hardware store. They do the same thing and are by far the cheaper option.
Use scrap wood and branches to create your small fences. This looks neat and is free.
In the fall when you prune, you can use the branches from your trees to create vegetable trellises. Simply use twine or zip ties to join the branches together and this will go faster and easier than you can imagine. Not only does this provide you with trellises for free, they can be much more visually appealing than the normal trellises you buy at your local hardware store.
Hopefully, you are now filled with ideas on how to make your gardening hobby more economical and more productive. If you are able to save money, you may just be able to expand your garden into new plants and areas. Good luck with you garden and remember that the most important thing is to have fun.
