Gardening can be an expensive hobby, but there are ways to get around spending tons of money at your local garden center. Here are 5 super frugal tips for saving money in the garden.
1. Shop Lowes or Home Depot’s clearance rack in their garden centers. I can not remember the last time I paid full price for a plant at Lowes. I go straight to the clearance racks. Most of these plants need dead heading of the old flowers, water, or put in the correct recommended lighting. Seriously, stop shopping the aisles of pretty full priced plants. Tons of neglected plants at discount prices await your attention.
2. Look for seed pods. I am not suggesting to do this in places where selling plants is their business. Look for seed pods at local parks, zoos, or a friend’s house. If there is a flower with a seed pod take it home. Have some potting soil and some pots on hand.
3. Thrift Stores. I love thrift stores and you can find some real treasures in them. People donate gardening supplies such as shovels, rakes, and pots when they are moving. Also look for things that you can turn into garden art like pretty colored glass plates. I turn those into bird baths.
4. Fertilizer is free. Do you have any friends that have horses, cows, or a garden fish pond? When I clean my fish pond filters I save some of the fish poop water and use it as fertilizer. Believe me, if you ask a horse owner if you can have some poop they will be more than happy to give it to you.
5. Cuttings and Rooting.There are many plants that you can take a cutting from and place it in a glass of water in a windowsill and it will grow roots. Once it develops a good root system plant it in a pot. Put your new potted plant outside for a couple of hours for a couple days to get it use to the new outside environment.
Reader’s tips from social media:
Save rain water with rain barrels to water plants.
Have a compost bin for rich soil.
Follow or join my Gardening Pinterest Board.
