Cheerful Frugality Plays Outdoors
Earlier this spring I decided to let my garden dreams go. Instead, we would work on creating a frugal space all about function and family.
No garden designer would approve the plastic alligator pool (75% off clearance) or the honkin' big A/C unit (newly installed by the sellers after a rigorous home inspection).
Those money-saving details bring a smile to my face. Here are some of our cheerfully recycled ideas:
PLANTS: FRUGAL GARDEN ELEMENTS
Our raised vegetable beds are mostly leaf mulch. We don't buy lawn bags any more. Mowing, raking, and piling most of our leaves make great FREE compost.
We are still picking strawberries planted from my friend's runners. The rest of our vegetables sprouted from saved seeds or 10-cent packets.
We tied trellises made from roadside bamboo trimmings. Our raised beds use recycled pine boards.
My perennials come from the Lowes clearance rack for 25-cents a pot. I splurged on a few potted geraniums at Home Depot's $3.33 sale for the back steps, then rotate them indoors for a centerpiece.
PLAY: FRUGAL FAMILY ELEMENTS
We found a free basketball goal on the curb and installed it on the edge of our drive.
We're building a small fort with tree rounds, pallets and $1 cedar posts from Craigs List.
We fill the alligator splash pool for play, then empty the remaining water for our plants.
We collected interesting rocks for our trash day Step 2 water table instead of buying sand.
We moved our DIY pallet table outdoors for projects and Playdoh.
Even though our back yard doesn't look magazine-worthy (yet!), I'm thrilled with our budget results. How are you living large in your back yard this summer?
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4 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality Plays Outdoors”
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Wow! Twenty-five cents for Lowe’s distressed plants? Not at my Lowe’s. I have found some for 75% off, but most are reduced by 50% at most. Wish I had access to your Lowe’s.
When my kids were small we did a playground and picnic area with innovation and recycled items, and did we ever enjoy it! Today with the kids grown, I still use innovative ideas to create a charming outdoor area for my husband and me, plus guests. These type of projects are the most fun, don’t you think?
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I hit a couple of VERY good Lowes markdowns, but then my store (like yours) pushed the clearance rack prices back up to 50-75 % off.
It really depends on who is working that day and how much is destined for the dumpster. Once the manager offered me a put-everything-in-your-cart for $20 deal.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:40 am
I love your garden tips! We made pretty much all of out raised garden beds out of salvaged wood from old construction jobs. My husband hates throwing out good wood. So when we expanded our garden this year, we used up all the wood we could find to make the beds! Did you know you can also go to construction sites and ask permission to salvage wood? They have to pay to have it removed and they get charged by weight. Usually, they are very happy to let people take it off their hands! We’ve even used the non-chemically treated woods for firewood camping!
August 10th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
That is incredible! I love your gardening tips. We also use leaf mulch for our flower beds. I will have to head to Lowes and see what they have for plants on clearance….
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