Frugal Spring Garden Report
Last year our 3 raised beds grew so much food, we grew confidence in our ability, too.
Right now I'm digging new beds in the 4 corners of the yard. I'll plant climbing roses, blackberry and raspberry canes against the low trellises that fence the roving toddler. (I need all the prickly barrier I can get!) Then I'm direct seeding an herbal border at their edge: greens, parsley, basil, dill, etc. Practical and ornamental! The former herb spaces--now open in the raised beds--will be planted with more tomatoes and green beans.
I'm not alone in my spring fever. At dinner this weekend, my friends couldn't stop talking about raised beds. "Did you see the fancy octagonal sets at Costco?" "Oh, Home Depot sells a much more basic kit for $39."
Here are a few frugal alternatives for raised bed gardening:
- Cinder Block Gardens
use concrete bricks to hold the soil in. Cheap, portable, no saw required!
- Salvage a kiddie pool for an instant raised bed.
- Raised ground beds use no materials other than carefully mounded soil.
- Lasagna gardening techniques help you fill (or mound) a planting area without a lot of prepared soil.
What to plant?
For a great free resource, check Little House In The Suburb's beginner garden plan, which tells you exactly how many seeds to put in each square. You can still find 4/$1 seed displays at Walmart and other discount stores until they sell out. I even spotted copies of Mel Bartholomew's All New Square Foot Gardening book
What methods are you trying in your garden this year? Have you discovered a frugal new garden strategy you can share?
7 Responses to “Frugal Spring Garden Report”
March 30th, 2010 at 1:00 am
We have three large cinder-block gardens and LOVE them. I also have a large (30′x30′) garden that is more square-foot gardening styled, but I love my cinderblock gardens MUCH more. They keep out slugs and bugs more efficiently, are easier on the back, grow less weeds (really!), and the kids love gardening in the holes of the blocks!
March 30th, 2010 at 4:26 am
I’m trying my hardest to create a garden this year. for 10 years now i have totally ignored our garden which means that it was overgrown beyond belief. it has taken me four months to clear it and get rid of all the debris without costing me a lot.
now i have to work out how i am going to fill my garden with flowers etc without spending a small fortune.
little steps i guess.
March 30th, 2010 at 9:05 am
I was determined to grow some veggies this year but we did not have extra cash to invest in the raised beds I had all planned out. Our front flower bed had become really overgrown though, so dh cleared the whole thing out for me and we filled in wih some fresh dirt and manure. I planted lots of vegetables, herbs and a few flowers and so far nothings dead! For me that’s an accomplishment! And it actually looks lovely.
March 30th, 2010 at 9:56 am
I want my yard to be ” the pretty one” on the street… but my handicapped green thumb will most likely prevent that from ever happening.
March 31st, 2010 at 8:45 am
Your trellis sounds lovely! the prickly canes so wise, and yummy.
This year I will be growing all non-GMO seeds and beginning the learning curve of seed saving.
We had an unexpected micro-climate change when neighbors removed large trees, providentially, exponentially increasing sunlight hours and intensity. We could even put in a couple of dwarf apple trees…struggling with paring down all the crazy dreaming.
Daughter and I are adding ornamental gourds, white pumpkins, Northern hardy watermelons for planned late-summer/autumn selling, too, in addition to the usual herbs and salad veggies.
March 31st, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Since we will be moving sometime soon, I am not putting anything in the ground. Instead, I am going the container route. We have a local nursery that accepts used pots and gives away those they don’t use. FREE!
Okay, I am planting flower seeds in the front yard. 1/2 price at BiMart and cheaper at Dollar Tree and Walmart.
The Feed & Seed always has the best prices on veggie starts, so that’s where I’ll be getting those.
Susan
http://susan-chicdaisy.blogspot.com/
April 1st, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I usually start from seed, but I’m sure between my cat and kid they wouldn’t make it this year.
I took out the former owner’s flower beds (weed beds really) and have been slowly making them veggie gardens year by year. I spread my first bit of home made compost this Spring!
We harvested our first chives this week to top some chili and will be feasting on home grown cole slaw any day now. My cabbages are HUGE!
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