9 Ways to Save Money Gardening

I'll be the first to attest to my infectious black thumb. Every green endeavor always ends with a brown, emaciated plant banished to the back porch, then the back yard, until I officially pronounce it deceased and ship it off with last night's pizza box. No, I'm not a solid authority on gardening, however, my local nursery offered several great tips on how to get started with a respectable green plot for less.

1. Ask about discounts for sickly plants.
Those wilted beauties are tough to sell, so ask management if they'll offer a discount if you buy several.  Be polite and offer a price to make it easy for them.  You can score up to 75% off when you find a good deal.  Most places guarantee the life of their plants for a specific time (6 months to one year) and this usually includes sale items too.

2. Compost to save on fertilizer.
Find a spot next to the house that is out of the way--the compost garbage can doesn't exactly scream curb appeal--and stick a large barrel there.  Put anything organic in it like leftover or spoiled food, lawn clippings, and leaves.  You can leave meat in it but it makes a big stink.  It will eventually become a dark, wormy pot of flowerbed steroids.

3. Begin with seeds or cuts.  
If you have time to let nature run it's course, growing plants from seed is very gratifying.  Witness the miracle of life from sprout to flower and do it for a fraction of the cost.  You could also buy a seed flat for around $2 to harvest several plants at once.  

4. Ask for clippings from friends or neighbors.
Grandma grew an entire houseful of African violets from one plant using clippings.  Offer to trade your own for a mutually beneficial exchange. The University of Missouri offers a detailed description of where to cut different types of plants to maximize your success.

5. Save the deli containers.
You'll need to let the seeds grow in a small area before releasing them to the big boy garden.  Recycle those plastic sandwich containers to start building your garden with a mini-greenhouse while recycling at the same time.

6. Use gallon jugs for continuous irrigation.
Poke small holes at the bottom of a plastic gallon jug and set it next to your plants during the day for a constant plant IV drip.  

7.  Collect rainwater to hydrate your garden.
Save money and resources with a large 60-gallon trashcan.  Place buckets under gutters to add more to your reserve.  Use the collected water for your beds and potted plants.  

8. Make your own garden stones.  
Don't buy the mass made-in-China decorative stones.  Make your own with a mold, some cement, and broken ceramic plates from the resale store.  Enlist the kids to help and create an inexpensive, personalized garden accessory for very little.

9. Maximize your yard's resources.
Consider what you already have before heading to the home improvement store.  Does a neighbor need to dump some wood chips?  Use them for mulch or to make a path.  Do you have a river nearby?  Gather stones to add visual interest in the flowerbed.

A little creativity and recycling stretches a long way for your green surroundings.  With patience and some hard labor, creating a beautiful and long-lasting garden is just around the corner.  After all, "gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it." (author unknown)