I wanted to do a lovely long post about gardening, and then found this book in the library and realized that they’ve done a much better and more thorough job than I ever could hope to write on the subject. If you like gardening, I would highly recommend this book.
The Frugal Gardener: How to Have More Garden for Less Money, by Catriona Tudor Erler, is an excellent resource for any gardener, and specifically those who enjoy the concepts that I discuss here on Not Spending Money. The book has so many wonderful tips and ideas on growing things for less and making a garden thrive on a limited budget that I couldn’t include them all in one blog post even if copyright laws allowed, so i’ll just share a few of my favorites here and encourage you to go read the book.
The book discusses a number of techniques for not just saving money during the gardening process, but avoiding spending in certain areas altogether. Some of my favorite not-spending tips are:
- Some plants grow well from cuttings– you can just cut some of the plant off and stick it in the dirt. If properly tended, they’ll just grow roots and become a new plant. There are lists in the book of which plants do well with this method and how to care for them.
- You can grow plants from seed for your garden, and collect the seed for free from a number of places — your own garden, a friend’s garden, or even an amicable place of business if they have flowers for ambiance (as long as you ask permission to take the seeds!) Instructions on raising plants from seed are in the book.
- You can build good soil without expensive chemicals by making a compost pile and using the compost in your garden. Good sources of compost ingredients are your kitchen scraps, waste from tree removal services, or a nearby stable. There are additional tips on building a good compost pile.
- You can fight garden pets and diseases using existing household supplies, mulching properly, or even wise planting combinations.
- Dried herbs from your garden can make terrific presents, especially to your friends who like to cook!
For those times when spending money is a necessity, the book talks about making sure your dollar goes a long way and you get the most for your buck. Some tips on good spending are:
- Buying better-quality tools means that they will work better, save time, and last longer than cheaper varieties. Keeping them well-maintained is important, too. These guidelines will save you money in the long run. There are tips on what to look for when buying yard tools.
- Buying the healthiest plants you can will save you money on replacement costs and will yield more plants because they’ll grow faster. The book talks about what to look for in healthy plants.
- By stretching the growing season, you can make the most of your money by growing more plants. You learn when the last frost is in your area and start plants indoors accordingly so they’ll be ready to grow when the weather is warm. You can also cover your plants with plastic or blankets if you need to keep in extra heat.
- Installing a drip system will enable you to water your plants deeply over time. Not only will this save hundreds on your water bill, but it’s better for the plants because it encourages them to grow deep roots and also ensues they are not neglected.
The aspect of the book that I like the most is its core mindset that frugality is about removing barriers to what you want to do, not installing them. It’s not about taking shortcuts for a cheap effect or learning to deprive oneself because of budget restraints. Frugality is about opening doors, not closing them, whether it is in the garden or elsewhere in life.
I would like to point out that I have no affiliation with the author or publisher whatsoever; I just found this book in the library and think it’s absolutely terrific. It had so many good tips and ideas that I just had to share it with all of you. If you are a gardener, see if your library has this book and see if you find it as inspirational and helpful as it is to me. Or if you have read it already, let me know how you’ve implemented these tips and ideas in your own garden!
