Now a days everyone is looking for a way to save money, and cut costs. Having your own garden this year is a perfect way to help with that effort and it also helps the environment.
If you have never started a garden, or you are looking for some cheap ways to gather materials here are some helpful suggestions. Most of the items are things you can typically find at home, and can use in the garden instead of throwing them out, or sending them to recycling after use.
Egg-Cartons: Instead of throwing out those cardboard cartons, save the bottom to start seedlings. Then after you are finished with the seedlings you can tear the cardboard up and use it as a base in potted plants. You will want to make sure that the cartons are cardboard and not the foamy material.
Plastic Knives, Spoons and Popsicle Sticks: Instead of throwing those guys out when your done, just rinse them off and save them for when you plant your seeds. Any of these items are an inexpensive way to label your fruits and vegetables. Just use a sharpie to label what you have planted, and stick them right in the ground.
Old Nylons, Twistie-Ties, and Broken Shoe-Laces: Once you are done using any of these items in your house they can be used to secure tomatoes, peas, beans and other plants that need to be tied to poles or stakes.
Used Shower Curtains: Curtains can be used as a protective blanket over your seedlings outdoors if a frost hits. Just simply lay the curtains over you garden if the weather man is calling for a night frost.
Old Plastic Plant Containers: If you are planning on buying some seedlings or other flowers save the individual plastic squares or cups they come in. (Not the trays) I like to use these guys to create borders around my herb gardens, and my mint patch. Just flip them upside down and bury half of them in the ground. That way when someone else is mowing the lawn (like your husband) they know not to get near. And if you want to get real creative you can paint them colors for an aesthetic theme.
Tires: These are a great border also. If you have a couple tires you can great a large patch, this way your mowers know not to run over your plants. Or if you just have one, you can bury it half into the ground and plant a small patch inside it. I suggest cat-nip or another single herb inside the tire.
Rocks: Now most of us hate rocks in the soil because they restrict plant growth. But just don't throw the rocks to the way-side. Save them up and clean them off, and you can create a nice little border around your flower beds, herb patches, and gardens. Rocks also help mulch and soil to stay on hills when it rains.
Newspapers and Paper Bags: Of course you can always just recycle newspaper and bags, but you can also use them in your garden. Once your plants have broken ground and have a couple inches on them, you can lay out the newspaper and bags on the bare areas. This reduced weed and grass growth, and means less work for you! Just make sure to use newspaper that has little to no color ink. Once you lay the paper out, just wet it a bit so it sticks to the ground and doesn't blow away.
Sticks: After a storm, or a windy day it's quite easy to find some fallen branches in the yard. After Tropical Storm Hanna last year, we had some rather large branches fall. I picked out the straitest looking branches and cut them at about 3-5 feet tall and used shoe strings to create my trellis poles for my beans. This is something that you can involve the kids in, and it's one less thing you have to buy.
Wine Corks and Plastic Bottle Tops: If you are going to use some pots this year, you always want to make sure you have a proper draining system. You always want to have a couple of holes in the bottom of the pot, and the first bottom layers you want large bulky object so water can drain out easily and doesn't drown your roots. Saving your old wine-corks, and plastic bottle tops are perfect things to mix with dirt at the bottom. I don't suggest using metal caps though.
Soda Cans, and Tin Pie Plates: If you find you have a bird, deer or rabbit problem, cans and plates are perfect harmless deterrents. Just tie your used cans and old tin pie plates to about 2 feet worth of string and attach it to a pole or stick around 5 foot tall. You can strategically place these poles through out your garden. The reflection and noise scares most animals away, and will protect your precious produce from getting eaten.
Dog, Cat and Human Hair: Now this is something you don't need to save up, but you can use if you find you need it. Last year I'm pretty sure I had a bunny herd living on my property. My poor spinach patch didn't have a chance against a dozen fuzzy friends. The soda cans seemed to only deter the younger ones, and I really didn't want my Jack Russell Sweet Pea killing the older ones. When I finally reached the point of giving up, my co-worker told me this little tip. The next time you brush the cat or dog, save the fur and sprinkle it in the garden. Or if you don't have any pets, you can clean out your own personal brush and do the same. I have to tell you it worked! The scent of a predator animal or human seemed to deter my furry friends from eating my produce.
Leaves, Weeds, and Uneaten Food: After cleaning up the yard, and weeding most of us either bag our debris or take it to the dump. With your thrown out food, leaves, and weeds you can start a nice little compost. You will of course want to designate an area, and most likely have it fenced off to keep animals out. Using left over food like egg-shells, banana peels, and corn husks added with leaves, weeds, and dirt can create a great compost. Just keep in mind you will want to avoid large amounts of meat, and any chemicals.
Rain-barrels: This is one thing you can do, that quite possibly has one of the biggest positive impacts. Using rain-barrels to water your plants, not only saves you money and energy costs. But helps save the Chesapeake Bay, and other bodies of water in your area. You can either place one at the end of drain pipe, or elsewhere on your property. When I attend the Green Festival last year in D.C, I found some creative ways people were doing to save rain water.
Invest In Some Mulch: Last but not least, invest in some mulch. It may cost you a couple bucks, and a sweaty day to move and distribute, but mulch is well worth it. Covering your garden areas in mulch, helps deter weed growth, and also holds moisture. That means less work watering, and less work bent over pulling out unwanted growth. Mulch also helps those tender plants have a better chance of survival if a cold spell hits.
I hope that you can use at least one of these ideas, for your garden this year. If you find it all over-whelming it's OK. Adding one new habit to your daily routine is just fine, you don't have to try to go over-board all at once. It's very helpful to have gathered all your tools and ideas prior to actually breaking ground for your garden. That way there are no set-backs when the time comes to sowing your seeds, or planting your seedlings.
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