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Gardening on the cheap - Plant Swap
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Gardening is so good for green living. Your family saves money, spends quality time together, and is rewarded many times over, with fresh food. Because so many people have decided to start their own gardens, retailers have started charging outlandish prices for simple gardening items. You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to make a family sized garden. I have written about ways to save money while gardening on a budget. I have also shared how to start seeds for pennies.
Another way to garden on the cheap, is to host (or attend) a plant swap. Spring is the time of year that many plants need to be divided. Many people purchase 6 packs of plants, and only need one or two.
Swapping your extra plants is a great way to gain an assortment of varieties for your garden, all on the cheap. Most neighborhoods have community bulletin boards, where you can post flyers. These are the places that you want to advertise your plant swap. If you have seen notices for yard sales, post your plant swap info at the same place. I have found a few simple rules will make swapping easy and fun for everyone.
- Bring a plant, swap a plant- Have everyone who attends, bring as many plants as they want to bring home. That way, everyone gets a chance to bring home as many as possible, without anyone feeling slighted.
- Provide shade - No matter what time of day, it is a good idea to provide some sort of shade. Overheated swappers are cranky.
- Provide something to drink - I find cold water with lots of ice, is perfect. Ambitious youngsters can sell cups of lemonade.
Other than that, think about parking and what hours you would like to run the show. Keep it simple, and you may just find that your little plant swap becomes a yearly event.
