Thinking of turning that black thumb into a green thumb without spending too much ? Here are 5 ways you can start gardening for a fraction of the cost!
Compost:
By composting your food scraps you can create your own fertilizer for free! You’ll also be helping reduce unnecessary food waste and help the environment, while helping your plants grow without a ton of chemicals. However, if your own compost isn’t enough, go to your local compost centre. In fact, compost centres will often give you compost for free or for much less than the price of a bag of fertilizer.
Take stock of what you’ve got:
You probably already have a lot of the tools and containers you’ll need lying around the house. Therefore, look up a list of materials a new gardener may need and gather up what you’ve already got. Don’t have some of the items? Get creative with things from your recycling bin. For example, turn old soda bottles into a sprinkler, or drip irrigation system. Use toilet paper tubes or egg cartons as seedling pots. Use old takeout containers as mini greenhouses. Get crafting!
One man’s trash is other man’s gardening tool:
Still lacking equipment like a shovel or rake? Check out garage sales for cheap ones. You can also look online on Craigslist , Kijiji, or Facebook Marketplace for secondhand items that will be much more affordable. Don’t forget to look as well, at your local dollar store, they will often carry gardening tools for a lot less than your local hardware store.
Use the vegetables you already have for your gardening needs:
Instead of tossing out the tops of the carrots you’ve just chopped for dinner, or the base of the
celery, try regrowing these scraps! There are many tutorials online for growing small kitchen
gardens from vegetables you’ve used. Some of the easiest to restart are carrots, lettuce, celery,
and green onion. It doesn’t cost you a dime!
Perennials:
It may seem like a no brainer, but it is a good idea to get plants that will bloom over and over
again. Many perennials are easy to grow, and to take care of. Spend a bit more the first time
you plant, but reap the benefits for years to come! Try something easy for your first garden like
Purple Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susans, or Sedum.
Happy gardening!