Save money with a summer garden on a budget
Written on July 14, 2011 by Brooke Wardlaw
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There is no doubt that one of the best things about summer can be the fresh vegetables that you can grow in a garden. Not only are they tasty and add great flavour to any meal, but by growing your own vegetables you can save a lot of money. Gardening can also be therapeutic. Many people love to relax in their garden in the evening and let the stress of the day slip away as they get dirty with the earth.
Unfortunately, the cost of putting together a garden can get out of hand very quickly if you are not careful. There are tools that are needed and the cost of seeds and if you don’t have a gardening plan you might find that this little hobby that is supposed to save money ends up costing more than it is worth. You can stick to a budget with a little forethought though.
The first things you should do is plan out what you actually need. It is better to have a plan and buy just what you need than to go to the store and be talked into buying things you will never use or seeds that you will never plant. Make a list before you go to buy your supplies and stick to it.
Ask at your local community centre or among friends about community gardening programs. Sometimes programs like these will offer tool exchanges or tool lending. There may also be people who are willing to trade tools and this can save you a lot of money. Community gardening programs also sometimes offer free composting materials or seed trading.
Make sure that the vegetables that you select to grow in your garden will grow well in the type of soil you have and in the climate. Winnipeg is known for a short summer so you should avoid plants that take a long time to be ready to harvest. Also, consider how much work you are willing to put into your garden. If you know that you can be forgetful, you might want to avoid planting vegetables that need to be covered towards the end of the season. It is better to choose plants that you know you will be able to harvest at the end of the season that to choose vegetables that might not make it.
Finally, remember to mulch. By mulching you will save water because the moisture will be retained in the ground and you will not need to water as often. Mulching also helps to eliminate many of the weeds that appear. In the long run, mulching will save you both time and money.
In Marilyn’s Garden: Have a succulent summer – Winnipeg Free Press …
I am a Master Gardener and volunteer for the Friends of Gardens Manitoba. I have both a city and a lake garden…absolutely different conditions between them. My husband and I travel a lot with our three children all …
Publish Date: 06/07/2011 7:45
http://inmarilynsgarden.blogspot.com/2011/06/have-succulent-summer-winnipeg-free.html
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