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Gardening & Outdoors
Plant a Tree: Budget Gardening Tip
Late summer or early fall is the best time for planting trees in many areas. The still-warm soil of the season gives the tree a chance to establish new roots prior to the winter freeze. And, when spring arrives, the tree comes out of dormancy and is ready to grow.
There are many benefits to planting a tree, including the added beauty and shade to your garden and providing a habitat to wildlife, not to mention the energy and cost savings that it can provide.
§ When selecting a tree, consider the following:
§ What is the tree’s purpose? To provide shade, a habitat, beauty to your yard, etc.
§ How tall do you want the tree to get?
§ What is its life expectancy?
§ Is it appropriate to your area/climate?
§ Is it an evergreen or deciduous?
Find out more about how to properly plant a tree from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
For inexpensive trees that are appropriate for your growing climate, check out the Arbor Day Foundation website.
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Stumble ThisCommunity Gardens: Budget Gardening Tip
If you live in an urban area or an apartment, or otherwise can’t have a garden of your own, consider joining a community garden. In a community garden, a group of people share plots of land in one spot. This way you can still enjoy gardening and reaping what you sow, even if you don’t own land of your own. Gardening is a great way to get connected to the earth, meet people, and – of course – enjoy the freshest fruits and vegetables, at a much lower cost than at the market or grocery store.
To locate a community garden in your area, check out the American Community Gardening Asc. (ACGA) website. The ACGA is a bi-national nonprofit membership organization of professionals, volunteers and supporters of community greening in urban and rural communities. They can help you locate a garden nearby, and also provide the tools, training and other resources needed for starting your own community garden.
Summer Gardening Tasks: Budget Gardening Tip
The dog days of summer have arrived, and with them have come the warm-weather flowers and vegetables that we’ve all been awaiting. Tomatoes are starting to turn a warm orange-red, peas are ready for picking, and even the weeds seem to have gained new life. It’s important to keep up with the garden and gardening tasks before they can get ahead of you and make gardening a chore. Following are some tips for what needs to be done in the garden...
5 New Uses for Fresh Herbs: Budget Gardening Tip
If you grow herbs in the summertime, you know that they can begin to get a bit unruly as the warm days grow in numbers. As such, you might be looking for a new way to use up some of those herbs rather than let them go to waste. Here are five new ideas for how to use fresh herbs, both in the kitchen and around the house.
Grilling. Throw a few sprigs of herbs in the coals of your grill to add an extra layer of flavor to the foods you’re...
Edible Landscaping: Budget Gardening Tip
If you live in the suburbs, it’s obvious that the same standard landscaping scene seems to predominate – a few shade or flowering trees, shrubs, and a manicured green lawn. But what good are those trees, other than providing some shade in the summertime and a habitat for birds?
Edible landscaping can provide more than just shade – it can bring fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs that you can enjoy all year round, saving you money on groceries...
Seed Search Engine: Budget Gardening Tip
As true summertime nears, it’s becoming more and more important to get certain seeds in the ground. If you are looking for the perfect heirloom tomato seeds, or old-fashioned beans that aren't sold at the average garden center, look no further.
The editors at Mother Earth News partnered with Google to create a new seed search engine – which searches only current plant and seed catalogs. With access to about 150 catalogs, you’re sure to find...
Coffee Grounds as Mulch: Budget Gardening Tip
Last week we talked about using used coffee grounds (among other things) as natural slug prevention. But did you know, coffee grounds also make excellent garden mulch?
If you’re a coffee drinker, it’s a great way to use those used grounds (and paper filters) rather than just throwing them in the garbage. They can be spread in a thin layer throughout the garden as organic matter, or you can simply toss your used coffee grounds onto the garden....
Outdoor Pillows: DIY
If you want comfort outdoors you could buy these lovely Pottery Barn, striped pillows for $29 each. Or, you could make your own using a repurposed vinyl tablecloth such as this one from Target’s Whim line by Cynthia Rowley for only $3.95 in stores.
We used a Martha (Stewart, that is) idea: Use shower curtains and old vinyl tablecloths to make outdoor pillows. We tried it and it worked great.
Here is how you do it:
1. Cut two squares to the...
Natural Slug Control: Budget Gardening Tip
Garden slugs feed on both living plants as well as on decaying plant matter. On plants’ leaves and flowers, they chew irregular holes, and can clip succulent plant parts. Because they prefer succulent foliage or flowers, they can be damaging to seedlings and herbaceous plants, as well as ripening fruits such as strawberries, artichokes, and tomatoes, all of which have fruits that are close to the ground.
There are a few simple tricks you can...
Outdoor Privacy Screen: DIY
You may have a fabulous home, but your neighbors probably don’t. Or they park their RV in the alley, or there is that fabulous neighbor you call the freeway…In any case, no matter where you live an outdoor privacy screen may not be such a bad idea.
We found these two easy DIY outdoor privacy screens that you can make in a weekend.
Privacy Screen One
This first privacy screen is made by framing a piece of lattice with some metal braces and...
We found these two easy DIY outdoor privacy screens that you can make in a weekend.
Privacy Screen One
This first privacy screen is made by framing a piece of lattice with some metal braces and...
Light up the Outside for Under $35: Entertaining on a Budget
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Summertime is the time for spur-the-moment get-togethers and low key barbeque's on a Friday night. Here are some great, cheap ways to light up your great outdoors to get ready for those summer night parties.
Timeless and classic. The tiki torch gives you light and if you use citronella oil it can keep pesky mosquitoes away. Stick them in the ground or in gardening pots, to create some ambiance and use citronella oil to get rid of mosquitoes. Continue reading
Aspirin to Protect Plants: Budget Gardening Tip
Take two aspirin and call the doctor in the morning, right? What may help ease your headache might also help your plants to thrive, both indoors and outdoors. Before a fungus can attack your ferns or aphids your asparagus, grab the aspirin from your medicine chest and mix up this handy homemade fertilizer, which can be made in a large batch and stored, and used throughout the year.
Many plants produce salicylic acid (the active ingredient in...
Bug Spray: Budget Gardening Tip
This time of year bugs can start eating into your flowers. But before you rush to the store to buy a toxic bug killer, try this simple DIY spray.
Bug Spray How-to
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda in 2 cups of water. Put in a spray bottle and spray on your flowers every five to seven days.
Aphid Spray
Aphids can really do a number on your roses. To kill them, mix 1/3 cup of powdered milk in 1 quart of water. Spray directly on aphids.
What is...
Natural Weed Killer: Budget Gardening Tip
Obviously, the first step to naturally kill weeds is to just pull them out by hand or with an inexpensive hand weed puller, such as for dandelions.
However, if you want a weed killer that’s made from natural products you already have around your home and that’s safe for pets and people, consider mixing up a batch of this natural weed killer.
You will need:
1 cup salt (we used rock salt; table salt can also be used)
1/4 cup liquid organic...
Planting Seeds from Foods You Eat: Budget Gardening Tip
An inexpensive way to grow fruits and vegetables you know you’ll love is to plant the seeds from your favorite fruits and vegetables.
Seed saving has long been popular for reproducing plants from heirloom seeds, and it can easily be done from fruits and vegetables you purchase at the store or at a local market. First, start with organic produce, such as from farmers’ markets. These are the most likely to be of “heirloom� variety, and...
Farmers’ Markets: Budget Grocery Tip
The arrival of May heralds the beginning of many local farmers’ markets. Farmers’ markets are an excellent resource for fresh fruits, vegetables, cheese and other dairy products, and even plants. Produce is extremely fresh, as it comes from the farmers right around your neighborhood, and prices are usually better than at the supermarket. Buying local produce at a farmers’ market is a great way to support your local community and your...
Be Bee Friendly: Budget Gardening Tip
If you’ve been following the news, you’re aware that more than 25% of the U.S. honey bee population has disappeared over the last several winters. This affects many nut, fruits and berry crops – important produce for farmers and food manufacturers, and key ingredients in many of the most popular Häagen-Dazs flavors. The ice cream maker reports that researchers believe causes for the decline in the bee population include:
Protect Plants from Frost: Budget Gardening Tip
Now that spring has arrived, your outdoor plants are safe from the harm of frost, right? Unfortunately if you live in certain areas, a hard frost is still possible. (Click here for more details on frost dates in your grow zone.) However, there are easy and inexpensive ways to protect tender plants from the danger of frost.
Protecting plants from the damage of frost is accomplished by trapping the radiant heat from the ground. This can be...
Earth Day: The Budget Ecoist
Today is Earth Day; a day when we are all reminded that we should make our approach to life a little greener. In celebration, below is a round-up of some of our favorite tips from the Budget Ecoist on how to be green without spending too much green.
The Budget Ecoist helps people save the earth and their wallet with tips on simple, fabulous ways to be green. Here are some of our favorites:
Planting a Container Salad: Budget Gardening Tip
If you’re limited on space but still want to grow vegetables for salad, a container garden might be for you. In fact, with some clever planning, you can grow all the makings for a salad in one container.
For best results, plant the container in the spring and by the end of summer, you will have the makings for delicious salads right on your porch.
You will need:
A container. You can use a one-gallon pot, a window box, or several smaller...
Think Outside the Pot: DIY
Unique planters are a great way to add color and interest to your deck, porch, patio or backyard. Planters can also provide a lush garden for people who don’t have a backyard or who rent. But have you been to your local garden store lately? Planters can cost you from $20 to $80 a piece. Yikes.
Don’t worry. We have some fabulous ways for you to make and decorate planters, so you can add color and interest to your garden for less.
Finding...
Grow: The Look for Less
April 22 is Earth Day and in celebration we’ve found some great looks that will help you bring some indoor style to your outdoors. The best part: All looks are $38 and under.
While $38 might seem like a little much to spend on gardening tools, the “Calle� gardening tools (pictured above) are made of heavy duty plastic. So, no matter where you leave them, they will never rust or warp, which in the long run, saves you a lot of money.
Pop...
Recycled Seed Starting Containers: Budget Gardening Tip
If you’re gearing up to start some seeds this spring, you might want to start saving some containers to plant them in. Using containers that can’t be put in the recycling bin is a great way to save money and make use of something that might otherwise get tossed out. Empty yogurt or pudding cups, egg cartons, and butter tubs all make great seed starting containers. We like to use hollowed out eggs and put them back in the carton...
Decoding Plant Labels: Budget Gardening Tip
So you are thinking about planting something, but the tag has you confused. What does it mean when the packet says the plant requires partial shade? Should the area receive more shade than sun, more sun than shade or equal parts? And what is “dappled� shade?
Here’s a quick primer to decode the messages on those seed packets and plant labels. Before you begin planting your garden, it’s important to determine what areas are full sun,...
Early Spring Gardening To Do List: Budget Gardening
March 20th marks the first day of spring. As such, it’s time to start thinking about your spring garden. There are several things you can do now to get it ready for planting. Following are some tips to get your garden ready to grow.
Clean up last year’s garden soil. If they’re not covered with snow, pick up any dead plants, branches, and leaves, pull weeds, and clean out any other debris that may be in your gardens. Add...
Keeping a Gardening Journal: Budget Gardening Tip
A garden journal includes important information to help you get the most from your gardening efforts. It’s your single best source of growing and gardening tips for next year.
First, decide what medium to use. Find a notebook or binder that strikes your fancy, or go paperless and use a computer document or start a blog. Begin by recording your garden design plan and plant choices for this season. Leave plenty of room for data and...
Spring Planting: Budget Gardening Tip
As the temperatures begin to rise, it’s time to start thinking about your garden. Whether it’s a few pots on the terrace or balcony, or several yards of dirt in your backyard, you can start planning – and planting – now.
Starting plants from seed is more economical than purchasing already started plants, and is a good way to learn about horticulture. Planting a seed and watching it grow is rewarding and brings a...
Frost Dates: Budget Gardening Tip
Before you start planting, consider the frost date for your growing zone. (Click here to access the USDA Hardiness Zone Map to determine your city or region's growing zone.) Frost dates are based on historical data compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture.
The probability of frost or freeze is greatly affected by elevation, the direction of sunlight (north, south, east or west), winds, and other factors. The National Climatic...
Herb Keeper: Budget Gardening Tip
We love growing fresh herbs to use in baking and cooking. Problem is, once they’re harvested, there’s no good way to store them without them quickly turning brown and wilting. The air-tight Herb Keeper ($12.99) from Chefs can hold up to three bunches of fresh herbs in its clear acrylic cylinder. Just add water to the lower reservoir and your herbs will stay fresh for up to three weeks. It works great for asparagus stalks, too.
“Green� Seed Packets: Budget Gardening Tip
Seeds of Change is living up to its name once more by switching its seed packs to new, reusable, recyclable envelopes. The company says its new state-of-the-art packaging requires less energy to manufacture, has a longer shelf life, and can be recycled as #1 plastic. Additionally, the re-sealable packets can be re-used to store unused seeds or reused for other purposes.
Check out the 2008 Gardening Catalog, now available online, and get your...
Free Organic Seeds: Budget Gardening Tip
MI-DEL is offering a sweet deal to gardeners. Purchase any one package of MI-DEL cookies (we suggest the Old-Fashioned Organic Ginger Snaps) and receive a free packet of organic sunflower seeds to plant in your garden. Click here for details.
Here are some tips for using your seeds:
Sunflowers are an excellent way to attract birds and butterflies to your yard, and the seeds are a great food source for wildlife. After the flowers have stopped...
Vermi Composting Basics: Budget Gardening Tip
While composting is usually considered an outdoor activity, vermi composting can be done indoors and is a good use for kitchen and other waste. Vermi composting uses worms to turn organic matter into rich, lightweight compost to add to your garden soil. The compost is odorless and can be kept indoors for handy use.
Starting a vermi composting box is simple and easy.
You will need:
A plastic storage bin with lid (about 50 quart size)
Drill...
Grow Zones: Budget Gardening Tip
If you want to successfully start or maintain a garden, it’s important to know your grow zone. The grow zone refers to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, and will tell you which plants will grow well in the climate where you live. This way, you won’t plant things that can’t survive in your climate.
There are 11 hardiness zones: Zone 1 is the coldest and Zone 11 is the warmest (a tropical area found only in Hawaii,
...Seed Starting: Budget Gardening Tip
If you’ve been to your neighborhood garden or home-improvement center recently, you know that those little seed packets are beginning to show up. Starting seeds can be a cost-effective way to get a jump start on your spring gardening.
Here are three essentials for optimizing your seeds.
Warm them up
Almost all seeds need a warm soil (70-75°F) to germinate. Your seeds will thrive and flourish in consistently warm temperatures.
The Bay Area Seed Exchange: Budget Gardening Tip
If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you’re in luck. Local gardeners and farmers can “check out” seeds through the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL) Project. The requirement: you must attempt to grow the seeds and return some seeds of the next generation at the end of the growing season.
If a local abundance of fertile and non-engineered seeds can be gathered, the group can then participate in the International
DIY: Terrariums
We love these Smith and Hawkin Terrariums (pictured above), but even with our much-anticipated tax refund, we don’t have the $50 to spend on one of these. So we decided to make our own. Using the DIY instructions from the DIY network, a glass jar from the thrift store, potting soil and a small shade-loving plant from the local florist, we made one for under $30. Now, we just hope it doesn’t die like our supposedly indestructible bamboo
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