While it’s easy to spend a fortune on plants, fertilizers, pots and a well-manicured lawn, your gardens shouldn’t be a sink hole for your hard-earned cash. Follow these tips to get beautiful results that won’t bury you in debt.
Join a horticultural society
Fran Dennett, a volunteer with Master Gardeners in Ottawa, says joining a horticultural society can help you save big on plants. Not only can you score plants at a fraction of the store cost at society sales, Dennett says you also receive the benefit of getting a mature plant that has been grown in your area, meaning it will be quicker to take to the soil. Also, because they’ve been cared for by members of a horticultural society, they’re often in better shape than store-bought plants.
Plant from seeds
Plants increase in price the larger they are. Starting from scratch can save you a bundle at the plant store. A package of 40 seeds costs between $1.50 and $3.
Recycle egg cartons and yogurt containers rather than buying expensive starter pots and focus on seeds that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Dennett recommends looking for annuals that have long blooming periods such as alyssum, calendula, cosmos and nasturtiums. Nasturtiums make great cut flowers and typically last into the early fall.
Nasturtiums are also edible. Dennett puts them in her salads to add a peppery flavour and unlike other annuals, you can collect their seeds to plant the following year.
“Place them in a paper envelope, then the following year, soak them for 24 hours and plant them in moist soil,� she says.
Reduce your water bill
Adding mulch to flower beds and vegetable gardens can help reduce water consumption, says Neill Ritchie, owner of Ontario agriculture and garden supply firm Ritchie Feed and Seed. “(Mulch) helps the soil to not dry out so fast, so you don’t have to water it as much,� says Ritchie.
Cedar mulch is a good option for flower gardens while plastic, corn-starch-based mulch sheets can be used in a vegetable garden. “It holds the moisture in longer and keeps the weeds out,� says Ritchie.
Installing a rain barrel under the eaves is another way to save on your water bill.
Don’t play brand favourites
Name-brand fertilizers may use cutting-edge technology, but Ritchie says house brands are just as effective and can make a big difference in your gardening budget. “If you steer away from any brand names, you’re going to save between 15 to 30 per cent (by buying) store-branded fertilizer,� he says.
Plan ahead
Buying plants just because they look nice in the store is akin to buying a wedding dress without trying it on. Adding plants that will grow in the light conditions of your yard will save time and energy. While it may cost around $300 to have a plan created by a professional, Dennett says “it’s money well spent.�
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