garden. A packet of seeds cost less than the price of 1 tomato plant. Below is the plants we grew for last years garden. This years are already started but most of them are still germinating so the picture is not all that exciting.
As the country has come into tough economic times, most families have had to figure out new ways to make ends meet. Gardening just may help your family get though some tough times. Even if you have never gardened before, this may be the year to give it a try! Even if you do not have much room! You can start with just a few tomato plants and some lettuce in pots on your patio. OR... dig up the grass in a sunny spot next to your house. You will be amazed at what you can grow!
If you really do not have the money to purchase many seeds, check out someplace like the dollar store or Rite Aid. They usually sell seeds 10 for $1.00. They are not the #1 seeds in the world but they will do just fine for a first time gardener.
If you think this may be a new hobby for you and you want to do it every year, you may want to invest in a few packs of Heirloom seeds. With heirloom seeds, you can save the seeds from the veggies you grow and use them to start next years garden! We order our Heirloom seeds from here.... Seed Savers Exchange. Each year we order a few new packets so that eventually we will have strictly heirloom.
We got our starter pots from someone who saved flower pots for a few years and listed them on free cycle. We use the same ones... year after year. BUT... do not let the lack of starter pots stop you. Make your own pots from newspaper. Go here to learn how.... YouTube - Newspaper Seed Starter Pots.
Here is a great top 10 list on gardening.... Vegetable Gardening - Starting a Vegetable Garden.
And, here are a few freebies to get you started!
User account The Great Sunflower Project - get free sunflower seeds
Agrimarks.com master - free plant markers
Grow Your Own Organic Salad - Earthbound Farm - free lettuce seeds
Free Seeds from America The Beautiful Fund - free plant seeds, free flower seeds - get them free!
Free Milkweed Seeds Live Monarch butterfly - plant these seeds to attract butterflies!
Free Seeds for Schools - if you are a school or community garden you can get these free seeds
Gardenlink.com - free plant food samples
Frugal Gardening... it works for me! Go here... We Are THAT Family to see what works for other people.
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14 comments:
Thanks for the resources and links to free seeds. I am just itching to be back in my garden!
Wow! Lots of good resources here! We've been gardening for 2 years - this will be our 3rd season. I still buy tomato plants and a few others, but some I sow directly into the ground and have had good success. I have a small daycare here, so there's just no more room for starting seeds. I love your little set-up though! Something to keep in mind for next year when I don't have all my kids here all day!
Would you mind sharing how big your garden is, and what you plant?
This is so great! I'm going to be trying a vegetable garden for the first time this spring -- I really appreciate the encouragement and tips. :) We'll see how it goes! I'm a lil nervous...
I have the itch to garden but it's best to wait until after Mother's Day or the plants may freeze! But I do have some wildflower seeds I got last year at an Earth Day event. I think I"m going to start them in a pot for some indoor color and to scratch my itch.
Great tips! Thanks! This will be our third year of veggie gardening and I learn a few things each time. Thanks for the freebie links. Growing your own veggies really cuts down on the ol grocery bill.
Aprilfoolwed, If I had to guess, I would say our actual garden is 400 spuare feet, BUT... we also have an asparagus patch, strawberry patch and herb garden. This year we will be planting several peper plants along the side of the new porch since we can not afford to landscape the entire thing this year anyway. We also have several fruit trees. We also plant several zucchini plants at my FIL's house because we run out of room. We only plant zucchini there though. We have had problems with other family members stealing things we plant there but never problems with the zucc. Heck, once they start coming in, you can't give that stuff away!!!
We plant indian corn, grean beans, black beans, yellow beans, peppers, pumpkins, cucumbers, tons of tomatoes, eggplant, radishes, lettuce, red beets, carrots, gourds and squash.
Thank you for the link to free seeds!
Walmart carries Burpees seeds for $1, and $1.25 for organic seeds. They mostly have hybrid seeds, but some of their seeds are heirloom varieties (like Black Seeded Simpson lettuce).
Great resources:-)
Thanks Carol,Pretty cute resources for gardening.Wish you n all the Mom's around the globe a joyful Mother's day ahead.
lol:)
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We always garden but we are stepping it up a notch this year. Excellent guide and references Carol. Thanks!
So sad -- the Earthbound Farms link is expired. :( I was hoping for some yummy lettuce (one of the only things I have had success in growing!). Thanks for the tips!
Great tips. Thanks for the links.
Thanks for the tips and links! Just to add, I started re-using found water bottles as seedling pots, just by cutting off the tops and making holes for drainage in the bottom. They're free, reusable and stay out of the landfills!
Wonderful idea!
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