101 Easy Garden Tips - Better Homes and Gardens

Chapter One: Cheap Plants
Pick up plants for a song
and add color and texture
to your yard!
1
Start plants from seed. Annuals, such as
zinnias or marigolds, are bright, beautiful
and cheap, especially when you grow
them yourself. For the cost of a seed
pack (usually around $2), you can enjoy
a garden filled with flowers. Easy-to-grow
annuals from seed include celosia, cleome,
portulaca and larkspur.
Plant seeds directly in the ground. To save money on potting soil and seed flats, plant seeds in the
2
ground after the soil warms up and there’s no threat of frost in your area. Then just add plant markers to
identify what will come up. (To learn how to make FREE plant markers, see tip 30.)
3
Divide perennials for FREE plants. It’s simple math. Take one overgrown
perennial (say a daylily or a hosta) and divide it into 3 or 4 plants. Dividing
perennials is good for the plant (some perennials need to be divided every
couple of years), and it pays out in green dividends: FREE plants!
Plant small. You
can spend $500 for a large
tree for your yard, but why
pay so much when you can
buy a bare-root seedling
from a mail-order catalog
for as little as $5? To get
the quickest growth from
your tiny tree, plant it,
then water it once a week
during the growing season to
promote deep rooting. Mulch
it in winter and fertilize in
spring. It will be big
before you know it.
4
5
Collect seeds and save.
Annuals, perennials,
fruits and vegetables
all produce seeds
you can harvest to
plant the following
year. To prepare
seeds for storage,
spread them on
a cookie sheet or
window screen. Let
them dry in a warm
area but not in direct
sunlight. (If seeds
become too hot, they
may not germinate.)
Once the seeds are
dry, store them in an
airtight container.
6
Grow natives. Plants that are native to your area—they were original to the
region—are good bets for success. For example if you live in an area that used
to be prairie, prairie natives, such as purple coneflower, will be successful in
your garden. Plant failures waste money, so go with a sure thing.
7 Cover uP with vines. Annual vines are a gardener’s
best friend—they grow fast and spread far. A packet of seeds
allows you to plant flowering vines that garland
fences, ornament walls or entwine trellises.
Morning glory, moonflower and passionflower are
all beautiful choices.
8
Use indoor plants outdoors. Fill your window boxes with
houseplants. Instead of buying new plants, save money and
let your ivy, philodendrons, palms and jade plants enjoy a
summer in the sun. Place sun-loving houseplants in full sun
gradually so they adjust to higher light levels.
9
Harvest cuttings to make new plants. Take
cuttings of plants as they sprout in spring.
With a sharp knife cut 3-inch tips off
stems. Press each cut end into a growing
flat of potting mix and sand. Keep moist.
Transplant new plants into the garden when
they have developed roots.
10 Buy after bloom. Perennials can be
expensive, but garden centers usually cut their
prices once the plants quit flowering. Snap up great
deals on peonies and roses after blooms have faded.
You’ll enjoy them for years to come, especially
when you know you got them for such a great price.
11
Grow an oak tree.
You can actually grow your
own shade trees from seed.
Pick up acorns. (Find them
under oak trees in the fall.)
Set the nuts on their sides in
your garden and cover them
lightly with soil. In spring
plant young trees in sunny,
open spots. Keep well watered
and mulch around the plant
bases to better identify
the young trees.
12
Buy in bulk. If you’re
planting a large
area—for example
under a tree—buy
plants in flats
rather than in 4- or
6-packs. The plants
may be smaller, but
they will catch up
fast once they are in
the ground.
13 Invest in perennials. Although they may cost more than annuals, perennials are good
long-term investments because, with proper care and planting, they come back year after year. Reliable
and easy-to-grow perennials include hostas (for shady spots) and coneflowers (for sunny spots).
14
save the
reCeiPt. Many
garden centers and
nurseries offer a
one-year guarantee on
plant material, but you
need to have a receipt.
Tuck your plant
receipts and planting
tags into a garden
journal or folder so
you can get your
money back if
your tree, shrub or
perennial dies.
15
Seed lawns instead of sodding. Weigh the
advantages of sod versus grass seed.
Sod provides an instant lawn but at a
premium price compared with grass seed.
Grass seed requires at least 6 months to
become established, but it germinates and
grows easily. It’s one of the best ways to
save money.
Chapter Two: Cheap Tools and Accessories
16
Employ “found” objects. Look for beauty in
aged materials. An old watering can or worn
bricks from a demolished building add instant
charm to even the newest gardens. Visit
garage sales (or start in your own basement)
to salvage vintage kitchen or garden tools.
A found-object beauty, such as a discarded
kettle, can make an excellent and attractive
potting partner for plants.
17 Use office overflow. Check your home
office for unused metal wastebaskets and
CD case organizers. These office mates
make excellent planting containers because
they’re porous and can be filled with
sphagnum moss, soil and plants.
18 Plant a kitchen
canister. Fresh herbs
are flavorful, low-calorie
additions to many dishes.
Plant your favorites in old
kitchen canisters. Drill a small
drainage hole in the bottom of
each. Make sure herb planters
get plenty of sun. To learn how
to start herbs from seeds, see
tip 74.
19
Take a ladder to new heights. If you have an old
wooden ladder that’s no longer trustworthy
for ascents, put it in your garden to use as a
plant stand. Or grow vines up the steps.
20
Tie up for less.
Use plastic bags to
make cheap plant
supports and ties.
Wrap bags loosely
around the bases of
floppy perennials to
keep them upright.
Cut bags into small
strips to keep
grapevines and roses
tied up and in place.
21
Get a separate water meter. Check with your water company about having a separate meter
installed for your garden. Metered water for outdoor use is often priced at a lower rate because
there’s no sewer or reuse charge.
22 Pick on-the-
cheaP PaVinG. Don’t
pay for exotic paving
materials when you can
find abundant sources of
local or natural materials.
White pine needles turn
a beautiful burnt umber
color. And wood chips can
be gotten for little money
(or for free!) from treecutting services.
23
Protect seedlings with pots. Pull empty terracotta pots out of your potting shed and place
them on top of tender vegetable seedlings
to protect them from freezing overnight
temperatures in the early spring and late fall.
24
Retool your old tools. Find new lives for old
rusted hoes and garden forks as plant
supports. A trio of long-handled tools can
become a tripod for growing vines. Or use
them as plant stakes for peas, peonies
and delphiniums.
25
Prune for less. You
can pay a lot for a high-quality
pruner, but for small trimming
chores, a $1 pair of kitchen
shears will do the trick. And
if you lose them or leave them
out in the rain, it’s a small loss.
26
Turn a gate into a garden trellis. An old garden gate makes a beautiful trellis for
climbing plants such as morning glory or clematis. Just hang it up on the side of your house or
garage and plant climbing vines beneath.
27
Get edGy. Line
garden beds with free
materials. For example
upturned bottles come
in a range of shapes,
sizes and colors and
make attractive edging
for garden beds. Use
shorter bottles and you
won’t have to dig
very deep holes
to bury them.
28
Create garden edging. Put cast-off
metal grates to new use as decorative
garden edging.
Light up for less. Candles are an
29
inexpensive way to light garden parties. Fill a
mason jar with sand, colorful stones or pea gravel
and add a 25-cent votive candle for late-night
sparkle. It’s the cheapest lighting around: A dozen
jars and votives will run less than $10.
30
Make Plant
Markers. Recycle
plastic mini blind slats to
make plant markers. Cut
them into 8-inch strips,
with a point at one end.
(Note: Older mini blinds
may contain lead; if you
are concerned, substitute
inexpensive wooden
craft sticks.) Write the
plant names using black
permanent marker.
31
Create luminaria. Make rustic luminaria using
an old coffee, vegetable or spice can. Use a
hammer and nail (or a drill) to make holes
for light. Then insert a candle.
32
Use no-cost seed flats.
Seed flats—shallow
trays—are traditional
equipment used to start
seeds. A no-cost seed
flat can be fashioned
from an egg carton.
Or try a pizza box or
Styrofoam carryout
dish—anything that will
hold enough soil to start
seeds and that will allow
you to poke drainage
holes in the bottom of it.
33
34
Tack up a trellis. Make your own climbing plant
support from discarded pieces of fencing.
Attach a strip of fencing to your front porch
to allow flowering vines to spread out and
grow horizontally.
steP in
style. Make
your own square
garden steppers
using pizza boxes
as forms. Mix
concrete and
pour it into the
box. Decorate the
surface with stones,
shells or sea glass.
When the concrete
has dried, peel off
the cardboard and
set the steppers
into your garden.
35
saVe with
a tiller tiMe-share.
Gardening equipment can be pricey,
so buy big-ticket items and share
the cost with a neighbor. Tillers,
chipper/shredders and riding lawn
mowers all become less expensive
when you split the cost.
36
Fashion a leaf mover. Never discard
a worn-out shower curtain or vinyl tablecloth.
Instead put it to good use in your garden. Here a
shower curtain becomes a catch-all for fall leaf
cleanup. When digging holes, vinyl tablecloths
are handy for corralling the soil.
37
create your own cutworM collars.
Protect young seedlings from night-crawling cutworms by
surrounding them with a collar. Cut the bottom off a yogurt
container. Push the container an inch or so into the ground around
the seedling, leaving 2 to 3 inches above ground. You can remove the
collar if you like when the plant grows more hardy.
Chapter Three: Cheap Tips and Techniques
38
Buy quality digging tools. It may be hard to
pass up a $7 shovel, but it pays to buy quality
digging tools. Cheap shovels, spades and
garden forks tend to break after vigorous use,
especially when you’re digging in heavy clay
or rocky soil. Although stainless steel tools
are pricier (costing up to $80 or more), they
are incredibly strong and durable and will
never rust.
39 Buy shrubs that look good in all seasons.
Get the most bang for your planting buck
by selecting shrubs with four-season
appeal—flowers in spring, colorful berries
in summer, fall leaf color and interesting
bark or plant shape in winter. Four-season
shrubs include serviceberry, crab apple
and viburnum.
40 turn on to solar
lighting. Install solar
lights in your garden or along
walkways and you’ll never
pay another cent in garden
lighting costs. Solar lights
should be placed in a sunny
area to collect daylight energy
to light up at night.
41
Choose bulbs that spread. Plant bulbs once in
the fall and watch them gain ground each
year. Bulbs that multiply (a process called
naturalizing) include crocus (above), species
tulips, daffodils and scilla.
42
Plant self-seeding annuals.
Flowers that reseed themselves are
good values—you get free plants
and don’t have to spend time every
year planting them. Be careful in the
spring that you don’t accidentally
pull them up when doing your first
garden cleanup. Good self-seeding
annuals include portulaca, cosmos
(left) and cleome.
43 Choose long bloomers. Select flowers that bloom all growing season. Deadhead
annuals (remove the faded flowers) to keep them blooming all summer. And plant longblooming perennials, such as ‘Johnson’s Blue’ geranium or ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis, that
flower from early summer to frost.
44 plant in the
fall. A shrub that costs
$25 in May often can be
snapped up for $14.50 in
October. Discounts of 50
or even 75 percent are
common during end-ofseason sales. Plus, autumn
is a great time to plant.
45
Cover more ground. You don’t need to plant a
lot of ground covers if you choose varieties
that really spread out. Fast-growing perennial
ground covers include creeping Jenny and
ivy (above), ajuga, vinca and pachysandra.
Make It Yourself!
46
Slug killer
one part ammonia to two parts
water deadly. You can also spread
diatomaceous earth, a powder made
from ground-up algae, around plants
as a barrier to crawling pests such as
caterpillars, slugs, snails,
thrips and earwigs.
47
Organic sprays and dusts Hot-to-the-taste or strong-smelling
herbs, spices and other edibles repel pests. Experiment with mixes of garlic,
parsnip roots, bell peppers, onions, cayenne pepper and pipe tobacco.
48 Aphid control Add a few drops of dish
soap to a squirt bottle full of water and spray
on leaves to kill aphids.
49
deer repell
ent
Use old soap bars as a deer
deterrent. Save soap remnants
from your bathroom or hotel
soap from your travels and place
them in a pouch made out of
pantyhose or cheesecloth. Hang
the pouch near trees, shrubs or
other plants you want to protect.
50
Compost Feed your plants naturally
and improve your soil with compost.
For quickest results use a tumbling
composter. Or if you’re patient, place
your organic materials in a bin or
even just a pile and let nature do
the work.
Mulch Share rental
costs with a neighbor
for a chipper/
shredder for an
afternoon and turn
your fallen tree limbs
into garden mulch.
cold frame
A cold
frame made from an old
window extends the season
on both ends—protecting
plants during early spring
or autumn cold snaps.
52
53 Grass killer Pour undiluted vinegar
onto quick-spreading (and hard-to-weed)
grass that grows between bricks on paths
and patios.
51
Chapter Four: Save Time (Because Time is Money!)
54
Use weed cloth. Landscape fabric on top of
your garden soil stops weeds from being a
problem. Landscape fabric enables air, water
and nutrients to reach the soil but keeps weed
seeds in a dark, cool environment where they
can’t germinate. Place the fabric on the ground,
cut a hole where your plants are positioned or
will be planted, then cover the fabric with a
2- to 4-inch layer of mulch or gravel. Never
use plastic, as it prevents moisture and air from
reaching your plants’ roots.
55 Grow organic. Start adding up savings
in money and time when you grow without
chemicals—no pricey pesticides, no timeconsuming fertilizer applications. Plus
you’ll harvest safer food and be kinder to
the environment.
56 Add A wAter
timer. Water your garden
on a timer and you won’t forget
to turn off the tap. (It happens
more often than you think!)
You’ll water only for as long as
you need to.
57Use less potting soil. If you use large
containers, don’t fill them up entirely with
expensive potting soil. Instead place crushed
milk jugs in the bottom of the container, then
layer the potting soil deep enough (usually 8 to
10 inches is enough) for plant root growth.
58
Water at the best time. Water in the cool
morning hours to cut down on loss due to
evaporation. Other ways to make watering
more efficient? Mulch the soil to keep it cool
and moist and use a soaker hose to deliver
water directly to plant roots.
59
Choose droughttolerant plants.
Some plants aren’t
as thirsty as others.
And watering less
saves time and
money. Plants that
can take the heat
include purple
salvia, coneflower
and sedums.
60
Leave your clippings. Use a mulching mower—another way to save time and money. You’ll
have no bagging chores, and grass clippings work as free lawn fertilizer. When left on the ground they
decompose and add nutrients and organic matter to the lawn.
61 Rotate plantings. Move plants around from
year to year to make it harder for insect larvae to
take over. Insect pests tend to feed on a plant and
then lay their eggs in the soil below. When you
plant the same thing in the same spot every year,
the emerging larvae have a convenient food supply.
Moving a plant even 10 feet helps. Ideally you
shouldn’t put annuals or vegetables from the same
family in the same location more than once every
three to five years.
62
pAy Attention.
Walk through your garden
once a week to take note of
potential problems before
they start. Look for insect
infestations, plants that are
struggling due to lack of
water, etc. Fast action for
garden trouble spots means
saving plants before they
are too far gone.
63
Don’t waste fertilizer. Read the directions and
only use the amount you need—it will last
longer and cost less. Plus it’s better for the
environment not to overfertilize.
64
Employ flower power. Planting flowers, such
as marigolds (right), discourages harmful
nematodes in your garden soil.
65 buy tHe biG bAG.
Face it: You always need more
potting soil than you think. Buy
in bulk to save money and trips
back to the nursery for more.
One big bag usually costs less
than several small bags, but
check cost versus weight to make
sure. If you buy too much, save
it for next year or sell it to
a neighbor.
66 Use the buddy system. Some pairs of plants
just seem to grow well together, often because one
helps repel pests from the other. This concept, used
by gardeners for centuries, is called companion
planting. For example planting onions or sage near
carrots helps repel flies that can infest the carrots.
Similarly radishes planted among cucumbers help
ward off cucumber beetles.
Cleanse the soil. Solarization is the process of
67
using heat to disinfect soil. If you have a large planting
bed or area of lawn you want to reseed, till the area
to clear all vegetation. Then water the area until it is
saturated. Wait 24 hours, then cover with clear 3- to
6-mil plastic sheeting. Bury the edges of the sheeting to
seal it. Let the soil cook for 4 to 6 weeks. Then remove
the plastic. If any weeds appear, till them lightly without
disturbing the soil. Wait a few days for the soil to cool.
Then start planting. This method helps get rid of many
soil-borne diseases as well.
68
Mow less (and smarter). Save gas money and your own time
by learning to live with a lawn that’s a bit longer than you may
be accustomed to. You’ll also discourage weed germination
when you avoid scalping it with your mower. Buzzing the lawn
not only kills the grass in that spot, it allows light to reach the
weed seeds and gives them the opportunity to sprout. Raising
your mower blade also helps promote extra root growth in your
lawn, making it harder for weeds to get established.
Cheap Weeding Strategies
69
Pass the salt. Try sweeping
rock salt into crevices
between paths. Although
harsher, borax also works well. Be sure
to wear rubber gloves with the latter
material. You might need to apply a few
doses. And be aware of any surrounding
plants because both products kill the
good along with the bad.
70 boil tHem. If you have
pesky weeds in a spot with no
nearby grass or valuable plants,
pour boiling water over the
unsuspecting weeds. To control
the stream of boiling water and
save surrounding plants—and
your toes—from a scalding,
use a teakettle.
Quick fix! If weeds are starting to grow but you don’t have the time or energy to pull them up at
71
the moment, suffocate them by covering them with a block of wood or piece of plastic. Better yet, use a
few large decorative stones, a piece of garden art or a birdbath. You’ll stop the weeds from spreading so
you can tackle them when you have more time.
72
Nip off seed heads. Don’t let your weeds
replant themselves. By identifying the
sprouting menaces in your yard, you
can control their reseeding habits better.
Annual weeds complete their growing
cycles from seed to plant in a few months,
then die. Unfortunately they leave behind
thousands of babies if they go to seed, so
always remove annual weeds before they
drop seeds. Perennial weeds usually live
for at least 3 years and are more difficult
to banish, so remove them immediately
as soon as you see them.
Water your weeds. It may seem unwise,
73
but by moistening the soil you’ll make it easier
and more efficient to pull weeds. You are also
more likely to get the whole root system, and your
yanking won’t disturb surrounding plants as much.
No rain? Turn on the sprinkler for a few hours or
even water individual weeds, then pull away.
Chapter Five: Grow Pricey Produce
74
Grow Your Own Herbs
Step 1. Fill individual pots or a flat of six-packs with moistened commercial
seed-starting mix.
Step 2. Sprinkle seeds lightly on soil, following directions on the seed packet. Sow
1 or 2 seeds in each cell or pocket of a six-pack. Note: Sow borage, chervil, coriander,
dill and fennel directly in warm garden soil because they don’t transplant well
from pots.
Step 3. Cover the seeds with about 1⁄8 inch of the mix. Press the mix down lightly and
spritz the surface with water to moisten it and settle the seeds.
Step 4. Keep the mix moist by covering the container with plastic wrap or a plastic
bag; cover a six-pack or flat with a plastic dome. Remove the covering when
seedlings emerge.
Step 5. Place the container in a sunny, south-facing window. Keep the mix evenly moist
by watering it from the bottom. Set the containers in a sink filled with 2 inches of
water until beads of moisture appear on the soil surface.
Step 6. When the seedlings reach 2 inches tall, transplant them into individual pots.
Or thin those started in small pots to 1 seedling per pot by snipping off all but the
strongest-looking seedling.
75
herBS yOU caN STarT frOm Seed:
Basil—great for seasoning Italian food and making pesto
Chamomile—make your own teas
Chives—snip this cousin of the onion into soups, sauces and salads
Cilantro—a must for fresh salsa
Dill—perfect for fish dishes
Sage—seasoning for great stuffing
Thyme—adds fresh taste to chicken and pork dishes
BONUS TIP: dry Or freeze herBS
To dry fresh herbs, hang them upside down in bunches by
the stems in a dry, warm spot out of direct sunlight. Be sure
air circulates freely around the bunches. Let the herbs dry
until the leaves are brittle, usually a few days to a week,
depending on the thickness of the leaves. Then pick off
the leaves and discard the stems. Store the dried leaves in
tightly covered containers.
To freeze fresh herbs, remove the leaves from the stems.
Place leaves in plastic freezer containers or bags. Expect
frozen herbs to discolor some. When you’re ready to use
them just add the frozen herbs to the food you are cooking.
76
Unusual lettuce greens Grow expensive
greens such as arugula, buttercrunch
and salad mixes. Lettuces are easy to
grow and keep coming back after
you cut them.
Swiss chard This leafy green feeds you and
your family all summer. It’s a great greens
choice because it doesn’t
bolt (try to set seed) in
hot weather.
77
78
Heirloom tomatoes and potatoes “Designer”
produce costs the most in the grocery store,
so grow your own for big savings. Go for
little varieties such as pear tomatoes and
fingerling potatoes.
79
PIzza gardeN
Many pizza ingredients, such
as tomatoes, sweet peppers,
onions, basil, oregano, thyme and
parsley, require similar growing
conditions (good soil, regular
watering and full sun). So you
can plant them in the same
patch of soil.
Chapter Six: Get FREE (or Really Cheap!) Stuff
80
FREE plants
• Visit plant swaps.
• Contact friends/neighbors and ask for
plant divisions.
• Call local landscapers/garden centers
and ask for damaged plants.
• Harvest volunteer seedlings.
• Post an ad on craigslist.com.
• Save your seeds from last year and
grow your own.
• Check freecycle.org.
81 FREE seeds Many of the most interesting
plant varieties can be yours for free. Check the
Internet for seed exchanges, seed saver groups
or seed societies for no-cost supplies.
82 free
fertilizer Contact
a local riding stable for
rotted manure. Composted
manure (mixed with wood
shavings) can generally
be had from stables and
horse owners.
83
FREE mulch Pick up free mulch from
your local municipality or tree service.
Ground-up trees make excellent weedsmothering mulches.
84
FREE compost
Check with your
municipality for
free compost (from
collected grass
clippings) or make
it yourself with a
composter.
85 FREE tools You
can obtain equipment
and tools for free (or
cheaply) from a number
of sources: Goodwill,
craigslist.com and
freecycle.org.
86
free advice
Contact your local county
extension agents (through
your state university) and
Master Gardener groups
for free planting and plant
care advice.
87
FREE water Collect water in a rain barrel.
Water patio plants and window boxes
with rainwater.
88
FREE furniture Revive cast-off furniture
with outdoor paint. Pick up wooden
chairs and small tables and create
your own “matching set” by painting
them all the same color.
Recycle, Reuse and Save!
89
Carpet scraps Use old or surplus
carpet to line paths in your vegetable
garden. You’ll keep weeds at bay and
give yourself clean footing even when the garden
is wet. Small pieces of lightweight carpet are also
useful for covering cold frames on chilly nights.
Jelly or canning jars Be on the lookout
91
for attractive little glass containers to hold
small bunches of cut flowers.
90 Pie tiNS
Punch a drainage hole in the
bottom of a pie tin and fill
it with seed starting mix to
start seedlings. Or insert a
pie tin beneath a pot on a
deck to protect the wood from
moisture and stains.
Chopsticks Whether new or used (and washed), use these little fellows when you start seeds in
92
pots. Add one or two sticks to each pot, then cover with a plastic bag to control moisture. The chopsticks
will prevent the bag from collapsing onto the soil. Just be sure to keep your “greenhouse” away from
high heat or direct sunlight.
Soft drink cans Rinse well and place
93
in the bottom of large planters to take
up space. They provide extra drainage
capacity, and you’ll need less potting soil.
94 Yogurt
95
CoFFEE CaNS Well-rusted coffee cans
make a set of attractive rustic plant
containers. You can also use a coffee
can as a vessel to start seeds or
grow seedlings.
co NtaiNerS Use a nail to
poke a few holes in the bottom
of yogurt containers for free
flowerpots. Make sure they’re
at least 3 inches deep.
Newspapers They’re key for “no-till”
96
garden beds. To create a new planting area
without the work of digging, mow the area as
short as possible, spread with 6 or more layers
of newspapers and top with enough compost,
soil or mulch to hold the papers in place. Over
a few months the newspapers will smother
weeds and grasses, then decay into the bare
soil. The result is a pristine planting bed ready
for trees, shrubs or flowers.
5 Uses for Plastic Milk Jugs
100 Soil ScooP Make
a handy scoop from a halfgallon plastic milk jug. Make
two horizontal cuts on the sides
adjacent to the handle, and two
forward-slanting diagonal cuts
in the other sides. It’s great for
distributing fertilizer granules or
for scooping potting soil.
Seed flats To make free seed flats,
97
cut off the bottom 3 inches of a gallon milk jug
and punch a few drainage holes with a nail. Fill
with potting mix and use a pencil to create 2 or
3 shallow furrows for sowing. Then plant your
seeds according to the packet directions.
98 Liquid fertilizer distribution system
Use clean plastic milk jugs to mix up
liquid fertilizer, then punch a hole or two
in the cap with a nail. Use your “system”
to deliver a dose of plant food to even the
smallest pots or plants.
99
101
Mini greenhouse In northern zones young
transplants and seedlings are easy prey for
spring and fall frosts. Protect them with their
own personal greenhouse. Cut the top off a
gallon milk jug and, when a cold snap is in
the forecast, place the jug over the plant.
Just be sure to remove the cover on warm
sunny days to prevent your greenhouse from
turning into a sauna.
Protection plus If you use a cold frame to extend your growing season, line the inside with
plastic milk jugs filled with water. The water will be warmed by the sun and will help reduce
temperature swings inside the cold frame. The result: a reduced chance of both frost damage at night and
of overheating during the day.
BONUS!
EVEN MORE GREAT TIPS! • EVEN MORE GREAT TIPS!
Chapter Seven: Make $$$ From Your Garden
102
Sell vegetables. Make up vegetable
collections and offer recipes on how
to prepare them. For example grow
3 different colors of squash and offer a
“Colorful Squash Stir-Fry” recipe. Sell
rhubarb, radishes, carrots and lettuces
in spring; sweet corn, tomatoes and
potatoes in summer; and squash and
eggplant in late summer.
103 Cash in on fruit. Create a pick-your-
own plot in the backyard. Plant a strawberry patch
for late spring harvests, raspberries for summer
desserts and apples for
autumn pies.
104 Make flower bouquets.
From tiny nosegays to big sprays of lilacs,
pick what’s blooming in your yard and
create custom bouquets.
105 Grow your own potpourri. Everyone
loves the fresh scent of herbs such as mint,
lavender, rosemary. Sell scented mixtures in
ribbon-wrapped muslin bags or jars.
106 Grow seasonal
décor. Pumpkins and gourds
are easy to grow and fun to
harvest—and they’re hot sellers
in the autumn.
107
Market herbs. Herbs are expensive
in the grocery store but oh-so-easy
to grow at home. Sell bundles of fresh sage,
basil and dill. If you have enough you may be
able to wholesale to local food co-ops, small
grocery stores or restaurants.
EVEN MORE GREAT TIPS! • EVEN MORE GREAT TIPS!
How to Sell Your Garden Goods
No matter the size or style of your garden, you can make extra cash by selling your surplus produce. If you
get really good at it, you may want to set up a farmers’ market booth every season.
1. First find customers. Sell your extra produce.
As you attract customers, plan your planting
accordingly for subsequent years.
2. Make your stand attractive. With tables
measuring 4x12 feet you get 48 square feet of
display space. You can add an additional 10 to 12
square feet of display space on a truck or station
wagon tailgate.
3. Sell only top-quality produce. It’s the best
marketing strategy to make and keep customers.
4. Find your niche. Try growing specialty or
high-value crops, such as 2-foot-long Chinese
cucumber, instead of pickling cucumbers,
specialty lettuces, or “exotics” such as jicama,
Belgian endive, bok choy or casaba melons.
5. Go organic. Many people who come to farmers’
markets are looking specifically for local organic
produce. Label your produce “organic.”
6. Create recipes, cooking tips and tasting
samples of your produce. People will be more
likely to buy your beautiful produce if you give
them suggestions (and tastes!) of delicious things
made with it.
7. Invite guests to your garden. Hold a cookout
when your garden is at its peak and invite the
public. Conduct a tour for schoolchildren and give
them a garden-fresh goody to take home, with
your name and phone number on an attached tag.
(Once your produce makes it home, Mom and Dad
might become new customers.)
8. Sell the season. Let your customers know
what produce to look forward to as the season
progresses. Tempt them with descriptions of
upcoming early-, middle- and late-season varieties
and crops to keep them coming back.
108 Rent garden space to beekeepers.
If you have a big yard you may be able to
rent an area to beekeepers. And if you’re a
honey lover you may be able to barter
space for honey.
109
start a
coMMunity Garden in
your backyard. Offer to
till up an area for your neighbors
to plant. They can pay you rent
in cash or produce.
110 Rent out high-priced tools. Buy a tiller
or other big-ticket equipment to rent out.
111
Sell plants. Divided perennials and selfseeded annuals can be potted up and
sold at garage sales, neighborhood plant
sales or through free online sales sites.