5 Ways to Start a Garden for Next to Nothing

​Starting a garden is a great idea for several reasons:

• It can help you to save money on your food bill
• It can help you to eat healthier
• It can be therapeutic, helping you feel closer to the earth and promoting self esteem by giving you a feeling of productivity and pride.

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​Some people are put off of starting a garden because they are afraid it will be too expensive.  The truth is, you can start a garden on a shoestring budget of next to nothing.  There are things that you will need, but there are ways of getting these things for free or close to it, if you know where to look:

1. Approach elderly friends, family or neighbors that have gardening equipment but are unable to use it anymore.  Offer to share your fresh vegetables if they will let you have or use their equipment.
2. Look on Freecycle.org and if you don't see any offers what you need, put in your own ad for the items you are looking for.  Lots of people are looking for reason to shed unused items.
3. Look on Craig's List in the free section or in the barter section, first, and then look in the section for inexpensive tools for sale.  You can also place a "looking for" ad on Craig's List.
4. Look for what you need at the dollar store.  You can usually find many of the things you need, but be aware the quality items you get there will not be very good and may break very easily.
5. Look around neighborhoods on garbage day.  Some people do not bother to try to donate or give away their unwanted items, they just throw them away.  There is no shame in picking up other peoples unwanted items.  For every item you pick up, that is one item less in a landfill.
   
   

A Few Other Tips on Where to Get Things You Will Need

Water - Instead of driving up your water bill, catch the water from your downspouts.  You can use garbage cans, or 5 gallon buckets you can get free from fast food restaurants.  Use rainwater to water your garden.

               Video - Make a Simple Rain Bucket within 30 minutes for $10

Seeds - Check your area for seed swaps, or see if you can share seeds with friends or family that also garden.  Use your own kitchen scraps to grow new vegetables check this article for how to do this.

Homemade Weed Killer - Learn how to make it here

Bug Spray - Make your own, this article shows you how

Homemade Fertilizer - Here's how to make it

So if you have been thinking of starting a garden, but thought it was too expensive, now you know better!  Now is the perfect time to start, so go for it.  I guarantee you will be happy you did!  If you don't have a lot of land, or any land at all, then use containers.  Many vegetables can be successfully grown in containers.  For more information see my post on: Which Vegetables and Herbs Can Be Grown in Containers


Happy Gardening!

Jade    :)

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Image Credit:  
https://www.flickr.com/photos/56348649@N04/8273547502/sizes/c/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/southernfoodwaysalliance/2593250285/sizes/z/

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