After a cold and wet Spring, we have had our first extended length of beautiful weather here in the Northwest with more warm weather on the way. It is such a welcome change....
My husband (Jason) and I spent this past weekend putting in several raised beds for our vegetable garden. The last several years, I made do with an area next to the house with some pretty lackluster soil. We live in an area with a lot of clay and lime.....so the soil is hard to work and can be quite clumpy. I was able to grow both tomatoes and peppers pretty well, but not much of anything else.
This year we wanted to put some effort into making the garden look nice and upgrading the soil. We were working with a limited budget, so we made every effort to find and use items that we already had or were free or little cost.
To begin our project, we used some old barn wood taken from a local tavern remodel (free!), recycled fencing and posts from his grandparent's former garden (free!), and the little garden gate was a wooden screen door that I picked up from the side of the road this past weekend (free!). Jason cut it in half and fastened it to a post....wah-lah.....instant garden gate. He did such a great job putting this together.
The most expensive part of our project was the 3 yards of topsoil that we used to fill the boxes.....$90. Who would have thought dirt could be so expensive :o)? We planted Bell Peppers, Onions, Corn, Lettuce, Acorn Squash, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Green Beans. Some were starts and others I planted from seed.
I also planted a mini herb garden in an old washtub......Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano, and some chives......I love using fresh herbs in spaghetti sauce.....mmmmm...
This tricyle was a hand-me-down from the boys' cousins and they had outgrown it, so I decided to make it part of my garden decor. I couldn't resist adding a basket to it, which was a dime at a garage sale over the weekend, and filling it with white impatiens. I poked in a "Jardin" sign that I had made. As soon as the basket was on it, my youngest was intrigued with the long-forgotten trike again......."Mommy, I want to ride it, please!" Funny, how that works :o)!
Green & Frugal Gardening Tips
These are few things that I do when I'm gardening that are both "green" and "frugal".
- Water my plants with leftover cooled coffee. I drink coffee every morning and there is usually some left over. Rather than pour it down the drain and waste it, I add a little water to it and water some plants with it.
- Add my coffee grounds to my compost pile or sow directly in the garden.
- Create a compost pile....
- At the end of the season, save your seeds for next year. There are some good resources on the internet regarding how to properly save seeds each year.
- Check out gardening books and magazines from the library rather than purchasing them.
- Be Resourceful - Ask family or friends if they have any leftover garden supplies or plant starts. Check your local craigslist, freecycle, and yard sales for free or inexpensive supplies.....you never know what you'll find!
Blessings,
Christa
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