Grow your own Greens and Save

by Sylvia


My favorite childhood memories involve helping my parents in the garden. I love the taste of freshly grown vegetables—and the feeling of satisfaction when harvest time comes. Of course, growing your own vegetables can help you stretch your budget and be eco-friendly at the same time.

Now that I'm a mom, I can't wait to share the experience of growing a garden with my daughter—and all the memories we'll make in the process!

If you have kids, they'll love helping you in the garden and watching their creations grow. You may be surprised to see them actually eat their vegetables—because they'll be so proud they helped grow them!

You can find tons of frugal gardening tips online, on making homemade pesticides and compost, and using leftover coffee grounds as an organic fertilizer. My favorite sites for finding frugal gardening tips include FrugalGardening.com and the many articles on Suite101.com.

Here are my tips to get you started:

Start your seeds indoors.
If you're planning on growing a vegetable garden this year, now is the time to start seedlings indoors. You can also buy seedlings that are pre-grown, but it will cost more. Simply purchase a few packets of seeds and a bag of soil and start the seeds in just about any kind of container. Save money by planting your seeds in old egg cartons, cut-off milk cartons or even old paper towel rolls by cutting each paper towel roll into four pieces and laying the pieces side by side on a tray. Follow the directions on the back of the seed packet as to how much sunshine and water each vegetable needs.

Which vegetables should you start indoors and when?
Leaf crops like tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and peppers can be started in early March. Other vegetables such as cucumbers, pumpkins and squash can be started indoors in late March and April. Carrots, beets, beans and peas can be sowed directly into the ground once it’s warm outside. Early April is usually a good time to take your garden outside depending on the temperature.

Frugal tips for growing your garden.
Plant only the vegetables that you will actually use in your cooking. There is no sense wasting time and money growing vegetables that no one in your family will eat. Also, remember you don't really need all the expensive plant foods and other products you will find in the gardening section of your local store.