Dirt Cheap or Even Free

You want a yard bursting with color and creativity, but you’re tired of burying bushels of money every year.  Well, The Frugalitarian™ way is to find plants and supplies dirt cheap, or even free.  Here’s how:

• Mountains of mulch are generated by municipalities trimming trees all year long. And it’s got to go somewhere.  Call your local village or city forester and ask if they offer it free for the taking.  Many municipalities do.  Then grab your grubby jeans, a shovel and a truck because it’s up to you to haul it home.
• Consider starting from scratch – or seeds.  It’s not that glamorous to start your garden indoors in little containers (true Frugalitarians™ opt for cardboard egg cartons), but the payoff is HUGE!  You’ll appreciate your little seedlings standing several feet tall, swaying in the breeze even more knowing they were nurtured by you.
• Love a party?  Why not make yours a Spring Plant Exchange?  Lots of friends have plants that need dividing, so make the dirty work work for everybody.  Invite people to bring a few potted plants, swap and voila! Everyone leaves with instant variety.  Plus you’ll think of your friends every time you gaze at the luscious garden you’ve created.
• Don’t just breeze by the distressed plants table at big box stores.  Often, you can get plants for as little as 50 cents!  They might look dead, but they’re not.  Create a little garden area for rescued plants where they get extra loving care and when they bounce back, just replant them in their permanent garden spots.
• This one takes luck – and some moxie – but if you see landscape crews replacing plantings, ask if they’re going to toss what they’re replacing.  We reaped quite a harvest when an upscale apartment complex decided to go with a new look.  One thunderstorm and three U-Hauls later, we basked in our bumper crop of boxwoods, daylilies, and hostas.