GrowPlanting a Seed
Just a generation or two ago, vegetable gardens were common. But alas, we’ve grown away from that simpler, healthier way of living and we’re paying for it in more ways than one. Naturally, we think growing our own fruits and vegetables is worth the effort because it’s totally FrugalitarianTM. So if you’re thinking of tightening your purse strings and expanding your garden, we’ve got some valuable information to help your efforts take root.
There are a few ways to get started. You can start plants from seeds you purchase, buy small plants that have been given a headstart in greenhouses or you can use the seed saving method which is the one that requires the most explanation.
Kathleen, the Frugalitarian's garden mentor, says don’t bother using seeds saved from last year’s garden or store bought produce and here’s why: more than likely, you used hybridized seeds and they don’t produce the same plant as the parent plant. These seeds are bioengineered to produce larger vegetables from plants that are more disease resistant and yield greater harvests. But just for that one growing season.
Now if you bought heirloom fruits and vegetables and saved the seeds, that’s a different story. Seeds from heirlooms grow year after year because these seeds are from pure plants that are not the result of bioengineering. Heirlooms have remained the same for hundreds of years as in, “an old variety that is being cultivated again and again.” A lot of people say these fruits and vegetables taste better, but be prepared to see less of them than the yield from hybridized seeds.
Of course, there’s always a way to make your garden more beautiful and it’s so Elegantly ResourcefulTM. Host a plant exchange party. It’s so simple and so easy! Invite 10 people for tea and cookies. Each person brings five small plants from their garden to trade for five plants they don’t currently grow. Then watch the benefits multiply. You add variety to your landscape without spending a cent, you thin out overgrown areas of your yard that need work anyway, and you help create a more lovely community with plants that already thrive in your climate.
We’re excited to grow with you this season! Join the budding FrugalitarianTM online gardening community where we’ll share our questions, tips, and triumphs!
Our growing season starts here in this charming little greenhouse. Yes, our genius garden mentor has her own greenhouse. Did we mention she’s a FrugalitarianTM and it was FREE?!!! The original owners dismantled it and put it next to their barn. Kathleen and her husband rescued it before it was hauled to the dump. This incredible find was too short to stand alone at its new home, so Kathleen and her husband dug a large hole, reassembled it, added stairs and now, it’s the center of all her gardening endeavors. A perfect example of stylish reinvention!
New gardeners can look to those who’ve been doing it the Frugalitarian way for years for the best growing tips. They’ll tell you your home is full of items to help you create the luscious yard and garden you’ve been dreaming of. Here are 7 household items every gardener should be saving.
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:
Aaah, that whimsical little query, “How does your garden grow?” For most, the honest answer is it grows fine after dumping bushels of money into it every season! So take the Frugalitarian™ approach to your lovely Eden and make it prettier without the price tag. Here are some tricks of the Frugalitarian™ trade: