I'm winter sowing a lot of seeds this year. I ordered most of them before the economy took a turn for the worst. However, life is short so I'm going to keep living and doing things like I always have. Winter Sowing is probably the most cost efficient gardening advice I could give anyone.

Nope. As long as my job situation doesn't change, I see no reason to change my spending habits. And the best way to fix the economy is for people to start spending money again.

Besides, I plant for wildlife just as much for myself, and the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds still have to eat, regardless of the enconomy.

If I buy less this year it will only be because I'm a) out of room and b)overdue for dividing and revitalizing what I already have.

Last year also I expanded my vegetable garden and planted more food that could really be eaten rather than just what looked pretty and gave me pleasure to have around. I am buying fewer roses only because I am way beyond capacity as it stands.

Also last year I noticed more bargains locally on plants presumably due to economic conditions which gave me additional buying power for my dollar.

Kate

I wanted a pack of $2.45 seeds, but the S/H was $4.95; so to make it more economical, I'd have to spend more by choosing some other items I really don't want. Of course if a person had a couple of neighbors to order with, it would bring down the cost of S/H a bit. I think.

Group orders are a great way to go, done this many times usually when importing from another country.
With many the first place costs are cut are new purchases for the garden. I think a lot of nurseries and garden shops are going to hurt because of the downfall in the economy, some might even go under. Where will we go to buy that plant we just have to have? So group orders are better than no orders, both sides benefit.
Gardening is such a great stress reducer, so when thinking of forgoing that plant you've had your eye on remember the enjoyment it's going to give you in these depressing times.
Your local garden center will thank you too, just might help keep them in business. A

P.S. No I'm not in the business, just a backyard gardener who loves playing in the dirt :o).

I'm also doing the seed swapping thing this year. It's actually quite fun. I hope to have some Medusa ornamental peppers soon!

My favorite place to shop for plants, is an discount/outlet center about 35 miles distant. With the extremely high cost of fuel this past year, I had to curtail my visits there, but tried to make up for the infrequent visits, by purchasing more each time I went. Just learned from a friend, who lives near the outlet, that they may close their business. What will I do!
A large chain nursery, with about 15 retail, wholesale & hardscape centers in this area, went into bankruptcy last year, was dissected and sold piecemeal to the highest bidders. A number of Mom&Pop and other small players, also closed their doors forever.
The disintegrating economy, plus 2 years of exceptional drought, with a total or highly restrictive outdoor watering ban, has decimated the local nurseries. My primary source of plant material is now online, as the big box stores offer a pitiful array of goods, that may have once looked decent, if you were there when they were unloaded!
I have 3 pending orders for spring shipment of plants, one from a west coast nursery, that will be cancelled. A recent check with them regarding shipping charges, indicates they are still charging a fuel surcharge, even though the price of fuel has declined by 50%. (Plants = $100, S & H = $100). Tried to order a small shrub last week from a nursery in WA, Cost of shrub = $11, S & H = $28.50. Neither would consider USPS. Not their regular shipping method and won't change, they said.
I, alone, may not have decided to curtail my purchases this coming year. Seems that I am being aided by forces beyond my control, since I refuse to pay exorbitant shipping costs.
My cost of regular gasoline has declined from $4.25/gal. to $1.35/gal., so I figure someone is gouging the public. My wallet is sealed, for now! (unless I find a real bargain or a must have plant) :o))

I'm taking the opportunity to learn some new gardening techniques. From doing cuttings of annuals and perennials, to starting seeds, I won't be buying any plants this year. Ok, maybe one or two, but nothing like the past few years. I've been disappointed with the choices locally. If I go to a big box store, the plants don't perform well. If I go to a local nursery, I can only justify purchasing one or two because of the prices. I don't buy plants online because what I want can usually be found nearby or traded for.

I also plan to grow a lot more veggies this year. While the flowers are pretty, I want to get something for all my work besides a nice yard. I am jonesing for a fresh tomato. I swore off store bought tomatoes last month after buying yet another that tastes like cardboard. I'm hoping to grow enough to can and/or freeze what I will eat throughout the year.

This is what my parents and grandparents did. If it worked for them, why can't it work for me?

As they say - "When my neighbor is laid off I call it a recession, when I'm laid off I call it a depression". So far neither is true for me, thank the Lord, or my neighbors. Consequently my spending habits will remain about the same. However, like many long time gardeners on small plots, I've just about run out of space - just about though still means I can look at catalogs, visit nurseries (or those that pass for them in our neck of the woods) and talk to other gardeners about this plant or that. Otherwise gardening would mean just upkeep and how boring is that?

I lost my job so I had to cut back on spending. Luckily, I was able to find a new one before my old job terminated (thank the gods for government jobs with extremely long notices). I've been able to do some shopping now that I'm starting my new job but I'm still cutting back on my plans. It's difficult now that I know how fragile my finances really are.

Actually, people cutting back on landscape expenses is causing ME to cut back on landscape expenses. I do design work for a contractor as my little side job. The money I earn from that job pays for our landscape rennovations and vacations. I am expecting things to be mighty bad this spring without a lot of work for me therefore, I haven't ordered anything for my yard.

I suspect we'll see a lot of landscape firms go out of business this season because, let's face it, a beautiful yard is a want and not a need. It's an easy thing to cut out or put off when times are tight. Things got tight toward the end of last season but I think they'll be even worse this spring. I would really love to be wrong though!

This year it is a trade off between a couple of hard scape projects and buying plants. In the past I would have just increased my budget and done both. I am also drastically cutting back on my mail order purchases and what I do buy will come from mid-west and East Coast nurseries. The shipping costs from the West Coast doubles the cost.

The economy and a prolonged drought in my area has curtailed my plans for any garden expansion or rehab.
I'm retired and on a fixed income, so I don't have job worries that many people do. But,the sluggish pace of commerce, is causing many retailers to raise prices almost daily (it seems) on most necessities, just to earn a meager profit or break even. That does affect my discretionary funds, that would be available for purchasing plants.
I have plans to grow many plants from seed, some are already sown, that I would normally buy from local nurseries during ordinary times.
Since I also have a water shortage to consider, I am planning on using more local native plants in the garden this year.
Draconian outdoor watering restrictions in this area has prompted most of us gardeners to be very conservative with the use of water and the sale of rainbarrels is a thriving business. But unless it rains, they are just ornamental!
The restrictions and conservation resulted in a dramatic decrease in the income of the water distributors, so they promply hiked the rates to provide a steady revenue stream. Bureaucrats do not know how or never consider reducing expenses!
We still pay the same monthly fee for water and use less than half of what was previously used.
Happy gardening!
Rb

You'd have to have your head in a barrel to not see that things are serious, and will likely get worse before they get better.It does grieve me to think that by my cutting back on expenses, I may hurt some deeply appreciated business person, but that's just how the world operates.

I think if I owned a garden center, I would do my best to turn this situation into an opportunity. I would offer gardening classes and teach the young, the inexperienced, and the clueless how to grow food, as well as flowers. I well remember taking sewing and crafting classes years ago, and purchasing all my materials from the store that offered the classes.

That being said, I want to remind everyone that we already have our exchanges in place. They are easy to use and the only expense is the actual shipping (not handling). Check them out!

I planted a veggie garden for the first time last year and will do so again this year. This time I'm a little wiser about what I will need and how much to plant. But that was just as fulfilling as planting a perennial garden and saved us some real money. Perennials have gotten ridiculously priced, both locally and in catalogs, and I've got so many already that I buy very few. Our pond is what drains us (no pun intended)! I've been able to overwinter many of the plants in a tub in the basement and that has saved quite a few bucks. The most interesting water plants are annuals and not cheap. I toss so many divisions in the spring, I'm thinking of having a plant sale. I think I'd really kick some butt. Most people don't want to spend $8-12 on one plant and that's where I think nurseries are missing the boat. I always spent more on the smaller containers because I was getting different varieties. Now, those are hard to come by. So if I can get my act together, the sale will generate income for any other plants or fish we want to buy.

Vegetable gardening is a great idea to save money!!

I had a great vegetable plot at my other house, had just the right spot for it in full sun. The light situation at the house I'm now, though, is part shade to shade. I do have a bed running alongside the garage that I grow herbs quite successfully in and every try attempt to grow cherry tomatoes. The first few years I had abundant tomatoes but not the last few, it is getting shadier and shadier due to tree/shrub growth.

I miss growing vegetables!!!! I told DH our next house we *ARE* having a vegetable garden. Period. There's nothing like eating perfectly ripe tomatoes right off the vine on a hot summer day or snacking on cool, crisp cucumbers or pea pods....

Yep the economy has made me slow down on buying mail order plants. It's hard when the catalogs and online sites update their listings. Especially in the dead of winter when all those pretty pix really look tempting. Luckily my garden already has a lot of plantings but I'm still starting annuals from seeds since it is so cheap.

Mxk did you notice Select Seeds has a 5% discount if you order early? Not much but it might help a little.

I'm in the same boat as bindersbee. Since I am employed (or used to be) in the industry and that has been sorely affected by both the economy and poor weather in my area for the last year, jobs are slim to none. I am hoping that with a new year, a new President and with luck, a renewed economy (eventually) that will all change. For the time being, it hasn't affected my gardening purchases, but then I'm willing to go without food in favor of a 'must have' plant :-)) Seriously, there's not much I want or need garden-wise - I'm more concerned about just making ends meet on the necessities like house payments, utilities and insurance. It's tough out there and don't let anyone tell you different!

We're going to be selling the swing-set and putting in a garden for cut flowers and veggies. Hope to sell the cut flowers at the local farmer's market, and the veggies are so that we don't starve! Actually, they'll probably also go in the gaps in my newly planted garden. After paying the bills, we can barely afford food. Not planning many new perennial purchases, but since I'm going to be working at a nursery/greenhouse I hope I can buy a few. I'm going to concentrate on a few shrubs and large grasses, I can divide what I have/trade with friends to fill in the edges. Happy gardening!

nancyd, you would be surprised how many gardeners would attend a plant sale. Gardeners are always looking for something new. Every year I have a Spring sale and take little plants from all my gardens. If I have time in the Fall, I dig, plant in pots, and bury in the garden over the winter. Word of mouth brings new gardening friends every year. I use the money to purchase new plants which I can also share in a few years. Mary

I am prompted by the economy to make my yard more productive. I'm going to put in some fruit trees, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, quince and currants if I get all my plans done this spring. Several of these things will require a few yrs to mature, but it will be worth it.

I'm also looking at sets of onions for storage onions, as well as leeks, shallots and garlic. I am also doubling the size of my veggie garden and will possibly till a much larger area to grow other veggies. We can give the food away to friends and neighbors who need it as well as the food shelf provided we remain lucky enough to have enough to get by on.

Quote: "We can give the food away to friends and neighbors who need it as well as the food shelf provided we remain lucky enough to have enough to get by on."

That is wonderful and really warms my heart!! I hope everyone here will remember those words and donate any excess to the local food banks, shelters or churches for distribution to those in need - there are so many in need, especially now.

I'm enjoying reading all the posts, it's great to hear how many of you are going back to (or beginning to) grow food.

I believe the long-term prospects for the US economy are bleak. Regardless of who is president, what the deficit is, etc. the country's infrastructure is largely dependent on oil. Oil is a finite resource, that is going to go nowhere but up in price over the long-term. We have missed the boat on implementing forms of alternative energy - should have been done decades ago, to avert this crisis. I am a single Mom, raising a teen alone, and it makes me a bit nervous. However, I was frugal even as a young person, so tightening the belt is like putting on a familiar old bathrobe.

In 2008 I spent a total of $17 on plants - a couple flats of annuals - and approx. $200 on tools, potting soil, etc. at the nurseries. That is significantly less than previous years. Nevertheless, I acquired more plants than ever! How?

- Started hundreds of plants from seed via the winter-sowing method, at least 50 species/cultivars I'd never grown before.

- Hosted a Spring plant swap and received a couple dozen new types of plants and offloaded a bunch of extras! Win-win.

- Ordered 50 more shrub & tree seedlings from the NH State Nursery, for $1 apiece. ONE DOLLAR each. These seedlings are 1-2 years old, so they're smaller than what you would buy in a nursery, but most have grown remarkably fast. They become $20-30 plants in a couple years! State and county organizations are a GREAT source of inexpensive plant stock.

- Placed a small order at Bluestone during their June 50% off sale.

I echo Terrene's sentiments - we've never had much to begin with so a bit more "belt tightening" just seems to be the norm around our house.

I will just be concentrating on fixing my existing tools - I usually oil and sharpen them (at least all the pruners & loppers) a couple times a year. The few tools I will be purchasing will unfortunately be a couple of larger ticket items - a brush cutter & a chainsaw for my business.

Plants - I almost never buy more then about a flat of mixed annuals for my pots. Sometimes, I'm able to use a few leftover annuals from client jobs. This probably won't change since I usually spend less then 20 on this indulgence.

Hi gardening friends,
No new purchases for me. I am holding a Kansas City metro plant swap at my house on May 17th and hope to swap for a few new plants. My beds are so full of flowers that I am at the place where I need to take a plant out to put one in. But you all know how that goes, one or two don't perform like we want or the bugs chew them too much or they are too "floppy" so we yank them and create a spot for a new plant! If you are reading this and want to come to the Kansas City metro plant swap you are invited. Go to the "get togethers" forum and find my post and respond, I'll put you on the list.
trowelgal/tina

I'm in the same position as razorback--retired and living on a fixed income. I just spent about $100 on mail-order perennials to start a new garden in a pond I plan to back-fill. But, you know what? I'm home all day, hardly go anywhere, don't take vacations, grow my own veggies, and am trying to adjust to life at home after working two jobs for many years. I'm fine with it. I could be doing worse things!

If you grow veggies and fruits and have excess, think about the seniors in your neighborhood. Store produce is getting exorbitant, and many seniors are passing over fresh produce in favor of things like pasta and oatmeal.

And if your area has a local senior center, that might be a good place to leave some extras, too. Maybe even a few flowers.

Sue

The economy has had a secondary effect on what I will be growing. In the high deserts of the great basin everything must be watered and the cost of water will have me reconsidering some things.

A primary secondary effect is considering selling our house (and, by the way, the garden too!, to quote a famous former gardenweb poster) Way too much house for two, and I'm not having much luck finding a job.My husband and I made a giant leap today in actually discussing it and neither one of us flipping out. I really haven't changed at all in my requirements: sunny, room for a garden, have patience will work to improve. He however, has added "room for stone wall building" and "a room for a wood stove."

Marie

idabean, I have the perfect answer to both your needs - one of the little stone cottages as discussed in The Cottage Garden forum! (see Hobbit Cottage in magazine..)

Oh, I love it! I still love dollhouses, too. That would certainly be a low maintenance building if its built tight.