cheap and easy gardening?

15 years ago

what was the best bang for your buck you ever did in your garden and how much did it cost? it can be flowers, plants, veggies,hardscaping... you name it.

Anyone who is loaded can spend money to get a WOW effect but tell about stuff that got that effect on the cheap.

Extra credit given for PHOTOS :-)

Looking for inspiration,

Julia Denise

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Comments (21)

solstice98
15 years ago
For me, the biggest bang in the garden comes from 2 things:
The first is pretty, flowering shrubs because they fill in a large space, look great close up as well as from a distance and they are perennials.
The second is from a low border of something pretty and colorful like annuals, although coleus works great for this too and if you save cuttings you can propagate and use them again the next year.

Kate
manature
15 years ago
Well, the most bang for my buck ever came from my rudbeckia triloba, a native black-eyed Susan. One small plant was given to me (okay, I admit it wasn't MY buck that started it all) about 6 or 7 years ago, in another house. I had the original plant in a pot and put it in the ground at this house, and now I have it coming up every year. Lots of it, but not invasively so. And every single plant gets covered from top to bottom with hundreds of cheerful yellow blooms in late summer which last until Christmas or longer. And I don't mean the plant continues to bloom that long...I mean the actual flowers that open up STAY open and fresh looking that long. And then I either collect seed, or let them self-sow. It's a dream plant that butterflies love, and it survives total and complete neglect. Worry free, prolific, and cheerful. What more could I ask?

Marcia (extra credit photo below)
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leelee_2008
15 years ago
that's gorgeous!!!
You've convinced me to try them.

I have a Penta that just took over and I gave it no attention at all. It started as a 99 cent buy 3 years ago. It's about to get pulled and split up though, not in a suitable spot. I hope it survives the move.
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
Marcia (Daphne?)
WOW that's a gorgeous photo and exactly the inspiration I'm searching for: cheap, long-lasting and WOW!
You may not remember but you sent me some seeds of it a year ago. It was one of my failures to launch :-( (no germination)

Kate
What kinds of flowering shrubs are you growing that work best?

Denise Julia
linchat
15 years ago
mm... Cheap and Easy, well there was this one time, oh that is right you meant plants! mmm, excuse me sorry.. :)

For me buying 4 eggplants for $1.50 and produced like crazy, I just tossed in garden and never messed with them. Okra cossed me a little more, about $10 for container soil, but these things have been going since april of LAST YEAR! They are on the fritz now... Okra you just ignore, throw some fish emulsion and water on it from time to time (whenever). It is happy.

Also, removed three foot of grass in front of cocoplums that surround the yard (on one side). Mulched it and now I grow low lying vegetables there. Patio tomatoes, green peppers things like that. It looks great, I think, will send picture tonight. Got the idea from someone on this board who wanted to get rid of grass and made a nice island shape with an edger and mulch.

Does this count for cheap and easy? :)
manature
15 years ago
Ima, I'm sorry your rudbeckia seeds didn't germinate. If you will email me again with your info, I'll send you some more. I have some fresh left from this year, I think. And if not, I have some still blooming that I can harvest soon.

They are just great plants!

Marcia
fawnridge (Ricky)
15 years ago
The best bang for your buck is come to a swap where all the plants are free.
linchat
15 years ago
Here is a little dug out garden I made between my magnolia, orange and grapefruit tree. Was not that easy as far as digging our grass. But hey, I do not have to wiggle the lawn mower in between those trees anymore. Just mulch and make money back on the money I would have spent at the grocery store. Cheap and easy, and adds to the landscape. plus, plus.

Have green peppers, sweet peppers, roma tomato's growing now. Everything in little cages, helps to protect against Charlie the plant destroying dog!
trinigemini
15 years ago
I agree with Ricky...almost my whole yard has been landscaped due to the wonderful people at GW.
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
fawnridge
Yes I was waiting for someone to mention getting FREE plants at a swap.
Does someone have photos of their yard of "free" plants?

Seeds are my cheap solution. 99% of my tomato plants are from free seeds as well as salvia, dill, fennel, parsley, cilantro,peppers, 4 kinds of sunflowers, gaillardia, etc.

My garden doesn't have the WOW factor the way Marcia's rudbeckia meadow has.
solstice98
15 years ago
Here's the picture (I love extra credit!) to go with my earlier posting.

"What kinds of flowering shrubs are you growing that work best? " There are so many that I hestitate to suggest one. What works in my yard may not be right for the zone or microclimate in someone else's yard. But I have favorites, of course: firebush (hamilia patens), cat's whiskers, porterweed (all the colors), firespike (odontonema - red and purple) and firecracker (russelia).

In this picture there's also a tall cassia, a Belinda's Dream rose, a couple bananas and lovely blue salvia.

Kate
manature
15 years ago
Ima, my rudbeckia photo IS my "Free Plants" photo. As I mentioned, they all came from ONE little potted rudbeckia which was given to me by a friend who dug it out of his own yard for me. So...in keeping with the idea of plant swapping in general...that's my free plant.

Marcia
whgille
15 years ago
Marcia
Gorgeous!!!

Julia-Denise
I was hoping somebody said seeds. That is the ultimate bargain, you should know being a "world famous cook as you are".

Fancy and rare produce and herbs at your fingertips, especially if it is organic. Did you check Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) lately?
You cannot beat the price of growing your own fruit too.

Bought a Loquat (fruiting now) for $10. My Dragon Fruit $10. Calamondin (use the fruit already) for $10.

In Phoenix I had baskets of oranges, lemons, apricots, plums, figs and others to give away. People looked forward to get them, as some varieties you couldn't even buy.

Now, I am looking forward for my fruit trees to grow. (I just saw a cherimoya for $10 at the store).
In the meantime, I will do as much seeds as I can possible can. It is not only fun, it saves us money!

Willy
fawnridge (Ricky)
15 years ago
While not everything in my garden was free, all of the 300 or so Crotons came from cuttings that were, all of the several thousand Bromeliads were free, and all of the hundreds of ferns were from swaps as well. Sure I bought the large trees and palms and many of the other plants, but swaps are the best way to landscape on a budget.
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
linchat
I cannot believe you misunderstood that "cheap and easy" was referring to plants, lol. And furthermore amazed that Cindee didn't make that comment first.
thanks for the photos. I shoehorn my tomatos and herbs like you inbetween and wherever they fit. Makes them harder to find by the bugs too.

willy
I need cheap ideas so I can afford to buy fruit trees :-) they can get expensive. maybe that's why I like tomatoes so much, you don't have to wait years to see a fruit and they cost nothing but a seed and some dirt.

Kate
thanks for the photo. you just bumped your grade up to A+
I think I paid $18 for my Belinda's Dream rose so mine doesn't fit the cheap requirement.

Julia Denise Child
fishead199
15 years ago
Sweet 100, Sweet 1000, Sweet a million tomatoes. They keep
changing the name,tomato seems the same.
They just never stop producing. Winter,summer fall spring.
The word is prolific. The worms even leave them alone mostly. Best bang for the buck I have ever seen.
You can always have a fresh mater for the salad.

>
pnbrown
15 years ago
I love black-eyed susan, so does my wife. Will that rudbeckia survive without irrigation, once established? IOW, if we sowed some in february and watered for four weeks and then left it for eleven months?
leelee_2008
15 years ago
Love everyone's pictures. beautiful yards.
I have one container with freebies from the swap and cuttings. It's now filling in and starting to look very pretty. I'm going to try this photo posting thing later.
manature
15 years ago
pnb, this rudbeckia is a native Florida plant. It will grow in full Florida sun (or in semi-shade), in sandy soil, and in drought conditions. It is tough, tough, tough. The black-eyed Susans you usually see for sale in nurseries won't do nearly as well. Rudbeckia hirta, and several others languish after awhile, unless they get extra special care, and sometimes even then. But rudbeckia triloba is a perfect plant for Florida. Mine all came from one little plant that was dug up from a naturalized portion of a friend's yard and given to me several years ago. The gift that keeps on giving.

Marcia
manature
15 years ago
Just to be sure you find this, pnb, I'm posting a link to this rudbeckia here and in the other thread. Rudbeckia triloba IS a native Florida plant, sometimes called "brown-eyed Susan," instead of black-eyed. It has other common names, too. This page will give you some good basic info.

Marcia

Here is a link that might be useful: Rudbeckia triloba (Florida's native Brown-eyed Susan)
pnbrown
15 years ago
Thanks Marcia!

A definite must have for our sandy, sun-hammered pasture and future home-site....

cheap and easy gardening?

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