Grow your own

**JohnH** · 01-08-2008, 06:19 AM

Although this post should be in the gardening section there maybe many who haven't scrolled down that far...

The best way to be frugal is to be self-reliant. There is nothing better than growing your own vegetables. You grow what you want to eat, when you want it, very cheaply. It's fresh and its healthy.

I am not a vegetarian but we meat eaters could do with eating a lot less meat and a lot more vegetables. By growing your own vegetables you can produce a year's worth of vegetables for little money. You slash your food bills because you grew so much of your own food, reduced your expensive meat intake and reduced the amount of packaging you brought into the house.

Anyone who has a garden should be growing their own vegetables and to hell with the neighbours if they think you are lowering the tone of the neighbourhood.

Vegetable seed costs next to nothing. By leaving some produce in the ground, it goes to seed and then you will be spending nothing on seed in future.

You can feed you vegetables with kitchen waste, grass and weed clippings by composting.

"We don't have time for that" is not an excuse.

It only takes a day to prepare the ground.

It only takes a day to harvest your main crops.

Vegetables can be stored for when you need them. I eat potatoes a year after they have come out of the ground.

You can pick a little salad green or a few tomatoes whenever you need them.

Weeding and feeding is quick and simple.

Grow your own!

**Darlene** · 01-08-2008, 08:04 AM

I'm with you on all of that except the weeding part.

Nothing compares to pulling something out of your freezer or off the shelf during the cold winter months that came from that past summers garden.
Nice too to share that extra harvest with your neighbors, they really enjoy it as long as you don't give them a zillion zucchini's

We give our neighbors some of our bounty & they give us books that they have already read, nice swap!

**JohnH** · 01-08-2008, 02:39 PM

Yes, I like non-monetary exchanges.

Giving what you have created means so much more.

**lwlynch** · 01-08-2008, 04:00 PM

I have already layed a plan for my small garden. with prices like they are anything will make a difference

**sunshine** · 01-08-2008, 05:11 PM

We're going to expand our, already huge garden this year too. We currently garden almost an acre-- planning to enlarge it to about 2 acres.

**Katybird** · 01-08-2008, 06:11 PM

We are considering putting in our own well so we can expand our garden and water more and water the lawns more during the summer. I love those free veggies.

**freyadog** · 01-08-2008, 06:57 PM

Well said John. I did not have a spot ready for tomatoes last year so I took an old clawfoot tub and filled it up with dirt and grew my tomatoes in it. Where there is a will there is a way.

**Edna_E** · 01-08-2008, 08:32 PM

I'm in! Need suggestions, though. I have about 12 X 18 feet of garden-ready space and a good compost pile at my new house that I will be moving into. I like pretty much all foods, but do NOT like bugs!

**northernmom2boys** · 01-08-2008, 08:43 PM

making plans for a garden this summer

**Ceashels** · 01-09-2008, 09:10 AM

I've been making plans for my garden too. I would very much like to expand it, but my direct sunlight is very limited in some parts of the yard.

**3hungryboys** · 01-09-2008, 09:42 AM

Planning my very first garden this year. I'm starting with "Square Foot Gardening". Put it on hold at my library after reading this thread! The kids are really excited-I hope we can make it work!

**miss_thrifty** · 01-09-2008, 10:08 AM

I use to have a garden but Im renting in town now . No place here except for container gardening on the back deck if all the dang cats, skunks, dogs dont go around it lol

**Frugal Girl** · 01-09-2008, 10:16 AM

I want to start a garden this year since I have a backyard now. But I don't have the first clue how to start one. I'll probably check out some books at the library.

I want to start small. Probably grow some tomatoes and green peppers to begin with.

**sunshine** · 01-09-2008, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by Edna_E

I'm in! Need suggestions, though. I have about 12 X 18 feet of garden-ready space and a good compost pile at my new house that I will be moving into. I like pretty much all foods, but do NOT like bugs!

Get a good book at the library on companion planting -- I like "Carrots love Tomatoes" , it will tell you what plants to plant with what-- to decrease the bugs. However, some bugs are necessary to the plants to thrive.

**nodmicks** · 01-09-2008, 11:30 AM

We do a garden plus have blackberries, raspberries, apples, plums, strawberries , grapes and a really sour cherry tree. I have to admit though I hate everything about gardening except.................the warm sun, picking it and eating it.
However my heirloom veggies taste way better than the stores so I do it!