On a budget
There’s no need to let a lack of dollars cramp your gardening style,
says Teena Crawford.
Gardening is great fun, keeps you active, and the end
results can be very rewarding. It also need not cost
the earth. Take an integrated approach following
commonsense guidelines, add a little imagination and creativity,
and your garden can be the envy of your family and friends.
Start by making the most of what you already have around
the home. Fallen leaves, especially in autumn, make excellent
mulch. Small leaves can be put straight onto garden beds,
while large, thick leaves are best shredded by running the lawn
mower over them. The leaf cover suppresses weed growth,
helps with moisture retention and, over
time, breaks down to provide added
nutrients for your garden.
Leaf litter is also a great addition to
compost. Making compost at home is easy,
economical and environmentally friendly.
Less waste ends up in landfill, and your
garden soil is enriched for little monetary
cost. Compost can be spread on top of
garden beds as a mulch layer, or dug in to
improve your soil before planting.
The best compost is made from a
balanced mix of ingredients including
egg shells, vegetable and fruit scraps
from the kitchen, shredded newspaper, lawn clippings,
autumn leaves and garden prunings. There is a range of
compost bins available including some suitable for small
gardens. Alternatively, you can use a worm farm to compost
kitchen scraps if space is limited. Worm castings make
fabulous fertiliser for the garden or can be diluted in water to
make liquid fertiliser. As well, in some areas councils manage
green waste disposal in such a way that they can offer
residents cheap mulch or compost for sale.
With water costs skyrocketing it makes good sense to follow
good water conservation practices in the garden. Water your
garden in the morning or evening to minimise evaporation.
Less frequent, deep watering trains plant roots to grow
deep down into the soil. Use water-efficient systems such as
drippers or soaker hoses, which apply the water at the soil
surface so less water is blown away in the breeze.
The use of water conservation products such as water-storing
granules and wetting agents in conjunction with the above,
leads to greater water efficiency and therefore smaller water
bills. For further water savings, grey water can be harvested
from the home. Untreated grey water from the laundry can be
applied to the root area of ornamental plants (not plants that
are eaten) if low-sodium and low-phosphorous detergents are
used. Simple grey water diverters and more elaborate systems
are available. Contact your plumber or local water authority
for advice and guidelines.
No matter whether your garden is
new or established there is always
room for a few new plants – but these
can be inexpensive, too. New plants
can be propagated from home using
plant material from your own garden.
Friends and neighbours are great
sources for extra propagating material.
Some plants are difficult to grow from
cuttings but any novice will have success
growing cuttings of lavender, daisies,
pelargonium and hydrangea.
Perennial plants divide easily to make
new plants. Instead of purchasing several
plants of the one type of perennial, limit yourself to one. Grow it
in the garden for one year, dig it up in the winter, divide it into
several plants and replant to fill out the garden space.
Offshoots develop at the base of established cacti and succulent
plants such as agave, echeveria and crassula. New plants can
be created by carefully removing these with some root system
attached and planting them. Depending on the plant variety it is
a great method to grow lots of extra plants in a short time.
Then there is the opportunity to reduce the household food bill
by growing fruit, vegetables and herbs at home.
Fruit trees in the garden are productive and also provide
shade, screening, flowers and perfume. Where space is
limited, grow your fruit trees espaliered (trained) against a
fence or in large containers. A range of trees provides fruit
throughout the year; any excess can be frozen, preserved or
shared with your neighbours.
Vegetables and herbs can be grown in a small, sunny area
of the garden, in between other ornamental plants or even in
pots. Foam boxes from the local fruit shop make an excellent
pot substitute. The foam’s insulating qualities help keep the soil
warm in winter and cool in summer. Using pots or boxes also
makes your vegetable garden portable so you can follow the
sun depending on the season, and store unused containers
out of sight.
Most people grow vegetables and herbs from seedlings
purchased from the local garden centre. For economy’s sake,
try growing your own seedlings. Seed packets containing
enough seed for multiple crops can be purchased for just
a few dollars. Seed is best germinated using commercially
available seed-raising mix. For best results sow seed at a
depth that is equivalent to the seed’s diameter. Very fine seed
is best left uncovered.
When harvesting, leave one or two plants behind to set seed.
This can be collected, stored in a paper bag, and sown the
following season. This method is ideal for vegetables such as
tomato, basil and lettuce, and for many flowering annuals such
as nasturtiums, cosmos and sunflowers.
For more gardening activities, join a volunteer or friends
group. Most botanic gardens and significant green spaces
have volunteers who help with general maintenance,
preservation and development. You can become involved
to the level that suits you and enjoy a great social outing
where knowledge and ideas are shared with the professional
caretakers while you are doing what you love – gardening!
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