My Holistic (and Affordable) Approach to Gardening in 2023
Gardening can be a great way to become more self-sustainable, save money on groceries, and spend more time with nature.
But oftentimes it ends up being wayyyy more expensive than it needs to be!
Here are the ways I am planning on spending $0 on my garden this year 👏
For as long as I can remember I have loved gardening and growing house plants. There is something so rewarding about seeing plants thrive and enjoying the literal fruits of your labor. So naturally, I was anxious for the weather to warm up and the sun to be out longer- the tell tale signs that gardening season is right around the corner!
But earlier this year, I made myself a goal that I am spending $0 on my garden this summer. When I really thought about it, there was nothing that I needed to purchase if I was a little more intentional about it. And in previous years I was shocked at how quickly the price to garden racked up… between starter plants and seed packets, organic fertilizer… it was still cheaper than purchasing that same amount of produce, but I knew I could hack it 😉
A Little Background
To be completely transparent, there are a few things we already have in place that make this goal a lot easier to achieve! Not all of these are necessary depending on your situation, but if so there are definitely budget-friendly alternatives!
Since we have been growing a garden from the time we first bought our home, we have already built raised garden boxes and have a collected assortment of larger pots and planters that we will use. We also have some tomato cages, a trellis, and a few other odds and ends that we will use again this year.
When my daughter was born, we purchased a water filter for our outdoor hose so that she could play in clean water in the backyard which means we also have clean, filtered water for watering our fruit and vegetable plants
From previous years, we have saved all the containers that the starter plants come in which we used for starting seeds
We were also gifted a composter from a family member that no longer used theirs
Again, not all of these things are necessary! But i do feel like we are pretty set up with all the things people tend to purchase that can run up the starting cost of having a garden.
Budget-hacks for first setting up your garden…
So much of our stuff is second-hand. When my aunt moved she gifted us nearly a dozen large outdoor container pots. My husband built our garden boxes. The tomato cages were from a yard sale. Our compost bin was originally my parents but they no longer used it.
I would definitely recommend first asking your friends and family if they have anything that you could borrow or have, if they are no longer using it!
Another place to check is a “Buy Nothing” facebook group for your area. Basically these facebook groups are specific to an area of town and people can post anything that they are getting rid of. People will also post things they are searching for and I have been shocked to see how generous people are at trying to meet the needs of others!
If neither of those are succesful, you can also check out facebook marketplace and thrift stores for more affordable garden equipment!
My Gardening on a Budget Plan
Compost
A few years back when we first built our planter boxes, I was shocked at how much money it cost to actually fill them up with dirt. How was dirt so expensive?! This year though, I have intentionally been saving some of our compostable kitchen and yard scraps and throwing them in the compost bin we have out back.
Did you know the average household produces over 200 pounds of kitchen waste PER YEAR?! This will be the fertilizer that increases the nutrients in our soil, and in turn the fruits and veggies we eat! Plus it’s an overall more sustainable approach that minimizes waste in landfills!
I am noooo compost expert, but basically you want to balance out the “greens” and “browns” that you throw in there. The green refers to nitrogen rich material- grass, coffee grounds, fruit and veggie scraps, eggshells, etc. While the browns are carbon rich material: paper, pine needles, tree bark, fall leaves.. you want them balanced 4 parts browns to 1 part greens so that if can heat up and breaks everything down. To be honest, I have never been super strict about it and it seems to break down fine without any weird pests or smells!
Saving seeds
We primarily purchase organic produce, and if not follow the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists published by the EWG. This means that the seeds from those fruits and veggies were also organic and non-GMO which is a priority for us!
To be completely honest, I am not entirely sure that I have saved all the seeds “correctly” but we will see in a few more weeks which all take and which ones don’t. This is the process I followed for all the seeds I saved:
removed the seeds from the produce and rinsed them in filtered water
spread them out on a paper towel to dry out
stored in paper sandwich bags to prevent moisture and them getting moldy
And thaaaaat’s it…. again, not totally sure yet that that is the appropriate way to go about it for all types of produce but so far my cucumbers, zuchinni, butternut squash and spaghetti squash have all produced seedlings! 🤷🏻♀️🌱
Enjoy!
One of my favorite parts of gardening is getting to share with our friends, family, and coworkers! I have also enjoyed a little bit of fermenting after my husband got me a fermenting kit as a gift a few years back. But even without either of those benefits, it is still a great way to lower your food cost, be more self-sustainable, and nourish your body with whole foods.
This summer my daughter is two and showing interest in plants, so getting to do that together will be extra special!
There you have it! A short and sweet post on how we are planning for our garden this year ☺️ I am a huuge advocate that wellness and clean living does NOT have to be expensive. If you are interested in more affordable wellness hacks, make sure to download my free Holistic Wellness on a Budget Guide below
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