Recession Gardening: 5 Ways to Start a Garden on a Budget

Starting a summer vegetable garden requires a cash output up front. However, over the course of the summer it can save you a lot of money. Growing your own vegetables helps you save money as buying vegetables at the grocery store is often quite expensive. The quality of your vegetables is usually higher too. You will also know that they are fresh.

Shop at a Flea Market

If you don't like to grow vegetables from seeds, you can get vegetable seedlings at a flea market. The cheapest prices I've seen over the years for vegetable seedlings are always at flea markets. Individuals who sell seedlings at the flea market don't have as many growing or transportation costs as retail stores. Thus they can offer cheap prices to buyers. It is nice too to support the efforts of an entrepreneur making some cash at the flea market rather than buying seedlings at a department store.

Barter Vegetable Seeds with a Friend

Join gardening clubs and get to know people in your neighborhood to find friends who also create vegetable gardens. Then you can trade saved seeds to save money rather than buying commercial vegetable seeds. You may also want to post a note at bulletin boards around town that you would like to swap seeds. Many gardeners are very generous with the seeds saved from a garden.

Make Your Own Compost

Saving refuse from vegetables and fruits used in meals to create compost is much more cost effective than buying fertilizer, notes Mother Earth News. You can also add coffee grounds and grass cuttings to the compost pile or bin. Creating your own compost helps build rich soil and eliminates the use of toxic chemicals in fertilizers.

Look for Vegetable Plants Growing Wild and Take Seeds

I once saw a grape tomato plant near the edge of a wooded area where I was taking a walk. It was loaded with tomatoes. I had the thought that the birds and animals would have a great time eating the tomatoes. Then I took a few of the small tomatoes to gather seeds to use to try to grow the vegetables next summer.

Sometimes you can find vegetable plants in open fields where birds have dropped the seeds. Be careful and make sure you know the plant is a safe vegetable to eat.

Ask Organizations to Start a Gardening Swap Table

Some libraries, clubs or other organizations are willing to put out a table for the exchange of vegetable seeds or seedlings. This way people from all over the town can bring in items to share with others. You may be able to get a wide variety of gardening items this way.

For more information about starting a vegetable garden, read an article from the University of North Carolina. Start planning your vegetable garden now to ensure you have time for seedlings to grow and for you to find ways to obtain all needed supplies at reasonable costs or for free.

Sources:

Personal experience and ideas

Mother Earth News

North Carolina University