Getting cheap in the garden

I had grand dreams of my garden back in February, after having such a mild winter....then it snowed in late February.... Then it snowed 14 inches on Palm Sunday....

So that put my garden back a few weeks, but at least I got a pinterest craft out of the way (this guy was inspired by one on pinterest, it took FOREVER but it was hilarious) and I got to sled, so it was okay. Now that weather is nice and rainy, though, I'm back to the yard to try and try again. I've been overhauling big time.

 
 I started by removing my disappearing and way too red pavers and putting in gray ones that I felt more reflected my style (they were $2 each at Home Depot, and I needed more stones for a backyard project so I plan to reassign the red ones there) and I raised my beds significantly to avoid the washout issue seen above. 

 

I think the new stones look great! I got bricks to replace the plastic fencing that kept getting kicked over by the sidewalk; at 58 cents a piece, they were an affordable and more permanent option. I really started thinking about budgeting in the garden at this point and I thought I'd share where I think it's good to splurge and where you can get cheap! 

Splurge on your border

Now, this depends on the kind of garden bed you're working with. If you have a nice flat or even yard, I'd absolutely encourage you to simply edge your grass nicely around the bed. In my neighborhood, all the yards are pretty harshly sloped so there's no getting around this necessity. Obviously, all the previous home owners had kept the beds super low. Actually, the bed with the bird bath didn't exist until last year, when I took the stones from around the corner and brought them there to keep all the soil from washing down the hill every time it rains. That only kept it in place about halfway, and I was tired of seeing all the exposed foundation of the house, so I added much more height with more stones. To keep from renting an expensive stone cutter, I tried to make my "stone gap" (where there should be a cute half stone) useful by planting a white flower ground cover that will spill over the edge and look real pretty. 

Go cheaper on your "filler" soil

To fill these raised beds, I added way more cheap top soil (a dollar a bag, people, my plants thrive if I give them anything but the clay we live with in Missouri, then feed it from there with a little miracle grow). This could go against most plant experts, but anything better then the terrible clay I naturally have will make the types of plants I grow thrive. 

Go FREE for weed coverage, use newspaper, but USE this!

Weeds went rampant in my beds last year because I didn't put down anything to stop them, which was just lazy on my part. Two and a half weeks ago, I put down newspaper before I laid out my mulch and its given me dreamy coverage so far. It may not be permanent, but I can't stand trying to chop through weed fabric so it's way worth it to me.

Splurge a little and get mulch

Oh, my. Mulch has made my beds look dreamy. Not only does it further protect you from weeds, it gives a solid uniform look to the garden and adds great color while you're waiting for your plants to fill in. I have purchased about six bags, at around $2.50 each at Home Depot, and I'd like to get some more. This brand says it guarantees to keep its color for 12 months, but if it can get through August I'll be a believer.

 

Above is an example of my lights, buried in terra cotta pots, after a gnarly rain had washed what little topsoil was left. Sad, eh? Below, and from a different angle, is my same walkway filled in with mulch and a few sparse plants that will fill in soon:

Much better! 

Splurge on a few show stopping plants

This year, I have purchased one well filled out asiatic lily, a Neptune rose bush, and a little clematis vine. I also got some super cheap annuals (cheap= $2 for an 8 pack). I don't....do...annuals, typically. I don't like the idea of having to replant everything each year, so I try to get hardy perennials that usually do well in my area with the droughts and high heat of the summer. I do add them through the season as they go on sale, but this year I went early and got some for a little color.  

 

 
The orange plant is the asiatic lily, the far corner is the rose bush, the purple plant is salvia from last year (see? Perennial, and it looks better this year then last year).  The pink flowers in the third photo are half of the annuals, and the little lime green plant next to those is a discount asiatic lily that was almost dead and on clearance last year, now its split into 3 promising looking little plants. Most of my garden is filled with dirt cheap plants; plants from moms garden and other friends.

Go cheap on the ground cover 

Monkey grass can be split and spreads great. On that note, ivy, primrose, lamb's ear, coreopsis, sage, and irises all spread like wildfire as well. I have a little bit of each around the yard now. You can take these from willing donor's yards (ask, offer to help take them out, etc). Most of these do not have deep roots, so even though you wont have to dig deep, be sure to get enough of the ground around them with their roots, bulb, etc. Beware when you plant these, if you're into low maintenance gardening that fills itself these are all great, but if you like a little more control keep an eye on them and try to prune them back before they spread all over the place. 

This is the place I can make my point about the photo at the top of this post:  buying seeds can be a dirt cheap way to add some wild flowers. I got two seed packets at a wedding as a favor, and then I bought more 4 for $1 at my local Deals dollar store. They take some time and experimenting, but they can add some great flair to your garden.

These shown above are all new plantings, but they should fill in nicely over the next few months. 
 This photo also shows free plants with red, and the green represents "money items" like bricks, mulch, and the French drain (which I will go into a different time). 

Spring is a great time to start splitting your plants and putting in new transplants, so seize the season before summer creeps in and starts bearing heat on everything!