The holidays have arrived, and all I see everywhere are poinsettia plants. In fact, I’ve already been gifted one! It’s a lovely plant that brightens up a room with a bit of cheer. I find it odd, though, that we only see these pretty plants around December. You blink, and they’re gone. Every year, I…
What’s a Frugal Gardener to do in the Snow ?
Where I live, the snow has arrived and is here to stay. It’s been a month or so, now that we’ve begun to shovel our walkway and donned our boots when heading outdoors. A month where I was happy to take a break from thinking about gardening tasks: I think a break is necessary for any…
Don’t Throw Out Those Seed Catalogs!
The seed catalogs are arriving! It’s like an early Christmas this time of year when I visit the mailbox and find a new catalog waiting for me. I am signed up to receive a bundle of them from various retailers. Even when I have plenty of seeds on hand for the next season, I love…
Properly Storing Seeds
At the end of the season, my seed packets are typically all in a jumble. In the spring, I start things off with the intention of being ultra-organized, but as the season progresses, I don’t always have a spare moment to store everything correctly. I’m constantly needing to access seeds during the growing season as…
Don’t Throw Those Pots Away!
The pre-winter cleanup continues. I got a jump on tidying things up in the garden when the weather forecast began calling for below zero temps, but there are still things to organize as the threat of a snowstorm looms nearer. It’s now time to clean up lingering potted plants that were happy with the cooler…
Why Prepping in Advance is so Important for the Frugal Gardener
I spent a significant chunk of my Friday afternoon cleaning out the furnace room in my home. In the past, it’s doubled as my grow room, the place where I start seedlings and pot up plants when the weather is less than ideal outside. In the past year or so, it’s also seemingly become our…
Don’t Let Your Halloween Pumpkin Go To Waste
Are you ready for Halloween? Surely you’ve already procured your pumpkin. Have you carved a scary Jack-o-Lantern yet? I hate carving, so my husband is the one who does it. He’s extraordinarily artistic and always manages to etch out something incredible. We normally buy a few pumpkins for our front porch. Some we carve, others…
Gold in the Garden: Fallen Leaves
Get out your rake and get those leaves piled up because they’re not just a nuisance, they’re the perfect free tool for the frugal gardener. Enlist the help of a friend and collect all those leaves for use right in the garden. No need to buy bags to dispose of them! Ways to Use Raked…
5 Winter Squash Varieties for the Frugal Gardener Short on Space
Summer squash gets all the glory. It grows quickly and provides a high yield. My all-time favorite variety patty-pan matures in less than two months in the right conditions and keeps on giving all throughout the season. Winter squash, on the other hand, requires a longer growing season and in most cases needs more space…
Is it Worth it to Grow Your Own Pumpkins?
A few years back, someone asked me whether I grew my own pumpkins for the fall season. For pies, decoration, and soups. I didn’t have any in my garden, and it made me wonder why not. In theory, I could grow beautiful pumpkins and not have to bother buying an expensive Jack-O-Lantern when Halloween came…