photo credit: iLoveButter

So I saw an ad in the newspaper for garden seeds on sale at the local hardware store. The price 5 for $1. I thought I would purchase my seeds there and pick up any additional seeds or trade for what else I wanted for the garden. I also decided to buy my tomato and pepper plants as transplants. Many first gardeners may not be prepared to start seeds early so by buying a larger plant and giving it special attention my goal it to harvest 30 pounds of tomatoes off each plant. I am not sure what I will get with the pepper plants.

Seeds I have purchased for the Recession Garden

• Scarlet Globe Radish -2 packs
• Beets – Detroit Dark Red and Early Wonder
• Cucumbers – 3 packs Wisconsin SMR 58 (pickling)
• Carrots – 2 packs Danvers Half Long
• Beans -Yellow Top Notch Golden Wax Kentucky Wonder Blue Lake bush
• Summer Squash – Early Crookneck
• Swiss Chard – Fordhook
• Lettuce, 4 packs – Buttercrunch, Black seeded Simpson, Dark Green Cos Endive
• Herbs – sweet basil, oregano, borage
• Flowers – Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Calendula, Sunflowers.

These were all purchased for $5. Cucumbers, carrots beans and the lettuce varieties all have enough seeds available for multiple plantings for the entire season.
photo credit: iLoveButter

I also purchased Vegetable Squash (winter Squash) and a large packet of Peas for $1 a packet. I have made plans to trade some of my Vegetable Spaghetti seeds for Butternut and Buttercup squash. I will also trade some of my yellow Summer Squash for Zucchini. I picked up onion sets and paid $3 for three pounds. So far my garden costs are $10

My tomato plants and pepper plants I will pick up in two weeks and plan to spend 50 cents plant. If I had to purchase garden tools I can get them at the auction for $1 a piece but I have what I need.

As for potatoes, I had potatoes that were starting to sprout so I will use them. I cut up my first batch for planting today and have them healing. This will take about two days. If you haven’t cut potatoes for seeding leave two eyes per section of potato. If you live in an area that has potato blight you may wish to purchase potatoes for seeding. They will cost about 4 to 5 dollars. Note: I plant my potatoes in baskets and use a straw method for planting. It increases the harvest and you have clean potatoes.

You may have to pay to have a garden spot plowed or you can grow in containers or use the no-dig method for gardening. And remember, you can plant a garden in a small space.

The rest of the money I have left will probably go for any additional seeds, composting materials or supplies for homemade insecticides. All of which ideas and tips will be posted at The Gardener’s Rake on the Recession Garden Garden Plan page.

Also check out the Free Seeds and Plants page for more garden saving ideas.

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Green Gardening is the new “garden term.” But what does it really mean and why is green gardening important? And how does it differ from organic gardening?
photo credit: The Shane H

Gardening has a valuable purpose of supplying food and growing plants of all varieties help the environment. But gardening, even done properly, manipulates nature and changes the environment. If gardening is poorly planned it can cause erosion. Heavy chemical use in the garden can harm plants, animals, and the soil and water. It also will lead to weaker plants.

The easiest way to explain green gardening is when the gardener works more with nature. Is has the same principles as organic gardening but with green gardening you try to match plants more with location and often use no dig methods to protect the soils structure. The less you disturb your soil and backyard garden area the greener your garden will be. Here are a few steps that will help you keep your garden environmentally friendly.

The best principal of Green Gardening is “to Keep it Simple”

Selecting your garden site

Your garden needs to be located in an area that receives 6 to 8 hours of sunlight and that has adequate drainage. You also need to check the soil and add nutrients if needed. A poor soil creates sickly plants, which leads to more insects and plant disease.

It’s also important to select plants for your garden that will grow in the climate that you live in. If you want a tropical plant but it will not grow in your garden climate consider having it in a container and on the patio or indoors. You will also want to plant sun loving plants in the sun and shade loving plants near buildings or trees for best results and healthy plants. Plants that are grown in the wrong area and poor soil will require more time to keep them healthy.

Know your soil.

Have your soil tested so that you understand what it is made of and what it needs to grow healthy plants and drain well. You can purchase soil-testing kits at most garden centers. You can improve your soil by adding nutrients, compost and by using the no-dig or lasagna gardening methods.

Stronger synthetic fertilizers will improve the soil quicker but they hurt the soil and nature Organic soils building methods take longer but build a better soil that will only improve over the years.

Annual flowers or vegetables exhaust the soil nutrients faster than other plants so you will need supplemental feeding during the growing season. Again you can find natural organic fertilizers but natural methods are preferred for green gardening and over extended time.

Organic matter, compost, and mulch will all add nutrients to your soil and build your soil from year to year. And side dressing your gardens adds the extra boost during the growing season for your flowers and vegetables.

My soil is a heavy clay base. I always keep mulch on my ground and work it in at the end of every growing season. This practice alone has dramatically improved my soil and drainage.

I also have used no chemicals on my land in at least 12 years. I live too close to a creek to take the chance of any chemical working into the creek, plus I don’t like chemicals on food, plants or my land.

If you do have an insect problem there are many natural insect controls and natural home insect sprays you can try.

Green gardening is friendlier to your yard, garden, pets and family. It’s also a healthier way to live. If we all try at least one green gardening idea we can help our communities and our world.

Technorati Tags: green gardening, lasagna gardening, no dig gardening, organic gardening

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photo credit: Sbocaj

There is a garden style often called “The lazy Man’s Garden”

I have used this for several gardens in the past. I am not sure I would call it a lazy mans garden myself. The advantage of this garden is if you have trouble getting a garden tilled or are working with challenging soil this is a good plan. It’s also an organic way to grow, based on not disturbing the soil and using very little no no chemicals.

I first read about this gardening technique in a book from the library. A 90-year old lady who still loved to garden but did not have a way to till the ground and digging was hard on her back started using hay or straw to plant in. What she did was cover the ground in the fall with about a foot of hay to kill the grass. In the spring she added some more fresh hay and let it sit for a week or two. Then she would pull back the hay and plant her seeds. It is recommended using this method to use seedlings. They don’t have to compete with the hay and will grow quicker. I have found this to be true!

She would plant one section at a time until the garden was complete. With the hay in place she could work at her own pace and even plant later crops.

I have used this method if I put in a garden late or am working with soil that I know needs a lot of added mulch and nutrients. One thing I have found is that I do not use hay! Hay brings in more seed heads and may spread weeds into your yard. It also can bring in mice that are attracted to the seeds.

I recommend straw. It’s a little more expensive but there are hardly any seeds in straw. Also if you figure the price of tilling and straw they are probably the same.

The advantages of the Lazy Mans Garden is that there is no digging and that your soil stays moist so there is less watering. One other advantage is that as the season goes on the straw breaks down and adds to the soil. This is good if you have a heavy clay soil base like I do.

At the end of the season when the straw is breaking down, I add mowed leaves and more straw and let it sit over the winter. If you want to break down the straw more cover the garden with black plastic and weigh it down with rocks or boards so that it will not blow off.

By the next year when you pull the straw back you will have a rich soil base to plant in and will also notice a lot or worms which is a very good sign of rich soil. If you do this several years you will have a very healthy soil base to plant in.
photo credit: greengardenvienna

The only disadvantages I see to this garden is bringing in the straw to cover the garden and using more seedlings. That means you either start more yourself or buy them.

Another disadvantage: corn tends to topple over more in a straw garden so what I do is have one area of the garden where I pull back a lot of the straw and plant the corn there. The straw I removed goes in a compost bin and get recycled into rich moist compost.

The Lazy Man’s Garden resembles the Lasagna Gardening method. The difference between then is that lasagna gardening uses layers of materials that actually break down and improve the soil at a faster rate.

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