Gardening--Fun and Frugal!

Whether you are an avid vegetable gardener, aaphids and other pests.6. My husband bought some
beginning herb gardener or just like to have a prettyused carpet at a garage sale, cut it into wide strips
yard, these frugal tips may help you save a littleand laid it down between the rows in our garden.
money!1. Stale coffee and coffee grounds makeNow we can pick peas with getting our shoes
great organic fertilizer. They provide many tracemuddy.7. Use grass clippings as mulch around your
minerals and low, gentle levels of nitrogen, potassiumvegetable plants to keep moisture in and weeds out.
and phosphorous.2. Remember that a good soakingJust don't use the clippings right after you have
of water less often is better than a light sprinklingfertilized your grass or treated for weed control.8. If
every day -- for veggies and for your lawn.3. If youryou have access to them, pine needles make
neighbor has a plant you particularly like, ask for aexcellent mulch.9. A natural, frugal garden pest spray:
cutting, instead of going to the nursery and buyingmix 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap and 1 cup
one. Maybe you could trade a cutting from one ofof cooking oil. Use 3 tablespoons of this mixture to 1
your own plants.4. To easily water a tomato plant,quart of water and spray on plants.10. In the herb
bury a bottomless coffee can next to the plant andgarden, to keep plants like mint from taking over too
pour the water into the can. This allows the water tobig an area, put it in a clay pot and simply plant the
go straight to the roots.5. Plant marigolds in yourwhole pot!"He who plants a garden, plants happiness.
vegetable garden. They will attract insects that eat