6 Practical ways to save the pennies with your garden

There is nothing as refreshing as getting fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits from ones own garden albeit small. I have planted some vegetables, herbs and fruits that have proved handy over time. I have also found out that I could propagate some of these, particularly the Sukuma wiki (Collard greens) and the dhania (coriander/cilantro) without having to buy seeds or seedlings every so often. From my garden I have discovered some tips that have saved me some pennies, like buying young plants at a bargain and using an old bathtub as planter:)

Strawberry in a window box, spinach,  flowering cilantro/coriander, Lemon grass with worm wood in a window box above it and a young grape vine

  
Some penny saving tips:)

• Consider growing your own vegetables. This will save you the fuel for regular trips to the grocery stores and give you the flavor of fresh vegetables that the groceries stores cannot give. I have grown Sukuma wiki (Collard greens) and spinach (Swiss Chard)

Sukuma wiki (Collard greens)

  

Spinach (Swiss Chard) and flowering Dhania (Coriander/Cilantro)

• Consider growing your own spices. The is nothing as joyous as picking fresh culinary herbs from your own garden anytime you need them. I have grown Rosemary, Lemon grass, Dhania (Coriander/Cilantro), Ginger and Corsican Mint

Lemon Grass

Rosemary, Ginger and Dhania (Coriander/Cilantro)

• Consider growing your own fruits. Some of these fruits are pricey especially when they are off season. I can now enjoy grapes, strawberry and passion fruits from my small garden in an out of season at no cost!

Corsican Mint in a window box and grape vine above it

  

Strawberry

Passion Fruit intertwined with grape vine

• Consider preserving your own seeds and or propagate seedlings. I realized that when the Dhania (Coriander/Cilantro) is left to grow till it flowers, the flowers turn to seeds. I would dry these and keep for the next time I need coriander to plant. I also got a Sukuma wiki (Collard greens) variety that produces a sucker that can be planted.

Strawberry in a window box, spinach (swiss chard),  flowering dhania (cilantro/coriander), Lemon grass with worm wood in a window box above it and a young grape vine

• Consider buying young plants. I discovered that if I buy plants when they are young, they cost you upto 50% less than when they are mature. "Buy small at a bargain". You can order some online on this link Buy Flowers & Culinary Herbs Online

• Consider using containers from your house. Instead of buying flower pots, why not use all those redundant containers you have in your garden. I used a bathtub I wanted to discard to plant strawberry and passion fruits. You can get the full story at Fruits for the Festive Season 

• Below is the bathtub in a newspaper article that was published in the Ugandan Daily Monitor on the 9th October 2013

Strawberries growing in a bath tub. Growing plants in bath tubs is a great space utilisation technique.

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Money, like "a garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them." Liberty Hyde Bailey