Re: A really, really Frugal Gardener

Mellen Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:56 am

RC3291 wrote:This kind of goes with your number one. If it doesn't germinate plant some more. Then it will all come up.

Yep...& I always learn things the hard way, usually as a result of my enthusiasm.

GWN Sat Mar 11, 2017 1:03 pm

A really, really Frugal Gardener - Page 4 Img_1611

I put all of those seedlings that were going to be VERY slow, like rosemary and thyme in the Toilet rolls, They have been quite happy for this past month I DO have a greenhouse, but hate starting to heat it too early in the year. So keeping them in small pots has been a way to keep my plants from taking over all of my house Smile

RC3291 Sat Mar 11, 2017 2:40 pm

In my efforts to be frugal I had a work bench in my storage shed for about 20 years. Added some hardware cloth around the outside and made a door in it. Moved it to the back covered patio and I have a brooder for baby chicks. When I'm not brooding I keep chicken and gardening supplies inside. Top serves as my work bench for my gardening. Eggs to eat, shells for compost or to keep slugs and snails a bay. It's amazing how much manure four chickens can produce for the compost pile too. I take the plants and soil out of my peat pots when transplanting and cut about an inch ring off the top of the used pots and place them around plants in my containers to keep the mulch pushed back away from the stems of the plants. Tear up the rest of the pot and throw it in my compost. My raised bed is made from two 2x10's that were a handicap ramp for my dog that tore her ACL 15 years ago. My trellis for my cucumbers is made from some left over concrete reinforcing wire from building my shed. Hey I'm cleaning out my shed too. I'm eyeing a kiddie swimming pool I bought for my dogs to cool off in during the hot part of summer. They never use it and I'm looking for a place to plant some strawberries. Now to find a place for it where the dogs won't get in it.

**Kelejan** Sat Mar 11, 2017 2:52 pm

Mellen wrote:
RC3291 wrote:This kind of goes with your number one. If it doesn't germinate plant some more. Then it will all come up.
Yep...& I always learn things the hard way, usually as a result of my enthusiasm.

I feel that learning things the hard way makes it stick and one seldom repeats any mistakes.

GWN Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:25 pm

RC3291
You seem to be a dog lover AND a frugal gardener.

My raised bed is made from two 2x10's that were a handicap ramp for my dog that tore her ACL 15 years ago.

Is that the dog in the picture?

RC3291 Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:41 am

No it was a different dog. She crossed the rainbow bridge about 11 years ago. She was a border collie mix. The one in the picture is the oldest of the two I have now. She's a four years old chow/golden retriever mix. The other is a lab mix, had her first birthday yesterday. I have a friend that calls me a pack rat yet every time he does a project he complains he threw something away a month ago.

GWN Sun Mar 12, 2017 11:11 am

every time he does a project he complains he threw something away a month ago.

So every pack rat has his limits......

The cool thing about making things out of stuff you have pack ratted, is that not only do you do something for free... but you also clean a small part of your house Smile

countrynaturals Sun Mar 12, 2017 11:50 am

RC3291 wrote:This kind of goes with your number one. If it doesn't germinate plant some more. Then it will all come up.

Like families who adopt, then turn up pregnant. Who says Nature doesn't have a sense of humor. rofl

countrynaturals Sun Mar 12, 2017 11:54 am

RC3291 wrote:In my efforts to be frugal I had a work bench in my storage shed for about 20 years. Added some hardware cloth around the outside and made a door in it. Moved it to the back covered patio and I have a brooder for baby chicks. When I'm not brooding I keep chicken and gardening supplies inside. Top serves as my work bench for my gardening. Eggs to eat, shells for compost or to keep slugs and snails a bay. It's amazing how much manure four chickens can produce for the compost pile too. I take the plants and soil out of my peat pots when transplanting and cut about an inch ring off the top of the used pots and place them around plants in my containers to keep the mulch pushed back away from the stems of the plants. Tear up the rest of the pot and throw it in my compost. My raised bed is made from two 2x10's that were a handicap ramp for my dog that tore her ACL 15 years ago. My trellis for my cucumbers is made from some left over concrete reinforcing wire from building my shed. Hey I'm cleaning out my shed too. I'm eyeing a kiddie swimming pool I bought for my dogs to cool off in during the hot part of summer. They never use it and I'm looking for a place to plant some strawberries. Now to find a place for it where the dogs won't get in it.

If there's a prize for the "Frugalist Gardener" I vote for you. I love you

countrynaturals Sun Mar 12, 2017 11:57 am

GWN wrote:
every time he does a project he complains he threw something away a month ago.

So every pack rat has his limits......

The cool thing about making things out of stuff you have pack ratted, is that not only do you do something for free... but you also clean a small part of your house

And keep it out of the land fill. A really, really Frugal Gardener - Page 4 3170584802

countrynaturals Wed Jun 21, 2017 3:43 pm

I have a perfect little strawberry that I want to leave on the plant until it's really ripe. Today I asked Katie if she has any little tulle drawstring bags. The answer was "no" but she brought me a Dollar Tree bath scrubber. I took it apart and got 3 yards of tubular nylon netting. I made a strawberry sock out of about 2" of it. Now we'll see if it works. (The plastic container underneath is from a steamer TV dinner.)

A really, really Frugal Gardener - Page 4 Scrubb10

A really, really Frugal Gardener - Page 4 Scrubb10

A really, really Frugal Gardener - Page 4 Scrubb11

A really, really Frugal Gardener - Page 4 Strawb14

**Kelejan** Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:27 pm

Kelejan wrote:
Mellen wrote:
RC3291 wrote:This kind of goes with your number one. If it doesn't germinate plant some more. Then it will all come up.
Yep...& I always learn things the hard way, usually as a result of my enthusiasm.

I feel that learning things the hard way makes it stick and one seldom repeats any mistakes.

Browsing through this thread I came across something I wrote, so in answer to myself, I must state that I made a good choice of a husband the second time around. Very Happy

**sanderson** Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:32 pm

KJ,

CN, clever!

countrynaturals Thu Jun 22, 2017 3:17 pm

sanderson wrote:KJ,

CN, clever!

So far, so good. Razz

to all birds and slugs trying to steal my strawberries!

Fiz Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:06 pm

I love discovering these old threads when you guys revive them. Laughing

I would have never thought to use hula hoops from the dollar store (way back in this thread) to make hoop houses - cool idea!

I love getting gardening stuff from the dollar store. Most of my pots, bamboo trellises, and bamboo stakes are from there.

The most frugal thing I did was make my SFG bed out of old bricks that had been sitting in my in-laws garage for over 20 years. They were happy to see them go, haha.

**sanderson** Fri Jun 23, 2017 11:28 pm

Fiz, Dollar World, 99 Cent Store, are fun to browse for items that can be used in the garden or repurposed for the garden.

countrynaturals Fri Jun 23, 2017 11:59 pm

sanderson wrote:Fiz, Dollar World, 99 Cent Store, are fun to browse for items that can be used in the garden or repurposed for the garden.

One time I found real leather garden gloves at Dollar Tree. I can't believe I only bought one pair. Rolling Eyes

countrynaturals Sun Oct 22, 2017 12:28 pm

Just bought the ANSFG book, getting ready for my first MM bed. I had planned on doing all carrots and not messing with grids, but Mel talked me into making it a "patchwork quilt" with other root crops. The problem is, I've already blown the budget on MM (and full-spectrum LED grow lights for winter Rolling Eyes

) so I started scrounging around the property for grid materials. VOILA! Corn stalks! They're absolutely perfect! Next week, after my MM arrives and I get this bed finished, I'll post the "after" pics. Cool

A really, really Frugal Gardener - Page 4 Grds10

**Scorpio Rising** Sun Oct 22, 2017 7:24 pm

Love it!

**sanderson** Mon Oct 23, 2017 3:30 am

Clever!

**Kelejan** Thu Oct 26, 2017 12:23 am

Fiz wrote:I love discovering these old threads when you guys revive them. I would have never thought to use hula hoops from the dollar store (way back in this thread) to make hoop houses - cool idea!

I love getting gardening stuff from the dollar store. Most of my pots, bamboo trellises, and bamboo stakes are from there.

The most frugal thing I did was make my SFG bed out of old bricks that had been sitting in my in-laws garage for over 20 years. They were happy to see them go, haha.

I remember this post as the next day I went to the two stores in our town and neither one had any hoops. Sad

countrynaturals Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:12 pm

Kelejan wrote:
Fiz wrote:I love discovering these old threads when you guys revive them. I would have never thought to use hula hoops from the dollar store (way back in this thread) to make hoop houses - cool idea!

I love getting gardening stuff from the dollar store. Most of my pots, bamboo trellises, and bamboo stakes are from there.

The most frugal thing I did was make my SFG bed out of old bricks that had been sitting in my in-laws garage for over 20 years. They were happy to see them go, haha.
I remember this post as the next day I went to the two stores in our town and neither one had any hoops.

My ANSFG bed will be made from 1 gal. nursery pots. I can't wait! bounce

Hopefully, tomorrow. sunny

**sanderson** Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:57 am

Hit Dollar World today for storage boxes for various garden supplies storage and anything else that I might need. $35 for lots of goodies! Very Happy

I won't tell you how much I spent next door at OSH (west coast store) for canning jars and supplies, large sweet potato tote and large storage boxes for shade cloth, etc. Embarassed

countrynaturals Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:04 pm

sanderson wrote:Hit Dollar World today for storage boxes for various garden supplies storage and anything else that I might need. $35 for lots of goodies! I won't tell you how much I spent next door at OSH (west coast store) for canning jars and supplies, large sweet potato tote and large storage boxes for shade cloth, etc.

I love OSH, but frugal it ain't. affraid

**sanderson** Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:22 pm

No, it is not the cheapest, but it has wonderful service, nice products and no fuss returns. It's like a neighborhood store.

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