Saving Money in the Flower Garden

There are many ways to be frugal while working in the garden. Stacey has a flower bed in front of the house which she has really worked over, transforming it from a weed free-range to a beautiful display of different flowers. It may be a little late for these suggestions, but here are a few ways to be more financially wise while creating a flower bed.

First, consider purchasing flowers a little later in the year. Some of our flowers were purchased at the end of April, some in May, and some at the beginning of June. Those purchased at the beginning of June were much cheaper. They looked a little worse when we first bought them, but our daily watering routine brought out the best in them very quickly.

Second, look for ways to reuse the waste. Stacey had to dig up entirely one section to get rid of a vine that was taking over her flowers. We purchased top soil to go fill in the area. The dirt we had dug up with the vine in it was used in our backyard to fill the holes our dog had dug.

Third, purchase dirt wisely. Sounds crazy, I know. Last year I was filling some holes the dog had dug. Looking around inside Wal-Mart's garden section, I purchased the cheapest kind of soil I found - potting soil. It was over $6 for about a 40 pound bag. This year, we purchased topsoil from outside the store for less than $2 for each 40 pound bag. We supplemented this with plant food (about $6 a bottle) which lasts a long time and can be used on our indoor and outdoor plants.

There are other ways to be frugal in building a flower garden, but these are a few simple suggestions. (By the way, that is Stacey's flower bed in the picture:)