How to save in the garden this summer

This story was originally titled "Get More Bloom for Your Buck" in the July 2009 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!

To get good things growing this summer, you don't have to spend a lot of money – get creative and really stretch your gardening dollars.

1. Make your own compost.
Recycled kitchen scraps are an easy and free way to boost soil productivity, are a great source of natural nutrients and are a potent fertilizer for plants.

2. Go online.
Check out the lawn and garden classified sections of www.kijji.com and www.craigslist.com. You'll find everything from used rotary mowers to free tropical plants.

3. Join the club.
Gardening clubs host annual plant sales, and members often get discounts at local garden retailers.

4. Throw a "potluck".
Try a potluck garden party (the "pots" are divisions of perennial plants from gardens of friends and family to plant in your garden). Just let everyone know whether you need sunny or shady pots.

5. Snip and clip.
Clip cuttings from softwood and hardwood plant material to replant in other areas.

6. Precious seeds.
Collect the seeds from mature seed pods of annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs. Store them in a cool, dark, dry area until it's time to sow them next year.

7. Grow a veggie garden.
This will save you a lot of money. In fact, $30 in seeds and fertilizer can produce about as much as $750 worth of groceries.

8. Go old-school.
Try pioneer gardening techniques, such as recycling bath water by pouring it over the vegetable garden, which prevents insect damage.

9. Shop the sales.
If you shop the summer and fall sales, garden retailers offer deep discounts on plants, shovels and fertilizers.

10. Strategic planning.
Properly placed trees and shrubs offer shade and provide wind barriers, sheltering homes from winter blasts and the scorching sun, so you can reduce both air conditioning and heating costs. If you follow these tips, you will create a blooming great garden for very little cost.