If you would love to garden, but don’t know where to start, you might consider beginning small with a container garden. This simply means your plants are grown in pots or other objects rather than planted directly into the ground. Container gardening is great for beginning gardeners because it provides a smaller work area and more control over your plants. Or, if you’ve thought that you must wait to garden until you have more space, container gardening might just be the thing you need to get started.
How to plant a container garden
If you are not sure where to start, check with an expert at a nursery who can give you tips specific to where you live and what time of year it is. The climate that you live in plays an important role in deciding what to plant and how to care for your plants. When choosing containers, be frugal. You definitely don’t need to buy specialty pots to hold dirt. Check the article, “Creative Containers for Container Gardening” for ideas on what to put your plants in.
Unless you have compost you’ll need to purchase some soil. Plant your seeds or seedlings with plenty of room to grow and water frequently. Because it is in a smaller area, the soil in container gardens dries out pretty quickly. You may need to water as often as one or two times a day.
Space issues
Container gardens are also a great solution for a gardener with little space for growing plants. Don’t write off gardening just because you live in an apartment or condo. As long as you have access to a patio, roof, or even a windowsill, you can grow something. For instance, a beginning gardener might like to start with planting a few herbs in a window box.
Why garden?
Of course, since you are reading a Frugal Living blog you might predict that the answer to the question is, “Because it will save you money!” As your green thumb improves so will your savings on your grocery bills.