Plant a Garden to Save Money

Start saving on your grocery expenses by planting a garden near your kitchen. Gas prices continue to rise. This, of course, causes food transportation costs to rise. Have you been paying close attention to your recent grocery bills? Just the groceries I put in the front part of my grocery cart can easily amount to $30.00. That's usually food from the produce section. It didn't take me long to decide it's time to start a garden. My husband built me a frame for my raised bed garden, and I've planted my first row of seeds. It's easy to prepare a raised bed garden if you don't mind digging a bit. Good exercise, too. I am eager to see how my seed planting turns out. Personally, I like to purchase small plants to start my gardens with. The reason? I've had some experiences with planting seeds and no results. That was desert gardening, though, with lots of wind and heat. Unless you just like to plant with seeds, planting seedlings that already sprouted saves you growing time. 
One thing I learned from my paternal grandmother was to be resourceful. She made her own "icebox" in the ground in the early 1900's before refrigerators became popular. Fresh milk, buttermilk, and any perishable foods stayed cool. I've found a few ways to be resourceful with gardening. One way is by planting the raised bed garden in an area that gets six or more hours of sun daily. Another way is by using mulch in my flower gardens, and this keeps the ground from drying out so much plus I don't have to water as often. My favorite resourceful idea came from my husband. Our little cottage cabin has a drain from the kitchen that pours water out into a sunny area of soil. Last year a tomato plant yielded tons of the best tomatoes in that little area. We didn't plant it. Maybe a bird dropped a seed there. Wherever the source came from, it worked. Two things made that tomato plant a success: sun and water from the kitchen drain. Therefore, last weekend I planted a little salad garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, a few Marigolds to keep critters out and strawberry pants in the clay strawberry pot. My husband and I inherited a trellis with our cabin, and he attached it to the side of the house between the kitchen window and door. Now the tomato and cucumber vines can grow up the trellis.
About three years ago I planted a garden and had the best success with yellow summer squash and peppers. I am not a seasoned gardener, but I have gardened enough to know you need water, sun, dirt, fertilizer, and compost. Fencing definitely helps to keep out rabbits, deer, and even pets. You don't have to have gardening experience to begin a garden. Anyone can learn how to garden. If you need to save money on groceries, start now by planting a garden in your own back yard.
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