Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Gardenig on a budget


Gardening doesn't have to be expensive.

Tiffany purchased bagged and bare root two years ago from Home Depot for about $3.00. If you have a cutting garden these inexpensive roses are perfect. I grow a huge variety for bouquets and didn't spend a fortune. Hybrid tea roses bloom from late May until October freeze.

Unknown white (purple tinged) clematis. If anyone can identify, please let me know the name.
Home Depot purchase last spring for under $4.00. Early in the season HD often has dozens of clematis in small 3" pots. Clematis are tough little plants, mine have done well planted directly into the garden in early spring. I bought several to let ramble among my perennials. They will bloom the second year in the garden.


Stargazer at Menards about $4.00 for a pack of 6 bulbs. Blooms the same year planted.


Siloam Double Classic from Gilbert H. Wild & Son about $2.50. Most of my daylilies are from Gilbert Wild. Over the years the folks at Wilds have been so helpful and supplied large plants in excellent condition. They arrive mid summer and will bloom the following year.


Blue Chips from Home Depot about $3.99 for a 6 inch pot blooming. I never find rare or unusual plants at HD but they are large and often in bloom. I like to be sure of what I'm getting both color and health.


Stella D'oro from Gilbert Wild about $2.00. Stella is a quick multiplier and soon produces an abundance to give to friends or replant in other locations. Stella blooms all summer.

Sunflower from bird seed. Free. Just like the Master Card commercial;)



A small garden for $20. In these days of economic uncertainty, who doesn't love a bargain? (Apology for the discussion of budgets but I'm an accountant, it's to be expected;).

Often I'll take a chance or push the zone on a bargain plant. That way if I made a mistake, I learned a lesson but didn't lose much money.

I live in a small town, we don't have large, exciting garden centers here to choose from. If I lived closer to the wonderful garden boutiques in the Chicago suburbs, I would be bankrupt, homeless and living in the garden. Now that I think about that option, how bad could it be. With a splendid garden fountain (to shower in), cushy outdoor furniture (to sleep on), and a host of garden statues to keep me company, who really needs a house.

I should mention the early and late season sales at Blue Stone Perennials . It's a good source for hard to find plants. Their plants are very small but usually do well and bloom the second year. I have gotten a few cooked perennials (probably stayed in transit too long). Not the fault of Blue Stone but disappointing all the same.

23 comments:

Kim said...

What beautiful photos. I often garden on a budget and try not to go to expensive garden centers or depots. In my village there are quite a few ladies that sell home produced plants from their front gardens, and at a fraction of the price of the 'big boys'!

Kim x

100 Thoughts of Love said...

I think it looks a lot like a Violet Elizabeth clematis....although there are literally hundreds of varieties...it is beautiful whatevr it is!

Betty said...

I had to come visit your blog after seeing your blog name on one of Lallee's posts. Wow! What gorgeous, gorgeous garden pictures. I love that soft pink lily and your roses are breath taking!

tina said...

I am one of those bankrupt and living in the garden (nearly). Your buys are all lovely. I love clematis but am not sure what variety that is.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Kim, I love those local plant swaps or sales. We have one huge one in this area, multi family--been going on for more than 20 years. They start officially at 5 am so people can stop on their way to work. Plants anywhere from $.25 to $5 the highest price being for a small shrub. When you get something from another local gardener it's almost guaranteed to grow well.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Pat. Thank you for the ID. I googled Violet Elizabeth and it sure looks like mine. Some blooms on this cultivar are more double than others.

It's like trying to get an ID on a daylily. Hundreds that look identical;)

Roses and Lilacs said...

Good morning She'ssewpretty. I enjoy Lallee's site too. I'm so glad you stopped by to visit and that you enjoyed the pictures. Please come back again to see new pictures.
Marnie

Gail said...

marnie...You haven't been counseling my spouse have you! He and I had a discussion about garden budgets recently! Seriously, my best buys are end of the season plants...they look terrible but with a bit of love they look wonderful the next season.

Gilbert Wild & rocks! The best prices and healthy plants!


Gail

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Tina. I guess we could have picked worse or more expensive hobbies:)

I'm getting more lax about recording plant names. I used to track the name of every plant purchased--sometimes make garden labels.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Gail. I promise it wasn't me that put that thrifty bee in your husband's ear. LOL, I'm a firm believer that the more husbands DON'T know, the happier everyone is.

Me too, love those end of season sales.
Marnie

Rose said...

"Homeless and living in the garden"...I like that! LOL

Great post, Marnie. I really got carried away this spring and spent way too much on plants. I've vowed to be more frugal next year. Trying to start more flowers from seed is one of my goals. The Home Depot here was rather disappointing in its plant selection this year, but I usually have good luck at Lowe's. It pays to shop around and know who has good plants and watch their sales. But you've found some real bargains! I'm going to have to check out Gilbert Wild's.

A Wild Thing said...

Living in the garden sounds like a magical idea, the life of the garden fairy, to bathe in the dew and munch on sunflower seeds all day, ahhh the good life...do I have to much time on my hands? better go pick beans...

sharon :)

Naturegirl said...

Beautiful blossoms! It doesn't really matter how much we pay for our plants or where we purchase them as long we love and care for them they give back
twofold! I love the stargazer and the sunflower!
I got a "bargoon" yesterday at the grocery store..clear out of rose plants...$5 each...I bought two!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Rose. Do you winter sow? I have had absolutely no luck with it, but so may people have great results.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Sharon, you are such a romantic. What a picture that brings to mind. Laying on dewy rose petals, munching sunflower seeds (the squirrels haven't found) and watching fireflies hover over the grass. Listen, what is that tinkling sound? Is that the fairies coming?

Sounds like paradise. Sign me up.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Naturegirl. You are right. If it pleases you, the price doesn't matter. Still, maybe it's my accountant mindset or maybe my Scottish ancestry, but I love a bargain;)

Stargazer and Starfighter are my two favorites.
Marnie

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

It's true! You can garden on a budget. I'm so glad you pointed that out.

I love the title of your blog. Roses and lilacs are my two favorite flowers.

Cindy

lisa said...

I wanna live in the garden too! :) Seems like every year I try to be more frugal, but the catalogs charm me into spending. Next year I really want to focus on seeds, since I do have good luck with winter-sowing. I like the plants from Gilbert & Wild as well, but the very best daylilies I ever bought were from Oakes. They were HUGE fans (like 3-4 good fans big enough to separate), and the prices are reasonable. (Depending upon how fussy you are with cultivars. Sure, some "fancy-pants new double red" might be cool, but they also have a double red that pretty much looks the same for half as much. You know how it is. ;-)

Lallee said...

Your blooms are 'priceless'. You have captured them so well. I'd love to be able to grow Stargazers where I live!

Lallee

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Lallee. Is your climate the reason Stargazer doesn't do well? That's a shame. It's definitely one of the loveliest.

I feel the same about kousa dogwoods. I miss them and crepe myrtle too.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Lisa, know what you mean about garden catalogs. All winter I drool over the glossy photos of new cultivars.

I'll check out Oakes.

Have one of the new red doubles. It just opened. More of a dark orange, don't know if I like it.
Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

RoseHaven Cottage, thank you for stopping by to visit.

Roses and Lilacs are the two things I most look forward to--especially the lilacs.
Marnie

troutbirder said...

I like the suggestion a lot. Thanks!!!