WITH the cost of living crisis hitting us hard – along with extreme weather concerns – the focus on sustainable gardening and wellbeing has become a big trend.
And by that I mean maintaining your garden without depleting its natural resources, while also taking care of yourself.
It’s a tricky time out there and we could all use a little help.
So Amateur Gardening magazine editor Kim Stoddart shared five of the best ways to garden well while saving money.
1. SEED SAVING
Saving some of your own seeds from what you have already grown will create more locally adapted plants.
It’s a way of improving plants in your garden – just choose the seed from the plant that performs best.
The one with the best flavor, or the one that didn’t bolt – will save you money, but also create more resilient plants.
two. TOOL MANAGEMENT
Take care of your tools, make them last longer – and create a real connection with them.
Sharpen them, oil them, you can even name them.
Making repairs on a small scale is great, it saves you money and gives you confidence.
And that means you’re not constantly buying new things every year.
There are all kinds of expensive oil you can buy – but WD40 for £1 from Poundland is absolutely fine.
3. TURN YOUR PLANTS INTO PERENNIALS
Try growing plants longer – you can turn some of them into semi-evergreens.
This works well with chard, purple broccoli, and some flat-leaf kale.
Once they’ve done their job, cut them back before they flower and set seed.
Leave a few leaves for photosynthesis, but cut off about a third so that it contains energy in the plant that keeps it growing.
If you have some kind of secret space, they can grow for years.
4. EXCHANGES!
Swap, barter, tool sharing, seed swap, neighbors, local gardening groups – connect. There is a sociability to it and a feel-good factor.
It’s more sustainable, you can get free things and make your money go further. From a well-being perspective, small acts of kindness make you feel good and make people smile.
5. CHARITY STORES!
Charity shops are a fantastic resource of interesting things to plant. They are always under one kilo.
Even something like turning a Wellington boot into a windowsill planter.
Get creative by turning unwanted produce into gardening winners.
Kim’s book The Climate Change Resilient Vegetable Gardener, How to Grow Vegetables in a Changing Climate, It’s out now.
In Veronica’s Solar Gardening column this week…
Follow me @biros_and_bloom for tips, competitions and news
THAT’S IT BBC Jardineiros Mundo live at the NEC Birmingham this weekend – and taking pride of place is a sustainable outdoor space created by fans of the show.
The spectators’ garden, designed by Pip Probert, it celebrates the videos that Gardeners’ World viewers send to the TV show about their gardens and growing spaces. And it won a Platinum award from the judges.
Pip Probert said: “After seeing how popular the content has been with viewers each week, we realized that people have enjoyed seeing old, everyday material transformed into something different and new. We chose a series of clips from the TV show and invited the talented and imaginative people who created them to be part of a garden show. It’s a functional garden that celebrates the joy of growing your own produce, with a focus on sustainability through recycling.”
LEARN! To deal with the extreme change in temperatures, British greenhouse company Griffin purchased a free booklet that explains how you can achieve better results in warmer conditions.
The booklet identifies key changes that must be made for “growing success” and gives important tips for improving fruit and vegetable growing in greenhouses. It also identifies six new crops that can be grown in a greenhouse at higher temperatures.
Download it for free from the Griffin Glasshouses website HERE
THIS WEEK’S WORK! Start staking and tying up your hydrangea, especially if you have Annabelle – as their huge heads often cause them to flop over.
THIS WEEK’S TIP Black fly is starting to appear on roses – so give them a good dose of a few drops of fairy liquid mixed with water in an old squirt bottle.
TO SAVE! GET DEADHEAD WITH THESE SMART £14 Niwaki Cutoutsor cut back with Spear and Jackson’s £7.46 version at Amazon.
TO WIN! Our lovely friends at Stiga are giving a Typhoon Mountfield 30 liter lawn mower kit worth £119. To enter please complete THIS WAY or write to the Sun TYPHOON competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone number. UK residents aged 18+ only. Ends at 23:59 GMT on 29/06/24
Follow me @biros_and_bloom
Top tips for charity shops, Sun Gardening editor Veronica Lorraine:
“You can get all kinds of gardening tools from charity shops, and they will often be in very good condition.
“Electric trimmers are always on the go and as they are in a charity shop they must work properly.
“Remember that anything can be turned into a vase – make sure you cut holes in the bottom if you are going to put it outside.
“But things like glass fruit bowls, vases, bowls, pans or even mugs can be transformed into planters.
“Buy a gardening outfit from the charity shop so you don’t ruin your proper clothes – you can get a full set for a few pounds – and then it doesn’t matter how dirty it gets.
“Also keep an eye out for old gardening books – although gardening trends are always changing, the basics remain the same.
“And you can always use old cushions as kneelers and even old rugs to spruce up your outdoor space.”
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