This week, my front and back yards were covered with the white blossoms of snowdrops, and tulip leaves are poking through the ground. These are sure signs that planting time will soon be with us. Now is the time to begin thinking of seeds and plants, tools and the tasks that will soon need to be done. And with the inflation that we are suffering through this year, it will be more important than ever to plan ahead and put some cost-cutting ideas into action.
As much as I love my flowers, this may be the time to devote more time and energy to growing edibles. Perhaps you have already been successful with tomatoes, beans, radishes, potatoes or lettuce. If so, consider devoting a little more space and energy to growing those things that you have been successful with in the past. Let us not forget about the herbs. But they can add up when you have to purchase $2.99 pots of parsley, basil and oregano at the supermarket week after week. Not only will a good section of herbs save you money during the growing season, but come September, you can harvest the last leaves and dry them in your oven and store for use all winter long.
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Let’s look at some real money-saving ideas. There is a lot of them out there. I would begin very soon by purchasing one or two of those seed starter trays that are available at the home improvement stores, Walmart and other places. They come with 48 or 72 little pots of compressed soil. Simply wet the number of cubes that you need at the moment and sow a few seeds on each plant. Repeat the process every couple weeks for continuous harvests. As plants become larger, it will become evident to you that it is time to transplant into larger pots or a tray of soil, with space for them to grow.
Of course, you will not have to worry about the cost of some seeds next spring if you would take the time this summer to read in a magazine or “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” how to save seeds. It’s easy, and if you are very successful, you may have enough seeds to help the gardeners in your neighborhood.
I may even write a how-to column next August to help you along. Among the easiest and those that give the best rewards are tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas. Cucumbers, melons, watermelons and squashes such as acorn are also easy to handle and produce a whole lot of seeds.
Actually, I find it very rewarding to increase my plants with cuttings. Start early, purchasing a couple of plants like marigolds, petunias, impatiens, geraniums and zinnias, and take cuttings along the way. The cuttings will produce later than the original plants, but they certainly will stretch the season at no cost. I find it challenging, but in early spring taking cuttings of forsythia, barbary or viburnum makes for a lot of good specimen plants in a half-dozen years. Why are we so impatient?
Sometimes when shopping at a garden center we may want to have two or three of a perennial or shrub. Expensive, aren’t they? Be frugal; look over the whole selection and choose one or two plants that can be easily divided. They will have a lot of stems coming up from the soil level. Have a little patience, and realize that by suffering through smaller plants the first year, they will look a whole lot fuller and healthier the second year.
Carmen Cosentino
Thinking of “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” reminds me of Ben Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanac.” I remember a couple of quotes: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” and “a penny saved is a dollar earned.” Take care of your garden tools; replacement seems to cost more every time you look. If you do lend them, do so to those gardeners who return them within a day or two, clean and undamaged. If they do not, they go on to that “do not lend” list that I keep. Once you make that list, you are on it forever!
These are just a few of my money-saving gardening tips. I will try to add more tips in columns in the next few weeks.
Experts Say These Are the Easiest Houseplants to Keep Alive. With so many plant options out there, it can be intimidating to choose the right one for your home, especially if you’re inexperienced. . According to plant experts, these are the easiest plants to take care of. 1. ZZ Plant. 2. Pothos. 3. Succulents. 4. Sansevieria. 5. Mini Money Tree. 6. Monstera. 7. Peperomia Ginny. 8. Hedgehog Aloe. 9. Cacti
Carmen Cosentino operates Cosentino’s Florist in Auburn with his daughter, Jessica. He was elected to the National Floriculture Hall of Fame in 1998, and in 2008, received the Tommy Bright award for lifetime achievements in floral education. In 2016, Carmen and Jessica were presented Teleflora’s Tom Butler Award, naming Cosentino’s the florist of the year at the company’s annual meeting in Hawaii. Carmen can be reached at cosenti@aol.com or (315) 253-5316.
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