It seems like most everyone is trying to save money.  This is certainly true in our family.  We were considering remodeling our kitchen this year, but are opting for the (much) less expensive kitchen face-lift instead.  I have grand ideas for our large side yard, but no matter how I add it up it’s still expensive.  So for now the formal herb garden is shelved and replaced with sprucing up what we have (ie. actually weeding the existing beds).

So many of us are looking for inexpensive ways to improve our homes inside and out.  With a little ingenuity it isn’t that difficult.  Since this isn’t a home improvement site I’m going to focus on ways to improve the landscape in an economical fashion.

The obvious choice would be to home compost.  What?  You don’t have your own compost bin?  That’s ok, neither do I.  It’s not for lack of want.  We are looking to rearrange some fencing to make our back yard a little bigger and we’re waiting for that to happen.  Other no brainer choices would be rain barrels (don’t have those either).  Both will give you resources that cost nothing.

If you are like me and don’t have a rain barrel or compost bin you’ll need to find other ways to save money.  One thing that I do is utilize a local resource for organic fertilizer and compost.  Those of you lucky enough to live in Pierce County Tagro and Soundgro.  Both can be obtained for free.

With Soundgro you can only get the free stuff on one day a year.  Last year we were lucky enough to drive by the Chambers Creek facility on free day and scored 2 50 lb. bags for free.  We then purchased an additional 50 lb. bag for $3.25.  This year the even was on March 14th and sadly, we missed it.  Luckily, we still have 2 of the 50 lb. bags from last year.

Tagro is available for free direct from the facility.  Just back up your truck, car or whatever and fill it up with as much as you can shovel.  I have a small SUV and we take a frillion 5 gallon buckets and fill them to the brim.  I could borrow a friend’s truck, but I’m lazy and the buckets work.  In addition to the free compost you can purchase a cart full of potting soil for only $5.  It is enough potting soil to fill both of my front window boxes and then some (a lot actually).

If you are like me, you might be skeptical about the use of biosolid fertilizer.  Everything I was taught in school pointed to it being un-safe for garden use.  Things have changed in the 8 years since I’ve graduated.  The process of  making the biosolids is quite safe and the end product is amazing.  Last year my vegetable garden was lush and beautiful.  I used a small quantity of Tagro in the beds and added Soundgro in too.

This year, we are utilizing the free Tagro by spending our “gardening days” (Tuesdays and Thursdays) picking up the compost in the morning, weeding and applying in the afternoon.  I’m working on our flower beds little bits at a time to make things more manageable.

I plan to continue this series of “gardening on the cheap” throughout the season.  If you have any additional money saving tips you can send them to me at lisa@sproutingoff.com.