Cheap Seed Starting Containers: What Actually Works
Yogurt cups, toilet paper rolls, egg cartons. You’re probably already throwing away the best seed starting containers you could use. Here’s what actually works and what has let me down.
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No Seeds Started Yet? It’s Not Too Late
Haven’t started your garden yet and feeling behind? You’re not. Here’s a quick, cheap plan for Pacific Northwest beginners to get growing in April with seeds and transplants you can grab this weekend.
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Hugelkultur Beds: Why Your Garden Wants Rotting Wood
Hugelkultur beds sound complicated but they’re really just buried wood piles that feed and water your garden for years. Here’s how they work, what to use, and the one mistake to avoid in year one.
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Drought Tolerant Edibles for Lazy Gardeners
Some plants just don’t need you that much, and in a busy summer that’s worth knowing. Here are the drought tolerant edibles that keep producing even when your watering schedule falls apart.
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Free Herb Garden from Grocery Store Basil
That grocery store basil bundle is basically a free propagation kit. Propagating plants from cuttings is easier than it sounds, and one $1.99 bundle can turn into 6 to 10 plants with just a jar of water and a bright windowsill.
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Free Fertilizer: Making Compost from Kitchen Scraps
I threw away banana peels and coffee grounds every day for years before I finally connected the dots. Making compost from kitchen scraps is actually free, not just cheap, and the setup costs nothing if you do it right.
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Container Vegetable Gardening on a Balcony or Patio
No yard? No problem. Container vegetable gardening on a patio or balcony can actually outperform in-ground beds for the right crops. Here’s how to set it up cheap and keep things alive all season.
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Cheap Raised Beds from Scrap for Under $50
You don’t need a trip to the lumber yard to build raised beds. Scrap wood, cull boards, cinder blocks, and a little scrounging can get you a solid 4×8 bed for well under $50. Here’s how I’ve done it, including the mistakes.
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Hugelkultur: The PNW Gardener’s Secret Weapon
The Pacific Northwest practically builds hugelkultur beds for you every winter. Fallen branches, soggy leaves, free organic material everywhere. Here’s how to bury it all under your raised bed and let it work for you all summer long.
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Pollinator-Friendly Plants That Actually Show Up
Tomatoes that don’t set fruit, squash flowers that drop off, zucchini that just gives up. Often the problem isn’t your plants, it’s the lack of pollinators. Here are the easiest, cheapest plants to grow that will actually bring bees and butterflies to your garden.
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Cheap Potato Planting: Scraps, Seed Spuds, and No Regrets
You can start potatoes from kitchen scraps or cheap seed potatoes and get a solid harvest either way. April is the right time in the Pacific Northwest, and the whole operation can cost almost nothing if you know what to cut.
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Cheap Cut Flowers: Sunflowers, Cosmos, and Zinnias
Sunflowers, cosmos, and zinnias are three of the cheapest, easiest cut flowers you can grow from seed. One packet of each is all it takes to have fresh bouquets from July through October. Here’s how to get them started in April.
