GARDENING IS RECESSION-PROOF!

Well, gardening guys and girls, we are in a recession, no doubt about it. But, for gardeners, this does not have to be bad news. Gardening does not require much money, and we have a whole page of ideas devoted to HOME GARDENING ON A BUDGET! Savvy gardeners will focus this fall on these practical and money-wise activities:

• Plan which plants you can divide in the spring and summer after they bloom-you can divide Hostas, Daisies, Daylillies, Irises, all your perennials! You will have more plants without spending a dime. Remember to add compost as you plant, improving your soil as you go. Encorage your friends and family to divide and swap with you.
• Seriously consider adding food gardening to your sunny parts of the garden, or increasing your food gardening space to increase your crops. You can plant greens seeds for spring crops, plant about 3 weeks before your last average frost date - for a $2 packet of seed, you will have lettuce all spring. Late spring, after cropping is over,  is the time to divide strawberries, and there is always someone with some plants to share. Strawberry plants will give you fruit (and plants to share) year after year. Consider other fruits - blueberry bushes, dwarf fruit trees. See our SOURCES page for purveyors of home fruit and vegetable seeds and plants. Growing your own food is cheaper, the food quality and safety is controlled, and the carbon footprint is less - no transportation!  
• Start composting if you have not already. Increase your compost operation if you have one. Making your own soil amendments is the most economical and effective way to improve the soil and increase flower and crop yields.
• Improve your knowledge about gardening - study is free! Visit our GROWING AS A GARDENER page for more about educating yourself about plants and gardening.
• Instead of spending money on plants in spring, concentrate on buffing up the garden in other ways - which will really pay off more than a few new plants would. Clean up garden debris, cut back spent plants (and collect those seeds -see HOME GARDENING ON A BUDGET for details.) Tidy up paths, reassess high traffic areas, make evaluations of outdoor living areas, create your own art for your garden. See some of our pages listed below for ideas! 

- see HOME GARDENING ON A BUDGET FOR MORE ABOUT SEED SAVING

Rusty Stars welcome guests through this gate

   OUR GARDEN - WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN RIGHT NOW?

• weeding- unpleasant, but easy while the soil is soft from spring rains
• planning and planting vegetable and fruit gardens - put Tomatoes, Peppers and other tender vegetables in after your last average frost date
• tying in new growth of Blackberries, Raspberries, and trained fruit trees
• Picking a bumper crop of Strawberries and trying to outwit the squirrels, who want them, too!
• Planting seeds of cutting flowers now that the danger of frost is past in the south: Cleome, Cosmos, Marigold, Zinna.
• Planting out tender, summer blooming bulbs that were stored over the winter - Elephant Ears, Glads, Caladiums.
• Putting in tough, drought-resistant summer annuals, like trailing white Lantana.
• Taking stock and taking notes - we want to add more Viburnums - the big, white blooms around town make us greedy for more of these fab shrubs. Also, more of: really late Daffodils; the feathery, late Grape Hyacinths; Larkspur, from fall sown seeds; Species Tulips, like Tulipa Clunisia.
• Checking out great podcasts about gardening: Ken Druse, Felder Rushing.
• Visiting gardens with our little notes and camera - there are so many great garden tours in spring!