Garden of Frugality

Posted on May 27, 2008
Filed Under frugal living |

I thought it was time to update everyone on the garden of frugality. In an effort to save money, eat better and become more self sufficient, I planted several rather creative gardens. My salad garden has lettuce, carrots, spinach, radishes and onions planted in a children’s swimming pool.

In the last week, I have started harvesting the lettuce and spinach. I cut a small portion of it yesterday and fed salad to a small army. The pictures above were taken early last weekand over the last week, it has doubled in size and filled in every space in the pool.

The lettuce has taken over the garden to the point where I am going to be eating a lot of salad this week just to thin it out so that the other vegetables have a chance. Week before last when the lettuce was still pretty small, I planted a square of it in the square foot garden as well. I paid $1.79 for 1/4 pound of seed and I still have most if it.

I have also decided that lettuce will make a good border planting for my spring bulb garden. It’s really pretty and by the time that the daffodils, iris and tulips are ready to be cut back the lettuce should be done. That will be part of the plan for next year.

In the square foot garden, I have already planted green beans, lima beans, a second planting of lettuce, beets, carrots, radishes and a couple of herbs. The green beans and limas are up and growing and the salad veggies aren’t far behind them.

Next step is planting the summer vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash and cucumbers. These will need a bit more room than the beans and get planted in either a separate container or in the ground. I have a spot in mind for the cukes and squash as they take up SO much room.

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Comments

4 Responses to “Garden of Frugality”

Emily (3 comments.) on May 27th, 2008 10:58 am

It looks awesome!!
cindys on May 27th, 2008 11:30 am

Thanks Emily! It tasted great! The lettuce was sweet and crunchy. I have never had compliments on salad before but everyone loved it.
jabster (1 comments.) on May 27th, 2008 1:12 pm

Glad to have you back from no-computer-land. The gardens look great. If you clip that lettuce with scissors, you can store it in the fridge for a couple days. That will give your carrots, radishes, and onions some light. Did you plant the radishes at the same time as the lettuce? If so, then they’ll be ready any day. I really like the baby pool garden idea!!
marci on May 28th, 2008 2:06 pm

I Like your creative containers! Mine are little red wagons I got at the dump

I too am eating salad daily! Don’t want to waste it. If you’d like to spice it up a bit, plant a nasturium also - not only edible flowers, but the leaves have a slight peppery taste that really adds to the salad flavor!

About those space-hogging cukes and squashes - Go Vertical! You’d be surprised how much space that saves! Or plant the cukes or beans with the corn - they’ll grow right up the corn stalks!

Thanks for sharing - and GOOD to have you back!