Cudding Coupons and Saving You Some Moolah
Beans: Onions & Garlic
Cabbage: Strawberries & Tomatoes
Caraway: Dill
Carrots: Dill
Corn: Tomatoes
Cucumbers: Potatoes & Sage
Hyssop: Radishes
Onions: Beans & Peas
Peas: Onions, Garlic, and Leeks
Peppers: Kohlrabi
Potatoes: Pumpkins, Squash, and Tomatoes
Radishes: Cabbage
Rue: Sweet Basil
Squash: Potatoes
Tomatoes: Cabbage, Cauliflower, Fennel, & Potatoes
Turnips: Potatoes
Have you ever bought a gorgeous hanging basket in full bloom in the early spring only to be disappointed in a short time later when it is past it’s prime already? Well, here is how to grow your own for just a few dollars, that will be beautiful long after some of those expensive ones have headed to the dumpster.
First you need to get a good quality hanging basket. I buy mine at the end of the season clearance at Walmart or a home supply store like Home Depot. Get a good quality heavy duty one that will last for many years. I have had mine for about 10 years now, and have only had to fix a couple of the hanging hooks on them, and replaced the coco liners a couple of times. ( On a side note, I always buy liners at the end of season clearance, too.)
I have found that a 16” basket is a perfect size for me, and will hold moisture for a good amount of time.
Line the bottom of the basket (on top of the coco liner) with a piece of cardboard, that fits in the bottom of the basket, and goes up the sides a bit. This helps to keep moisture in the basket. (I live in a rather windy area out in the country). We also have a farm, so I put a bit of manure and dirt mix in the bottom of the basket.
Then I fill the basket almost to the top with good quality potting soil(also purchased at the end of season clearance).
I have found that although there are many annuals available that are very pretty, the very best for a beautiful yet low maintenance hanging basket are the Wave Petunias. (Not regular petunias-they must say Wave). Wave Petunias do not have to be dead-headed, withstand cool or high temps well, are available in a wide array of colors and are very disease and pest resistant. I usually pay about $4-5.00 for a 6-pack of them. Three plants per 16” planter works perfectly and then I add a Sweet Potato Vine. For larger baskets, 4 petunias would be better, and for 14” baskets 2 plants is good.
Sweet Potato Vines can usually be purchased for about .75-$1.00 each. Next year, since I have a dozen hanging baskets on my porch around my house, plus a few planters on the garage and chicken coop, and a few pots scattered around the yard, I am going to purchase a couple of packages of a dozen sweet potato slips from a nursery supply company/seed catalog, such as Henry Fields or Gurneys. They are usually less than .50/plant. There are many colors/varieties of sweet potato that complement your choice of Wave Petunia. This year I have lime green, dark purple, and tricolor vines in my planters.
After putting the plants in the baskets, top off the basket with a little more soil. Water well and hang in desired location. Since I try to start mine as early as possible, I usually hang them in a protected area for a couple of weeks, to keep them safe from frost. Petunias can handle a light frost with minimal damage, but sweet potato vines are very susceptible to frost damage.
Water the pots every day in the summer, depending on the weather and fertilize with Miracle Gro about once a week. It takes a little time to get full pots, but at the time when the other baskets are fading in beauty, yours will be just beginning and will just get better and better until frost. And best of all, you will have spent only a couple of dollars per basket.
~ Hannah from Hannah’s Homestead
If you liked this Post, You will also like “Saving with Perennials”
Did you know that you can grow perennial plants in pots and planters? Instead of going out and purchasing expensive annuals every year, think about filling those pots with plants that will come back year after year. You could fill half of the pot or planter with a perennial and then put an annual in part of it, too. I have successfully grown sedum(many varieties), hosta, daylily, veronica, creeping phlox, black eyed susans and more in pots.
I use old metal pails, old boots, clay pots, and old cattle watering troughs to grow my plants in. I have also used an old, large branch from a downed tree, hollowed out part of it, filled it with dirt and planted hosta and sedum in that, too. I make sure that I fill the pot with a mix of good dirt, manure/organic matter, and potting soil. Fertilize plants once in a while and they will give you many years of pleasure! I leave my pots outdoors all year around and they have successfully come back every spring.
~ Hannah from Hannah’s Homestead
Want some BEAUTIFUL ROSES?
(Works for Tea Cup roses also) Add these three foods in the soil on a regular basis.
Crushed Egg Shells
Egg Shells supply nutrients to the plant, helps deter snails, and the decomposition helps support the bloom.
Cut Up Banana Peels
Banana Peels gives your Roses the BOOST of Potassium they need!
Used Coffee Grounds
Coffee Grounds give your Roses Nitrogen!
There are two VERY IMPORTANT things to follow when starting a Garden!
1) Size. ALWAYS start smaller…You can add on! Never make it bigger then you are able to maintain and keep weed free.
2) Find the right location. You need an area that gets a good amount of sunshine through out the day! The More Sunshine the better!
Your first step will be to lay your garden out. I prefer to use Cardboard, (Pizza boxes actually), but you can use newspaper also. Then take a shovel and put a trench around the square you have laid out. Pick up the boxes or newspaper, and dig up the sod within the square. Just enough to bring up the roots of the grass, then lay the boxes back down.
Now it is time to build your box! Make sure you use rot resistant lumbers. I prefer cedar two by six boards and galvanized screws. (Will not rust) Use a level and make sure your box is level or else you will have problems with water pooling.
TIME TO ADD THE DIRT!
Use quality top soil, rotted manure, and compost. Mix it up, level it off, and your garden is ready to go! The GREAT thing about Raised Gardens is that each year you just add a little manure and compost and you are ready to go! I also like to add some used coffee grounds and crushed up eggs shells to my soil, and my plants LOVE IT!
Want to save a FORTUNE on your grocery bill EVERY year, and get healthier? PLANT SOME ZUCCHINI! My freezer is full year round! Chopped Zucchini, Shredded Zucchini, Zucchini Boats! Did I mention I have a separate chest freezer JUST FOR Zucchini? It is SUPER easy to grow, does not need a lot of watering, and let me emphasize again HOW MUCH IT WILL SAVE YOU ON YOUR GROCERY BILL!
First, let me explain the benefits of this amazing vegetable! The dietary fiber in zucchini helps lower cholesterol, it helps prevent cancer, it is GREAT for prostate health, it is an anti-Inflammatory, it helps prevent heart attack and stroke, it helps lower blood pressure, and it is high in manganese. (Get more details here)
Now let me explain how it is going to help you save on your grocery bill! I add zucchini to pretty much ALL my dishes! I replace half of the ground beef in a recipe with zucchini, I add it to my soups, I even add shredded zucchini to my mashed potatoes & brownies. The great thing about Zucchini is it takes the taste of what you are baking or cooking! You are going to use less meat in your hamburgers, meatloaf, chicken tacos, whatever you are cooking…THROW IT IN! You can make YUMMY bread with shredded zucchini and even make Zucchini Crisp. (Tastes just like apple crisp)
So get out there, buy a packet of Zucchini seeds for $.99 and get your plants growing! That one time $.99 purchase years ago, has saved me thousands over the last few years! (When I clean my zucchini’s I dry some of the seeds and use them the following year)