From gas prices, to egg prices, and everything else just being more expensive, I thought I would dispense some tips on how I built my garden with some inexpensive finds.

CURBSIDE FINDS

Probably the most talked about item in my garden is this galvanized stock tank. Whatever fate handed me that day, this container was on the curb in a suburban Los Angeles neighborhood and I drove by it on my way to work. Whoever had it used it to keep chickens. While it was a great find, I did not get to use this item for over 10 years. My current garden had not been envisioned and this tank sat around looking for a place to go. When our grass died and we decided to make the side yard into a garden, I knew it was time to put this extra large pot as a focal piece in my garden.

Curbside finds are great but you may not be able to use it right away. It may need extra cleaning or if its wood, you may need to use protectant on it so it doesn’t fade away too quickly in our heat. You may also have to reconfigure some things in your garden to just have your piece fit it like I did when I recently found this raised garden bed (across the street from my house!). I was not planning on another standing garden bed but I wanted to plant more salad greens. I believe there was some sort of reptile in the box before so I made sure the box was cleaned thoroughly and used a lining bed to keep contaminants to a minimum.

Pallet wood is a common curbside find. While I won’t delve too much into pallet wood, be aware that some are chemically treated. Aside from that, having experience with working with pallet wood, it is a lot of work. There is nail removal and sanding of rough wood pieces.

Unless you have a large space with room for a lot of storage, I don’t recommend picking up anything from the curb that you only partially like. Pick up finds only if it is something you really want. Curbside finds take up too much room at your own home and sometimes the item just ends up sitting and getting dirty when it could be at someone else’s home who would really enjoy it.

REUSE, UPCYCLE

My husband had installed a metal fence and there were a few pieces sitting around. After many years of staring at the pieces, too valuable to give away or put on the curb, I realized that it would make a great plant holder by turning it on its side. We had a new wood fence installed and there were poles and struts that could handle the weight of this piece and it was now ready for a makeover. I used automotive spray paint to paint it from white to black and to have the paint hold against our heat.

I reused the old salvageable wood fence as a background piece for some decorative metal pieces I purchased from Joanns. I felt that our chain link fence was too open and I wanted a bit of privacy and garden charm.

Reusing and upcycling sometimes require some do it yourself makeovers. It can be as simple as painting or as involved as cutting and nailing together. Some skills may be required or it can be the perfect time to learn a new skill.

STORE SALES

Craft stores sometimes have some pretty garden furniture, lights, planters, or statues. I never purchase this when they are full priced but during the end of season clearance sales. I purchased metal flower pieces for my fence, filling my space for about $30. If there is something you absolutely cannot live without, I would use a coupon and purchase it immediately but I often leave whatever is left during a big clearance sale to purchase things at greatly reduced prices.

A store like Home Goods often have wonderful discounts with on-trend patterns and designs on planters. I had been pining for a “head” planter I saw at a chain nursery store but they sold it for about $25 and I could not justify the cost. I found a similar item several months later, a male version at Home Goods for $8. Though it wasn’t the lady I wanted, it was the next best thing. I was quite happy with this find!

The rule of thumb for store sales is to purchase at the end of the season as much as possible. You might also have to be flexible and pass on your highly desired item and substitute with the next best thing.

THRIFT STORES

Thrift stores are another place to find garden items. While requiring the need to visit frequently, I have found some great things at thrift stores. I managed to find a vintage plant stand for $8, handmade ceramics made by artistic students ranging from $3-8, and even a large 100 foot roll of weed cloth for $14. You never know what you may find or what appeals to you. At thrift stores, I often find plastic pots.

With some creativity and imagination, you can just about use anything as a container if you find it and purchase it for less, such as a discarded mailbox, decorative containers, or a nice trash basket. Sometimes you might get lucky and find an item that workers have no idea on the value like a metal bird piece that holds a pot, yes, I got that for $6 (see picture above).

Thrift shops are a great way to save money, get lucky with an amazing product for less, and to reuse items instead of it going in the landfill. The only downside is the need to visit frequently and there may be items that are in used condition and need to be checked closely for damage.

LOCAL MUNCIPALITY PROGRAMS

Your local municipalities may have gardening programs where you can learn for free and sometimes purchase garden items for reduced prices. In Los Angeles County, we have a garden smart program where it teaches you how to compost and reduce water usage. They also ofter materials at discount prices such as compost bins, worm bins and worms, and coir. I have been to several of these programs and they were taught by knowledgeable and helpful people and take the mystery of composting away. Learning how to compost will provide your garden with not only free fertilizer but also a product that is better than anything you purchase.

Here’s the link to the Los Angeles County Smart Gardening Program: https://pw.lacounty.gov/epd/sg/

Our local water agency also has some great classes. You’ll have to check the company that is local to you, but here’s a link to the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District https://upperdistrict.org/water-smart-workshops/. The workshops here give you a wonderful introduction into gardening with less water such as learning how to garden with native plants and removing your lawn. They also dabble into beginnings of permaculture with hugelkultar gardening and gardening for pollinators. The less water you use, the more money you save.

SEED SAVING

Another way to save money is to save seeds. The process of saving seeds can be detailed, depending on the plant, but an easy way to save seeds if you like a naturalistic look or feel uncomfortable trying to start sometime from seeds is to let the flower go to seed (let it flower and dry out) and let it naturally drop onto the ground. I like this process as its less work and the plants tend to be very healthy.

GARDEN CLUBS AND BUY NOTHING GROUPS

Some garden clubs you find online may conduct exchange of seeds as well as ideas and advice. Succulents are easy to propagate and you may find people in your local buy nothing group who would be willing to exchange or give away. Once you find a group of online garden friends, the support can be fun and adds enrichment to you life.

As you may have noticed, some of these money saving tips require some patience. I added slowly to my garden and discovered the type of style I wanted to have. My favorite items were items that helped solved a problem I had such as the need for more privacy or a way to hold more plants in an area. Some items hold special meaning such as giving tossed away handmade ceramics a second life by enjoying it in my garden.

These are just a few money saving methods I have found for my garden. I’m sure you have some tips that I missed. Feel free to share in the comments below.