Build An Urban Garden And Grow Your Savings
Would you like to save $600 or more on groceries? Because that's about how much you can save on produce when you start a fully functional home garden.
Growing your own food has never been more popular. But for many of us, our first step into this world is intimidating—we don't know how much it costs to build your garden. To help answer these questions, Hoopla has put together an easy guide to building a fun, fresh and frugal urban garden… and finding new ways to sprout up your savings.
You can grow your own food and save money at the same time!
The benefits of growing your own food are many, but at the very top is that with a little green thumbing you can save a lot of money.
You don't have to be an expert gardener to grow some of your favorite vegetables at home. If you have space for a small garden or even just pots on the patio or balcony, plenty of plants will thrive in an urban environment.
Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and zucchini grow quickly (especially if planted from seedlings), so it won't take long before you're enjoying homegrown produce straight from the garden. Fruits like strawberries also work well as starter plants because they're easy to grow from seedlings purchased at nurseries or garden centers during springtime when their popularity is highest among customers looking for ways to spend time outdoors during warmer months ahead - making sure everything gets started early enough so as not miss out on any potential harvest later down the road.
Start Small: Grow a few herbs to spice up your meals and save money on expensive seasonings.
Herbs are an excellent place to start when you're building your urban garden. They're easy to grow, and you can use them in a variety of dishes. Plus, they're very low maintenance! If you live in an apartment or condo with no outdoor space, herbs will thrive on shelves or windowsills. Herbs like basil and cilantro are perfect for beginners because they require little care and water once established and taste great!
Herbs also grow well indoors, including rosemary, oregano, and thyme--but there are many more options out there too!
With more than 340 seed kinds available, Hoopla partner Ferry-Morse Home Gardening is a great place to start your herb garden.
Planning what you'll plant and grow your savings.
The first step in building your urban garden is deciding what to grow. You'll want to choose plants that are easy to grow and can be eaten raw, cooked, or both. For example, lettuce, tomatoes and carrots are great choices because they're versatile enough for salads and also soups or stews.
The second thing to consider when planning out your garden is how much time you have available for tending it and how much you want to spend. If you don't have much space but still want fresh herbs on hand at all times, consider starting with containers instead of planting directly into the ground or garden bed!
Finding the right location.
Location, location, location. This is a phrase that can be taken seriously when it comes to urban gardening. Of course, you want your garden to be in a sunny spot with access to water and nutrients so your plants can thrive. But you also need to make sure the area is protected from wind, rain and local wildlife!
Check out the climate of where you live before deciding on an area for your garden plot: does it get hot there? Cold? If so, what kinds of plants will grow well in those conditions? It's essential for growing edible crops and non-edible ones like flowers or herbs (or even trees).
Don't forget about space. How much room do I have available outside my house/apartment/condo unit? Is there enough room for what I want to grow?
If the location where you want to grow your garden is not grassy and you can't plant in the ground, that's fine! There are a variety of containers and options for planting your fruits and vegetables. Gardeners Supply on Hoopla is a great one-stop shop for all your garden bed needs!
Soil: Good dirt is key!
Soil is the most critical part of a garden. You need good dirt to thrive. That's because soil provides nutrients for plant growth and retains water.
It's important to consider what nutrients your plants need before deciding which type of soil to use in your urban garden. Different plants have different requirements; some prefer sandy soils, while others like clay soils (or even peat moss). You may also want to enrich your soil with compost or other organic matter to hold more moisture and provide nutrients over time as it breaks down into smaller particles. If you're building an edible garden, it must get enough nitrogen to grow quickly!
Hoopla partner Gardeners Supply has a wide selection of soils for you to choose from plus free shipping on many orders.
Finally: always test your soil at least once per year with a soil test kit from Home Depot (with cash back) so that you can avoid any plant problems in the future.
Planting: Get growing!
If you're planting directly in the ground, make sure your soil has been well-amended with compost and fertilizers before you begin planting (more on this later).
Planting depth matters! Most seeds should be planted 1/4-1/2" deep--and no deeper than 1". If the seeds are too deep, they won't have enough room for their roots to spread out as they grow; if they're planted too shallowly, water may wash away the seed before it can germinate.
Water regularly, but keep an eye on things so that your plants don't get overwatered--if their leaves start looking droopy or wrinkled, then back off on watering for a bit until things improve again! You also needn't worry about "underwatering" since most plants will survive being slightly underwatered if left alone long enough (it's actually better than having too much water around).
Just remember: less is more when watering indoor gardens; always err on the side of caution when watering outdoor ones, though, since there's nothing worse than losing crops due to drought conditions!
Maintenance: Tending and nurturing your garden.
Watering
It's essential to keep plants properly hydrated, especially in hot weather. One of the easiest ways to check if your plant needs watering is by sticking your finger 1–2 inches into the soil. If the soil feels dry or falls off your finger when you remove it, the soil may be dry. Conversely, if the soil feels moist or if the soil sticks to your finger, the soil may be damp.
Fertilizing
Plants need nutrients to grow, so add organic fertilizer like compost or manure every few weeks when watering (you can also do this once or twice during the growing season). You can buy commercial fertilizers at home improvement stores if you prefer not to make your own mixture from compost and manure; just follow the directions on the package for application rates and frequency of use based on plant type and size of container used for growing them indoors versus outdoors.
Weed Control
Remove weeds regularly, so they don't compete with other plants for water and nutrients.
Pest Control
Keep an eye out for aphids, slugs/snails/pillbugs (they're cute little things!), caterpillars... anything else that might harm your garden!
For fertilizer or other plant nutrient supplies, Arber has you covered. Using naturally occurring compounds like bacteria, microorganisms, and plant extracts, Arber offers nutrients to prevent plant illnesses, manage undesired pests, and stimulate exceptional growth and abundance!
Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Now that you've got your garden, it's time to reap the rewards of all your hard work! There are many ways to enjoy your homegrown bounty. You can:
Eat it!
This is probably the most obvious way to use what you grow in your urban garden. What better way is there to get a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals than by eating fresh produce from home? You'll also save money on grocery bills, so this is a win-win situation!
Share with family and friends.
Or use them as homemade gifts during the holidays (if you're really ambitious).
If people love getting gifts that come straight from the source, then why not give them something that will last longer than an Amazon prime subscription? Whether their favorite food happens to be tomatoes or blueberries doesn't matter much; either way, they'll appreciate getting something fresh from your garden (and maybe get inspired themselves)!
With the right tools and some patience, you can have an urban garden that will save you money and provide a source of fresh food and fresh savings. It doesn't take much space at all, so even if you live in an apartment building with limited outdoor space, there's always room to plant some plants.
Sign up today for free at Hoopla - it's the most fertile savings on the entire internet. Once you plant that seed, you'll have an abundance of active coupon codes and cash back savings!
