If you haven’t joined the grassroots home garden movement, it’s nice to know you still can–and without spending a load of cash.  Last week’s post featured several ways to get your hands on free materials. Today we interview a family who has managed to set up six raised beds while parenting two children under three years old.  Whew!

Instead of letting a pile of old cedar fence boards go to waste,  JD and Kara used them to fashion a garden in their front yard.  The results are pretty impressive and extremely cheap.  They also used other recycled materials to keep their beds safe from birds, animals.. and pesky toddlers!

GBG: How have you child-proofed/bird-proofed your beds?

JD made a “cage” for one bed that we’d planted with seeds instead of starts – the cage is made out of some weld wire fencing we had left over from our fence.  He made a sort of box shape out of the wire, about 6 inches tall to keep little hands from easliy reaching the dirt… this may have also helped for the birds… but did not help with slugs, as they ate our first round of beans entirely.

We are trying various ideas to keep the slugs away, including beer to attract them elsewhere, coffee grounds to hop them up on caffeine and keep them busy and crushed egg shells, which are supposed to be unpleasant for slugs to crawl along.

 We had birds eat our first batch of baby pumpkin buds as they emerged from the soil before we knew what was happening, so we replanted after planting sunflowers all around our fence – giving the birds something they’ll enjoy WAY more than baby pumpkin leaves, hopefully. Oh – and we have a giant bamboo teepee to help support some tomato plants.  It also seems to help deter the toddler people some. Mostly… we just have to talk a LOT about plants and how the dirt is their home and we need to be gentle and careful and soon we can eat yummy things.

GBG: What would you tell people about your experience of raising plants from seeds? 

This year we tried to start a few things from seed in the house… the only things that have made it through so far are the spring mix. 

 I think with more experience and time and space we could do more from seed – it’s definitely a LOT cheaper… but with our lifestyle and inquisitive kids, etc. I would highly recommend buying starts.

 We might be brave next year again and try a few things… but starts have a huge advantage because they’re already so much bigger and more likely to thrive AND they take less time and energy (which we obviously don’t have an excess of).  I would recommend seeds to people who are more patient and have the space to get it done.

GBG: What did you use to fasten the recycled fence boards for your raised beds?

The fence boards are old cedar 1X8′s (which are actually 1″X8″ as opposed to modern boards which are only 3/4″X7 1/4″). The corners are just butt joints with 3 evenly spaced 2 1/2″ #8 deck screws.  I may need to eventually repair or reinforce the corners with pipe strap. 

The beds are 6′ by 3′ and the center brace is to keep the soil from bowing out the sides (which usually isn’t an issue on a bed this size if you are using 2X8 lumber). 

Thanks for adding your Thrifty Green Thursday links below so that all of our readers can learn from your simple tips on how to save a bit of money and the planet.  Everyone’s welcome, but if you don’t know where to start, click here for directions.  Thanks for joining us this week!

Imagine creating a kitchen garden that yields heaps of produce all summer long—for free!  Thanks to our recent family budget cutbacks and some wise neighbors, we’ve suddenly found that free gardening is quite possible.  Here are the latest tips we’ve discovered:

1. Find free wood, recycle what you have, or just dump dirt:  When our friends replaced their cedar fencing, they saved the old boards and used them to build raised beds.  Since the boards were just one inch thick, they cross braced them so that the wood wouldn’t bulge.  On Craigslist or through your friends you can usually find people who are looking to unload wood.  If you can’t find wood, just dump dirt on cardboard in your yard and make a bed without the border.  It will work fine and still grow some lovely veggies.
2. Ask for composted dirt: The soil generated by a home compost system is lush and loaded with nutrients.  You may have neighbors or friends who will be happy to donate a bit of their stash for your garden.  If their compost bin hasn’t reached the proper heat, there may be seeds in the soil that “volunteer” over the summer, but that can be an added bonus to a free garden! 
3. Search for free plants.  Since home gardening is all the rage this year, many families have extra garden starts that won’t fit into their beds.  Check Craigslist and ask neighbors to find if you can score a few free plants.
4. Use cardboard instead of weed mats/landscaping fabric.  Instead of weird polyester fabric, cardboard is completely made of paper—and it’s free!  We just cut large boxes open laid them down between the plants.  They block weeds from growing up to the surface and finding light without any harmful pesticides or chemicals.  People also use layered newspaper but I have found that cardboard lasts longer and is a more formidable barrier.   Then we layered on our next free item…. 
5. Use leaves as mulch. Here is our son Roscoe perched upon a mountain of free leaves the city provides to its residents for mulching. The spot is close to our house and we’ve gotten a few carloads already.  The leaves work great to enrich the soil and we’ve just heaped them on top of the cardboard.  They’re attractive, eco-friendly, and, again, free!
6. Make friends with arborists. We asked another neighbor if the giant pile of mulch her driveway had been bought and delivered.  She quickly told me that she’s in the habit of searching out arborists and asking if they will unload their chipped wood at her house.  They’re happy to do it rather than hauling it across town to the dump site.  She also checks with city workers and if she sees that they have extra bark dust after they’re filling a park or public space, she asks if they’ll leave it at her house.  It saves them money, and always provides her with free mulch!  I haven’t mastered this skill yet, but I’m on the lookout for a chipper/shredder to visit our neighborhood sometime soon!

If you use even a few of these tips you’ll save hundreds of dollars and create a food generating system that you’ll enjoy all summer long.  Happy hunting!

For more eco-friendly, budget friendly tips, check below.  We love hearing from our contributors and seeing how our community comments on one another’s sites.  Feel free to join the carnival today just by reading the directions here.  Thanks for visiting us!

For those with newborns and young toddlers, we apologize.  It’s tough to involve tiny ones without having them consume handfuls of dirt or pull new plants out of the ground.  But they can be plunked into a sling or onto a blanket and admire your handiwork as you cultivate a table garden.  And your older children will benefit from all the ideas in today’s post.

Caitlin Blethlen, works with the Youth Gardening division of Growing Gardens, an innovative non-profit that supports urban gardening for low income families.  She has all sorts of tricks and tips for involving children in your backyard farming efforts.  

GBG: Do you have any tips on how to get children involved in the gardening process?

Caitlin: Get your child(ren) involved in dreaming and planning the garden too. One fun activity is to look through a seed catalog together and cut out pictures of what you would like to grow. Consider growing both what you and your child like to eat, and what you haven’t tried yet. Sometimes it is fun to plan a themed garden such as a pizza, salsa or salad garden by growing the main ingredients. Draw an outline of your garden space and glue the photos or draw pictures of where your plants will grow. Remember children are more likely to eat vegetables they participate in growing!

For a quick and exciting project, have your child(ren) plant radish seeds in the garden beginning in early March through June. Radishes grow quickly and are very satisfying. Also, if you have very young children larger seeds such as peas, cucumbers, beans, sunflowers and nasturtiums will be easier for them to handle than the smaller seeds like lettuce or carrots.

Another exciting project is to use a plastic bottle (such as a soda bottle) to grow a micro-garden. Cut off the neck of the bottle and fill it with planting compost. Then have your child plant several different types of seeds in the soil, making sure to plant some near the outside of the bottle. Next water the soil and set in a sunny window sill.  Watch the roots begin to form and seeds to unfurl.

Bean teepees and sunflower arches are a fun way to make inviting living forts for your children. These structures can be constructed out of bamboo poles, sticks or PVC pipe. Have your child plant climbing pole beans like scarlet runners and/or tall sunflowers at the base of the trellis.

Most children LOVE worms, consider creating a worm bin to turn your kitchen scraps into wonderful compost for your garden.  If you live in the Portland, Oregon, area, attend a Growing Garden’s Parent/Child workshop for more ideas.

Is organic gardening really all that difficult, or costly?  We turned to our experts, Caitlin Blethlen of Growing Gardens and Mara Reynolds of Portland Community Gardens to see just how easy and inexpensive it can be to grow your own food organically.

GBG: In your opinion, are organic gardens more expensive to plant and maintain than those using pesticides and herbicides? 

Caitlin: No.  The basis of organic gardening is establishing healthy soil which can take time through using cover crops, and adding compost and creating a balanced eco system in your yard.

Mara:  As far as I know, with the exception of the initial cost of seeds, organic gardening is cheaper all across the board.  With proper planting techniques, composting, and soil amendments, you should be able to successfully garden organically with very little inputs.  (To be honest I’ve never gardened with pesticides or herbicides)

GBG:  Can you provide a few tools that people might use to control pests when gardening organically?

Caitlin: Starting off with good soil is one way to keep your plants healthy, if they receive enough nutrients and support from the soil, they are less likely to get disease or be attacked by pests. Also, remember that bio-diversity is very important in a garden! Encourage bugs and insects to visit your garden, rather than try to keep them away. A healthy garden will have a balance of both good and bad bugs. Consider doing a bug/insect inventory with your child to see who is living in your garden!

We’re glad you stopped by this Thrifty Green Thursday!  Please join our blog carnival this week by adding your link to the list below and then linking back to us in your post.  If you’re lost, click here for complete information on where to get started. 

The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and the soil is ready to produce.  Why not plant a garden this year and score some organic fruits and vegetables for a fraction of the cost?  Plus, a garden will force you to get your hands in the dirt and your baby outdoors. 

Today we’ll start with the most important part: planning your dream garden. Our tips come from Caitlin Blethlen, Youth Growth Manager for a non-profit organization called Growing Gardens.  It focuses on helping low-income families grow their own food and is based in Portland, Oregon.   For last week’s post on the cost-benefits of home gardening and ways to involve your children, click here. 

GBG: What should people keep in mind when planning a garden?

Caitlin: To grow great vegetables you need a site that gets full sunlight for at least 6 hours a day, healthy soil and have access to a water source. Investing in healthy soil is the best investment you can make for your garden. Soil should be full of organic matter which will attract worms, bacteria and other microbes that help plants grow.  One way to ensure your soil is healthy is by adding compost. Compost adds important organic matter, and bacteria and helps soil retain water.

Other things to consider when planning a garden are location and pets. Will you be inspired or remember to care for your garden if it is tucked away behind your garage? Locating it in a sunny spot is important, but it is also important to put it in an easy to access location so it won’t go neglected. If you have dogs or cats, how you will keep them from digging in the garden?

GBG: When is the best time to start planting the family garden?

Caitlin: Planting seeds in the garden can happen between mid-February throughearly November depending on the crop. Portland’s climate allows us to grow many fruits and vegetables from peas and greens, to tomatoes and peppers.  Some seeds can be sown directly in the garden, like peas, radishes and beets, and others need to be started indoors before being planted out later in the season, like tomatoes, peppers, basil and eggplants. 

Our series on organic gardening has many parents planning a kitchen garden this spring.  But what should you plant in it if you’re also wanting to whip up several batches of home-blended baby food this summer?  Which vegetables are easiest to cook and process?  Which ones have you found are sure-fire hits with baby?  The easiest for my son were sweet potatoes, yams, and squash—all of which don’t mature until later in the season.  Are there other veggies that have worked well for you? Thanks for providing some planting inspiration for other new parents! 

It’s spring—time to dream of ripe tomatoes and sugar snap peas.  You can grow them yourself and save hundreds on organic produce with a few tips and a bit of inspiration.  Our first post in a four part series on organic home gardening will focus on garden materials and the money you can save once you do. 

You don’t have to invest hundreds of dollars to get results.  In fact, you may be able to get started with a very modest investment that will yield you a harvest for several weeks. 

Today’s contributors, Mara Reynolds and Caitlin Blethlen are expert gardeners with plenty of tips to share.  Mara works with Portland Community Gardens to further support gardening in the city. This tremendous program allows families to rent garden plots, learn how to preserve food, and get their children involved in gardening.  Caitlin is the Youth Gardening director for Growing Gardens, a non-profit dedicated to helping low-income, urban families grow their own food.

GBG:  What materials would you recommend for families who are setting up their first kitchen gardens? 

Mara: Containers are a great option for those without access to soil.  They should be made of non-treated wood or ceramic–plastic works but is not ideal for growing things you want to eat.  To determine what size of container to use, remember that a plant’s roots will more or less mirror its above-ground size, which be will determined by how much space the roots have to grow. 

Raised beds are great for anyone with physical trouble bending down, or for containing plants that spread quickly, but otherwise they just require more materials and aren’t necessary. To start a garden, begin by starting a compost heap (no bin required) and building up layers of mulch on your beds.  The tools and amendments you need will vary based on the size and needs of your garden.  

GBG:  Approximately how much can families save by raising their own produce?

Caitlin:  A family of five in Maine did cost analyses of growing their own vegetables in a 1600 square foot garden (0.3 of an acre). They priced what it would have cost them to buy the same items using three different sets of prices: conventional grocery store, farmers’ market and organic grocery store (Whole Foods, in their case).  The total value came to $2200, $2400, and $2500 respectively.  They had about $200 in out-of-pocket costs for seeds and supplies.  The cost of their labor was not included because they enjoy gardening and the physical work involved.  If they would have included labor costs, they would have subtracted gym and country club memberships from those costs.

From this they calculated that a square foot would add up to roughly $1.50  per square foot. That would mean a smaller garden of 400 square feet would produce $600 of produce. These are averages and certain crops are more expensive and space efficient than others. Each year our Home Gardeners participate in a survey and about 97% of them say they saved money on their food bill by growing their own veggies.

Thanks for joining us this week for Thrifty Green Thursday!  Please feel free to jump in with your frugal green tips.  It’s easy—just click here for details.