I'm not normally particularly frugal but when it comes to the garden, I really have a hard time spending a chunk of money on any one item. There are a couple of possibilities for this. - This stuff is going to be outside, getting rained on and snowed on and lord know what else
- I'm not convinced that I'm sticking to this gardening thing for the long haul. I mean don't get me wrong, I'm loving gardening, still, in August. BUT, if you know me you know that I obsess about things and as quickly as I became obsessed, I can lose interest.
I think that the Peach Tree I bought this spring is the most expensive thing I've purchased for the garden. It was 19.99.
Are you a frivolous gardener or a frugal one? What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought for the garden? I'll be honest, I hope to hear about some awesome frivolous spending that will inspire me to go out and buy some of the more pricey items that I really want.
I don't usually spend large amounts of money on single items, unless it is something of quality. I have went cheap to many times and regretted it.
ReplyDeleteOh, don't make me think about how much I've spent on the garden -- particularly on annuals! I will say that I love my hot pink crocs and they are by far the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever worn. Very good walking shoes and it's amazing, but your feet really don't smell no matter how much you sweat.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I'm definately a frivolous gardner. If there is something I like, I buy it. I've probably bought every type of plant there is and it seems the tried and true, old fashioned types have prevailed. I'll bet I spend hundreds and hundreds on plants every year. I love to experiment.
ReplyDeleteThe most I've spent has been on non-plant items. The wonderful gazebo and patio set, to go under it, which we've not sat on all summer. Not once. Also, the collapsable, plastic greenhouse that I used for one year and never again are some pretty frivolous purchases. They are really nice though.
When I was younger, and money was tighter, I was much more frugal and started all of my plants indoors or got pass alongs or divided what I had.
Glad those times are past and I can throw myself into whatever I like.
Oh yes, buy a pair of those plastic Crocs. They look like they'd make gardening even more fun and they should last forever!
ReplyDeleteGina... My biggest single purchase for the garden was a truck. Great for hauling mulch! I always recommend, if you can afford it, buying quality tools. Much nicer to use and it cuts down on frustration overall.
ReplyDeleteI don't own any crocs, but I do have 3 pair of gardening clogs which I've acquired over the years. They just don't wear out!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
Gina,
ReplyDeleteBefore you shell out $30 for those crocs check out the drugstores and supermarkets in your area. I've seen them for under $10 !
I'm a frugal Scots Irish so I watch for great sales. I had my eyes on a Wisteria standard for $500 and at the end of the season sale I snapped up two of them for $100 each.
Let's see... $150 for a solar-powered birdbath that keeps the water circulating and cooler and prevents mosquitoes from breeding. It was worth every penny just for the pleasure we get watching the birds splash in it. I think the record so far was 12 sparrows at once. Oh yes -- about the same amount for the patio table and chairs where we sit to watch them splash. Also worth every penny.
ReplyDeleteI don't know anything about Crocs. When my tennies or slip-on Keds get too scruffy to wear to work I demote them to garden duty.
I'm definitely more frugal when it comes to plants, but I will spend more money on good tools. Shoes? I just wear old ratty gym shoes.
ReplyDeleteThe most money DH and I have forked out for our garden is for several truckloads top-soil! The previous owners of our house dozed the hillside down to clay and rock so we have to bring in topsoil in order to grow anything! But has definitely been worth it.
ReplyDeleteAs for other garden stuff... I love to use vintage, old, recycled stuff for pots, and garden decor. Plants...well we won't talk about that, ha. But I did start almost everything I grew from seed this year.
Oh Gina, I was so like you about Crocs. And then I went and bought some. I have three pairs now, so what does that tell you?
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THEM! THEY'RE WAY COMFORTABLE!
I got them for $24 at Dick's Sporting Goods, which is a pretty good deal for them.
But.
I don't wear them in the garden, except maybe the black Nike sandal-type ones now and then (I can't remember the name of the style right now, but they're one of the newer styles of Crocs.). I have white ones for work and celery green ones that I wear with certain outfits.
Hmmm. I spend a lot of money on plants, but get to claim a good part as expense for my business. The crocs, I resisted for a long time til a gardening friend swore by them. I bought a pair (bright turquoise blue) and love them for their comfort and ease of cleaning. (they're still in the bathtub as I went from the garden to the show last night, crocs and all! :-) I have some expensive plants, but many were purchased on sale--as for tools, I go for quality (Lee Valley and Trail Blazer, mostly) and that tends to pay off in the long run.
ReplyDelete