INDEX
Introduction
The Dirt on Cheap Gardening
I’ve always been a little confused by references to lazy gardeners,
because I don’t know any. Gardeners seem compelled to work. Those green thumbs make our hands restless.
These days, especially, there is another common thread among gardeners — the desire to save money. Whether it’s growing your own food or simply mowing your own lawn, there are lots of ways getting down and dirty will save you money. Not to mention, make you healthier.
The Dirt-Cheap Green Thumb is for frugal people, whether you’re a well-established gardener or a beginner. Filled with hundreds of tips on everything from acquiring seed and plants to harvesting your crops, the aim of this book is to help you cut costs. Some of the savings are minor. For instance, seed is still a bargain compared to other garden expenses. Some savings are major, such as tips on saving hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on equipment. But they all add up, and most carry benefits above and beyond the dollar savings. Many of the tips also are time-saving ideas. Even though I am cheap, or frugal, I know that nothing is more valuable than your time.
And don’t think for a minute that an inexpensive garden has to look cheap. All it takes is a little time, energy, and creativity — without a lot of money — to have a garden others will envy.
CHAPTER 1
THE ABSOLUTES
What elements do you really need to start a garden? The simple requirements are soil, sun, water, and seed. But what about location of the soil, the type of soil, and its structure and content? How much sun is enough, and can you enhance exposure? How much water is necessary, and how will you deliver it? How will you choose the right seeds? Do you even want seeds, or should you buy transplants instead? Like I said, it’s simple!
The Perfect Garden
Let’s begin with the first choice every budding gardener must make: the site of the garden. Whether you are landscaping a small city plot or planting a large country garden, you must take stock of your site first. Imagine what you’d do if you could choose the perfect garden site. It would include the following:
A gentle south-facing slope. Southern exposure maximizes sunlight, and a slight slope facilitates water drainage and air circulation.
Well-draining soil. Soil should stay moist but not soggy.
Fertile, friable loam. Good soil is rich in microbes and organic matter. Nobody ever just finds soil like this; it takes years of building.
Full sun. Many plants prefer it, and you can surround those that don’t with trees, shrubs, or garden structures.
Available water. Realistically, how far are you willing to lug the garden hose?
Your Actual Garden
Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury of choosing exactly the right garden site. We have a yard, and the garden goes there. Even the smallest yard, however, has a variety of growing areas within it, known as microclimates. All plants have their own unique growing requirements. Some plants thrive in a shaded spot, while others falter there for lack of sunlight. When assessing your site, take note of your microclimates. They will help you decide what plants to grow and where to put them.
Maximizing Microclimates
To understand microclimates a little better, let’s look at a typical house and yard, as illustrated. The north side of the house is shady from midmorning through the end of the day. The east side receives morning sun but not direct sun in the afternoon. The south side’s yard receives full sun all day long. And the west side of the house doesn’t get full sun until midday but then bakes until dusk.
Each side of the house has a different set of growing conditions and is a distinct microclimate. Landscaping will create even more microclimates. A white-painted fence along the yard, a pond, trees, and bushes will produce different growing conditions for plants near them.
GREEN THUMB
Test soil drainage by digging 18-inch-deep holes in various locations around your garden and filling them with water. After they have drained completely, fill again and check hourly. If it takes three hours or less to drain, you may have more sand in your soil than is optimal. Four to six hours is ideal; more than that means your soil drainage may need some improvement.
Make the most of your site by finding out about the average rainfall for your area; the average first and last frost dates, from which you can then calculate your anticipated growing season; the low temperatures in your area and your USDA Zone designation; and the pH of your soil.
Work with Your Site
Chances are that your yard fulfills at least some of the specifications for the perfect garden site. It may have adequate drainage, except for one corner; full sun in many spots; and conveniently located water.
Take advantage of what you have. The areas with good drainage are great for fruit or vegetable gardening or perhaps a perennial or rose bed. The boggy areas are not lost—willows and alder trees love having their roots wet. Or choose smaller, moisture-loving plants such as primrose or Siberian iris. Shady areas can harbor various ferns, hosta, astilbe, or annuals such as impatiens or begonias.
The lists on pages 7 and 8 include only some of the many choices you have for specific sites. Sometimes not all the plants in a particular genus (maples, for instance) require the same light or soil conditions, so ask at your nursery or refer to a good encyclopedia for specific information before buying.
Plants That Like Full Sun
Annuals/Biennials
Ageratum*
Alyssum, sweet**
Calendula
Celosia
Chamomile
Cosmos
Dianthus
Herbs (many)
Marigold
Nasturtium
Petunia
Portulaca
Salvia
Vegetables
Zinnia
Perennials
Aster
Blanket flower
Candytuft
Clematis
Columbine*
Coralbell**
Coreopsis
Creeping thyme
Crocus
Daffodil*
Daisy*
Daylily
Grasses, ornamental
Iris
Lady’s mantle*
Peony
Phlox, garden
Purple cone flower
Rudbeckia
Sedum*
Sun flower
Sweet pea
Tulip
Violet*
Virginia creeper
Yarrow
Yucca
*Tolerates some shade
**Prefers partial shade in hot areas
Trees/Shrubs
Blue mist
Cotoneaster
Flowering quince
Forsythia
Fruit trees (most)
Junipers
Larch/tamarack
Lilac
Mock orange
Oaks (most)
Pines (most)
Potentilla
Rose of Sharon
Roses
Spiraea
Staghorn sumac
Tree peony
Tulip tree
Walnut
Weigela
Plants That Like Shade
Annuals/Biennials
Begonia
Coleus
Flowering tobacco
Foxglove
Impatiens
Lobelia
Sweet William
Viola/pansy
Wishbone flower
Perennials
Astilbe*
Bleeding heart
Bugleweed
Corydalis, yellow
Ferns, various
Geranium, hardy
Hellebore
Hosta
Lily-of-the-valley
Pachysandra
Primrose
Sweet woodruff
Trillium
Vinca minor*
*Tolerates full sun in the North
Trees/Shrubs
Azalea
Blueberry
Boxwood
Camellia
Dogwood
Fothergilla
Fuchsia
Hemlock
Mountain laurel
Oregon grape
Rhododendron
Serviceberry
Viburnum
Plants That Like Moist Soil
Perennials
Astilbe
Bergenia
Calla
Cattail
Daylily
Dichondra
Iris
Mint
Mosses (some)
Primrose
Trees/Shrubs
American cranberry
American holly
Chokeberry
Elderberry
Highbush blueberry
Inkberry
Live oak
Red maple
Red osier dogwood
River birch
Serviceberry
Spicebush
Summersweet
Tamarack
Willow
Know Your Zone
The United States Department of Agriculture’s cold-hardiness zones, numbered from 1 to 11, with subcategories a and b within each zone, indicate the average winter low temperatures in each zone. This is crucial information, but it also can be misleading. It is crucial, because if you live in zone 5 and buy plants listed as hardy to zone 8, they will die when it gets too cold.
The lower the zone number, the colder the expected winter lows. Plants that won’t survive the lowest expected average temperatures are a waste of money. But the zone numbers can be misleading because we don’t have many average winters.
MORE 
USDA Cold-Hardiness Zones
Pollution Solutions
Those who garden in areas beset by smog know it’s even more devastating to plants than to people. Losses of crops, ornamentals, turf grass, and trees in the United States are estimated at over a billion dollars per year. The worst damage occurs during air inversions — when warmer air above traps cooler, thicker, more toxic air closer to ground level.
Cumulative damage, such as leaf or needle burning on trees, is most evident in the late summer or fall, after a growing season spent absorbing poisons. Plants weakened by air pollution are more susceptible to pests, diseases, drought, and nutrient deficiencies.
Despite all this, Los Angeles has some of the lushest gardens you’ll ever see. What’s the secret? It lies in selecting plants that can tolerate less-than-ideal growing conditions.
MORE
Pollution-Resistant Plants
Note: Some plants may be resistant to some pollutants but susceptible to others. Generally, plants with smaller leaves and flowers (petunias are a good example) tolerate pollution better than larger leaved/flowered varieties. Interestingly, white petunias don’t do as well in high pollution areas as do blue, red, or purple.
Annual Vegetables and Ornamentals
Coleus
Cosmos
Four-o’clock
Madagascar periwinkle
Marigold
Moonflower
Pansy
Spiderflower
Sultana
Sunflower
Perennial Vegetables and Ornamentals
Alfalfa
Asparagus
Bergenia
Clematis
Climbing hydrangea
Columbine
Daylily
Grapes (some)
Hosta
Iris
Monarda (Beauty of Cobham)
Peppermint
Rudbeckia
Sedum
Trumpet vine
Virginia creeper
Trees/Shrubs
Apricot
Austrian pine
Berberis (Sunjoy Gold Beret)
Birches
Bradford pear
Flowering cherry
Flowering plum
Gingko
Magnolia sieboldii
Maple
Oak
Poplar
Weigela (Pink Delight)
Willow
Pollution-Susceptible Plants
Annual Vegetables and Ornamentals
Barley
Bean, green
Bean, white
Beet
Buckwheat
China aster
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Geranium
Lettuce
Marigold
Morning glory
Muskmelon
Oats
Onion
Petunia
Potato
Pumpkin
Radish
Rutabaga
Spinach
Squash
Sultana
Sweet corn
Swiss chard
Tomato
Wax begonia
Zinnia
Perennial Vegetables and Ornamentals
Alfalfa
Aster
Gladiolus
Grape
Raspberry
Rhubarb
Rose
Strawberry
Tulip
Trees/Shrubs
Apple
Apricot
Aspen
Blueberry
Citrus
Forsythia
Maple, silver and sugar
Peach
Plum
Poplar, hybrid
Prune
Weeping willow
White ash
White oak
