Stop feeling pressured to buy every new gardening tool, product, or trend you see online. In this video, I break down the truth about over-consumerism in the gardening world and share simple, practical tips to help you grow a beautiful garden without overspending. Learn what you actually need, what you can skip, and how to enjoy gardening YouTube without getting caught in the buying trap.
👉 Watch next: https://youtu.be/D_RKlI2UkHY?si=g2uXiu3nNarCt9hy
👉 Watch next: https://youtu.be/SSBp7i-hR-0
👉 Build Organic Soil: https://www.flowerpatchfarmhouse.com/how-to-build-organic-garden-soil/
👉 Watch next: https://youtu.be/07f1Jsz74Y0
The Blog Post: https://www.flowerpatchfarmhouse.com/over-consumerism-in-gardening/
🛒Pruners I LOVE: https://amzn.to/43zmA9n
🛒Rose RX Neem: https://amzn.to/4p0wp8X
🛒Systemica Organic Spray: https://amzn.to/4rfTar6
🌹Would You Like to Buy Me A Coffee or Tea?: https://donate.stripe.com/3cI7sLediawp6Fi2uJgMw08
🛒 Shop my favorite garden tools & seeds:
Renees Garden Seeds: https://bit.ly/3JNYUXz
Select Seeds: https://www.selectseeds.com/
Swallowtail Garden Seeds: https://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/
Botanical Interests: https://tidd.ly/4mIQlMA
Hoe Dag: https://hoedag.com/hoedag-original-long-handle-garden-tool-hoe-dirt-dagger/
Ergonomic Hand Trowel: https://amzn.to/4neVUl7
How I feed my plants:
🌹ORGANIC REV: https://bit.ly/3LsQlxL
Use this code to get 10% off: FLOWERPATCHREV
🌹ORGANIC LIQUID FERTILIZER: https://bit.ly/3PrFd8p
——————————————————————————————-
📩 Get my free gardening tips newsletter: https://flower-patch-farmhouse.ck.page/0f280f1d74
My Blog: https://www.flowerpatchfarmhouse.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerpatchfarmhouse/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlowerPatchFarmhouse
#homegardening #foliageplants #cottagegarden
Some affiliate links may appear here. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links.
Can I be honest? You do not need half the things that many YouTube gardening videos say you should have for a beautiful garden. Today we’re going to talk about how gardening has become so consumerdriven and how you can grow a beautiful garden without overspending. But it seems like now it’s more of a shopping channel than really gardening information or helpful tips or even you know what I found that there’s a bunch of AI content that is not accurate. You have to be very careful and I can pick out the AI derived videos but you know many people that aren’t techsavvy can’t and they’ll take what they say as fact and many times they’re produced by people who have never gardened a day in their life even though the videos will say in my garden but yeah the information number one they don’t pronounce name plants properly and I mean it’s real way off base. I know there’s different ways to state or to say different plant names and sometimes I don’t always get it right and in Britain they’re pronounced different than they are here in the US. So that’s not what I mean. So there’s a lot of pressure that is put on especially new gardeners who have no knowledge of gardening techniques there. it. There’s raised bed systems, there’s fertilizers, there’s um fancy plant names and or brands or whatever. And so, new gardeners can be very intimidated by all the stuff that it seems like they have to buy, tools. I I saw one comment and it was a newbie gardener um that said, “Wow, I can’t afford to garden.” And that’s not the case. That’s just seems to be what is put out there many times. And many popular gardening YouTube channels, they are supported by sponsorships. Now, that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it can lead to many who aren’t familiar with gardening in the long haul that that’s what they have to have to have a successful garden. And that’s just not fair. So, I wanted my channel to be a reassurance for new gardeners, veteran gardeners, whatever, that you don’t need to buy or spend a lot of money to really have a beautiful garden. And that’s why you’ll find me doing tips on propagation or seed starting without all the fancy equipment and other things like that that really the old-fashioned slow gardening method. I think I have a video I do on slow gardening and if whether or not you consider yourself a slow gardener that enjoys the process not just the end result. So what has led and I have stated a little bit more I have my notes here. What has led to the rise of overconsumerism in the gardening content? Well, sponsorships, affiliate links, and algorithm incentives, they are more product heavy on the content rather than tips and tricks heavy. This is not a criticism of creators. It’s just the reality of how it works. If people want to make YouTube their income stream, then that’s what they need to do to create content that will bring in a lot of money. Sponsorships bring in way more than the ads you may see popping up or having a product to sell yourself or things like that. Uh affiliate links. I include affiliate links because people often ask me and I’m sure others do this as well. What or where did I get that? What do I use for that? And many of my tools are old, very old. And the ones I promote, like the Hoag that I bought at a garden show in Boise, Idaho 15 years ago. Fell in love with how it works. It I still use it to this day. I bought a second one. When I shared my HODAG with Janie, I took it with me when we planted irises there. Um, she immediately bought one cuz she loved how it worked, too. So, it’s a great tool that has lasted a long time. Good quality tools are paramount, but you don’t have to spend money on all kinds of tools. Just the ones like I don’t have one of those digger augers and whatever. It’s not necessary for the size of my garden and the things that I plant. A shovel does just fine. And we’ve always had shovels around here because we use them. So, what’s the problem for everyday gardeners? Well, you know, it creates comparison and pressure. You compare your gardens to the ones that are unrealistic for the home gardener. They’re beautiful to watch. I love getting ideas, etc. But also, I want reality. What has somebody with the size of garden that I have, how do they fit that into their gardening world? When you have expansive acres and acres, you can mass plant huge amounts of one plant and make a really dramatic show. But if you like several plants, you don’t have the space. Um, that’s not a realistic. I like to see smaller gardens using plants and how they get the display in the smaller footprint. And you know what? To do that, it’s not super expensive at all. So many times watching those you’ll videos you will get into the comparison trap where you think my garden’s not good enough, mine’s not pretty enough. Um, I don’t have room for this. All of the above can really discourage you rather than encourage and inspire. So the discouragement could be it’s too much money, it’s too much time, it’s too many plants, it’s too much expense. So you can really stop you in your tracks rather than having you be encouraged to go out and try something new. So also it can lead to frustration. You may be sold on something telling you this will improve your garden or help you in your gardening track when really it’s not the answer. Buying more is not the key to success. So what do you actually need to garden? Well, you need good soil and you can do that. You can build your soil inexpensively. I have a video here on how to build good garden soil. I also have a blog post that I will link in the description box below. And you don’t have to buy a bunch of stuff to do this. You need a few good solid tools. I told you about the Hodag. I’ve had it for 15 years. Um, it replaces many other tools, but and it does a job beautifully and it has remained sharp. It is a good solid tool. I have a tel that I’ve had forever. It started to get a little wonky, but it has lasted I’ve had this probably 20, 25 years. I do need to oil the handle. It’s a good wooden handle. It’s very solid and it’s lasted for a long, long time. Used it tons. You need sunlight, water, and patience. Patience is key to a beautiful garden. Do not expect unless you can go out and buy the big huge plants, which you see many garden channels do this. Plop them in bin, instant success. You can start from smaller plants with patience and you can have a beautiful garden for a lot less. So, there’s optional items you can add later as you build confidence, as you know what works for you and if it’s something that really can help you be successful. But you learn that with time and or talking to gardening friends what really worked for them. Kind of like me sharing my hoag with Jamie that I know and I was somebody that she trusted to tell her, “Hey, this tool is great.” So, she purchased it. and I doubt I mean she’s featured it several times on her channel so I know she’s still enjoying it. How do you avoid being unduly influenced? Well, first of all, while you’re watching, ask yourself, am I being inspired or I’m being sold to? Do I think I have to go buy that product? Do I really need this for my garden? So, use the pause rule. wait 48 hours, maybe even 72 hours before pushing that buy button and think about, do you really need this or would it be an impulse buy and try a few DIYs first? I get a lot of people asking me about my arbors. I did purchase those. Um, but there I do have a wooden arbor plan where you can DIY one. It’s not arched like that. It has a a top, so it’s more rectangular, but it does the job and it was beautiful. I replaced it with the arbors. I got them at local garden centers. They’re made with cattle panels that are welded to a um what did my husband call it? Not tubing, but anyways, it’s a bar, like a bar, and it’s sturdier than just cattle panels alone. you will see many um channels that have the caterpanels that they’ve made into arches or arbors and they used to teost and whatever. That wasn’t my jam. I didn’t like the look of those, but they do work. And once they’re covered with roses or whatever you want to call um put on them, then you don’t really notice the uh structure. So, those are options, too. As far as raised beds, now I have um partnered with VGO Gardens. They have sent me a few raised bed, their metal raised beds. They work great, but before the metal raised beds, I had bought some before I I had um worked with VGO garden beds. When they said for free, they’d send me one. Sure, why not? We’ll see how well these work. And they’re good structurally. They are very sound and they’re lasting well. Also, I love the raised garden bed that they sent me that’s on that sits about this high. I am putting strawberries in it so I don’t have to bend down to pick them up. Work very well, but I don’t have to have them. I’ve made raised beds out of 2 by8s. I have featured the little pieces, their corner pieces from Lowe’s before that you put the 2 by8s or 2 by sixes in and you stack them and they’re pretty inexpensive and you can make your own raised beds. Um, all of these you can pick up and move if you want to, but you don’t even have to have forms to do raised beds. You can pile up soil to create great drainage with pathways between um the beds, raised beds, they the bed or wood or whatever. All they really do for me is make it look tidier or just I don’t know, just you can make it a little deeper. All of the above. I also like being able to put down hardware cloth underneath so the gophers do not come up and eat um my plants that they love. I try to put them in those raised beds with some protection. So, you can buy secondhand. I have some trelluses I found at the thrift store. I was so chuffed because they were beautiful. They were tall. They were $11 each and I still have them and I’m so glad I didn’t just pass them by. And those things similar like those in a garden center now are like $45. So, if you are a thrift store enthusiast, try to keep your eye out for things that will work that way. And I just took a bunch of ceramic pots that I didn’t like to the thrift store, but I know somebody would like them, so they can find them while they’re there and buy them on the cheap. I sent um this was the Hospice thrift store. They always keep their prices really, really low. I’ve noticed some thrift stores recently have really started jacking up their prices and it’s ridiculous for secondhand items. In fact, sometimes you can buy a product um brand new, cheaper than they have it in a thrift store. I’m thinking of some vases. I like to paint glass and I painted some tubular vases. Uh and I got the vases at the Dollar Tree. They were a dollar a piece and in the thrift store they wanted $3 for the same vase. So you got to be mindful of that as well as well. But I know this hospice thrift store keeps their prices very very low and they rely on um volume of sales not the sale price. So also another way you can avoid overconsumerism watching YouTube garden videos is prioritize those creators who focus on education rather than sales. How they tell you how to do things on a budget like I have shared with you propagating geraniums. Um growing them from seed. That’s a lot of fun. They’re super easy to grow from seed. Um, today I’m in here working on some African violets. Um, they they there’s like three in this pot, so I need to divide it out so it’s healthier. Um, less cumbersome. But look at this beautiful thing. Those blue double flowers, purple, gorgeous. It just needs to be repotted. But that way I’ll have three instead of one and I can share them or maybe have a plant sale, whatever I desire. So I was trying to think of something I’ve bought that I’ve realized I didn’t really need and I’m a pretty frugal shopper. Um I guess so. I guess one thing, you know, people will try to sell you certain pots or whatever. I’ll show you one. I love them. It’s but I didn’t need them. And I had plenty of I have these these pots. These are three or four inch pots. Excuse me. And I have tons of these smaller pots. But I’ll show you the ones that I did buy because I thought they would save room. And they do save room. But did I need them? No. And it was these pots where I start seedlings and then I pot them up into these. Now, I’ve got these along with the trays, some trays, so that I could fit more in the tray, whereas you see it could fit a little bit tighter than this, but not a lot. So, did I really need them? No. I bought them to try them. Um, do I regret it? No. But that is just one of those things I really didn’t need, especially as later as I found tons of these that I already had. So, if I was didn’t want to try these, it really wasn’t necessary to buy them, I could have saved that money for a plant. There are some certain plants I bought in a large size, like a two gallon size because I wanted instant color in an area. I bought three of them. They were not cheap. And then they did not thrive. They didn’t perform for me like they did the presenter on that video. And do I regret buying them? Yes, I do. Because I should have bought one in a smaller container and see how it did in my conditions. And I would have known then that it wasn’t worth it. So, always buying a bigger plant or buying like three of one plant is not good or wise unless you know it is going to thrive and perform in your garden. So, a lot of times you will be convinced by certain potting soils or whatever. I like to DIY my own. I buy compost in bulk at many um places, especially landscape supplies and whatever. They will have potting mix or like raised bed mix or compost on sale bulk. Now, you could go, we have friends that don’t have a truck. They don’t have any place to store it, but they took buckets, 5 gallon buckets, and they filled up like four and they paid for that, and it was bulk. and it was cheaper than going buying a bagged plastic bag full of potting soil. Um, I showed them how to add perlite for a little bit of make sure it’s good drainage and or horicultural sand. Someone was asking me what’s the difference between horicultural sand and other sands. Um, it’s coarser. The grains are coarser. So, meaning they’re a little bit bigger. They don’t compress and they really loosen the soil, create drainage, but they also will add a little bit of weight to your pot. So, if you have a topheavy plant and smaller pot, they help to create stability. Um, so that yeah, DIYing that can be good cost savings if you do a lot of growing from seed, uh, what have you. I don’t use I’ve shared this before, seed starting mix. I use my homemade potting soil. Just make sure it drains well and it’s good to go. I even did a video testing that against seed starting mixes and you might be surprised at the results. So, I’ll link that in the description box below, too. Gardening is a journey. It is not a shopping list. So, sometimes you get the feeling that your garden’s not enough. It is enough. It is enough and you are enough. You know, real gardening, gardening is imperfect. It’s personal and it’s you. It takes time, but the journey is worth it. You don’t need a curated collection of plants, tools, products to be a successful gardener. I want you to embrace a simpler, joyful type gardening that you learn from any errors. You chalk it up as education, not as a fail, and you just enjoy getting. So, what is something you bought for your gardening garden or gardening that you realize later that you didn’t need or maybe it sits on the rack somewhere because you don’t really use it. So, you can search around on my channel, do a search for anything questions you have and sometimes I’ll have a video. I may have a video that answers that question. I try every year to learn or teach something new or share something new um that’s not been on my channel before and I’ll go through all my last year’s videos or the videos before that and think okay what have I not addressed and I try to take you along here on my garden journey and I may share things that I have found very useful and helpful to me I will give you affiliate links as I said I am not demeaning or putting down anybody who has products for people like you who want to make your life simpler, your gardening life simpler. I just want don’t want you to be sucked in to the overconsumerism or think that your success relies upon any one product any one name brand plant or certain tools or certain name brand potting soils or composts or whatever. There’s so much out there. And think about my grandparents were so successful with gardening both my on both sides of my family. um they grew gardens, vegetable gardens especially to survive. This was not just some hobby and they did not have all these fancy products nor did they have the money to buy them if they did have them or did want to use them. So they they gardened the oldfashioned way and were successful. They didn’t spend a lot of money and because they didn’t have it. They lived through the depression. You had to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get out there and do it with what you had. And they grew the most beautiful gardens imaginable. My paternal grandmother, she loved irises. And she had there’s a picture, a little video clip of me, I think I’m 3 years old, and I’m displaying her irises. It’s very grainy. And then there’s another picture I have of me standing in front of her das. So, gardening has been ingrained in my life since I was a toddler. And I learned from the best and that was my grandparents who did it the oldfashioned way without any of these fancy products sold too many now. So you can do it. If you start to feel that you need certain things to be successful in gardening, then rethink it and tune in to others that educate you in maybe DIY or uh different hacks so that you know you don’t have to buy a certain plant, certain product, or a certain tool to be successful in your garden. I’ll see you in my next video.
43 Comments
Thank you for a wonderful video. I completely agree that we are being sold a lot of unnecessary things that are being promoted. I have been inground gardening for over 50 years. I now grow my vegetables in 30" high metal beds to save my produce from the bunnies and to give my arthritic knees a break. The flowers are still inground so I do have some issues with the bunnies there. The only thing I didn't agree with from your video is – only one garden trowel?? I'm misplacing mine constantly so I bought a spare. Otherwise i would use all my gardening time looking for my trowel. LOL
Raised beds: I was shocked at how easy and basically free it was to just use logs and branches, cardboard, newspaper, grass and leaves.
First impression of you. I like it. Gardening is SUPPOSED TO BE SIMPLE.
Good video! Good perspective. I’ve bought tools that just don’t work for me, including bulb diggers, edgers, and specialized rakes. I always return to my tried and true shovel and basic garden rake. I will keep your video in mind this coming season to save money. Thanks
Good afternoon; thank you for this video. Here Milano North Italy. I think that many american videos are oriented about spend a lot of Money and create thing to much big and great. I think Is a cultural way of life. Here in Italy we love gardering but we are more realistic and spend less. This video Is really amazing, thank you and Sorry for my english
Saved by poverty again. Not even tempted. I’ve been an an avid under consumer for a long time.
Thank you for this! I feel like I spend more on gardening supplies than what I actually produce. I could probably just go and buy organic veggies. Don’t get me wrong, gardening is therapeutic for me and I get to grow things that I can’t easily purchase. But therapy shouldn’t be this expensive! At this point, I need therapy for the anxiety caused by the amount of money I spend on gardening supplies!😂
I overspend on seeds. I keep trying too many varieties. Its like hoarding and they can get viciously expensive when you buy online shipping from across the country to get that rare seed not available here. Seed saving is the next skill. I literally saved a big bowl of Scarlett runner bean seeds, and while admiring them, i said to my sister, "i feel rich." We laughed, but it's true. If i were to buy that many seeds at packet prices, it's probably about 5-600 dollars worth of seeds. I shared my seeds, and that bowl is still paying dividends as i still have handfuls, and they still germinate after 4 years. Think i better collect fresh ones this year. I am pushing my luck.
I just found your channel. Thanks for this. I can relate to this. The trend for expensive raised beds is one that comes to mind. It may be that you need that, but you can plant straight into the ground. People have been plugging seeds into ground for thousands of years.
Thank you!
I never spent that much money or bought that many gadgets.
But that first spring during Covid when I went to Home Depot and there were about 300 people in line and they were only letting 5 people into the store at a time.
I made some changes that I’ve never looked back on.
It never took that day at Home Depot to learn this but it really hammered it home.
Gardening can be simple, keep it small, dollar store seeds and tools, make your own compost. Don’t stress out, enjoy the beauty!
The market gardeners were promoting paper pot planters about five years ago. I thought they were fantastic and started looking for one for me even though it's out of scale for a backyard set up. Now …no one is promoting them. L I have a hori hori knife, a spade and secateurs. Thats it!! And a polytunnel. But that's really it 😂…
Everything you said resonates with me! It’s easy to get caught up in wanting all this materialistic stuff. For me, it was this insane chase for certain plants ie dahlia tuber wars, the newest roses etc so this fall, I’ve said no to new dahlias because I had to give away so many this spring that I couldn’t fit in my garden. I’m trying to enjoy what I have now 🌸
Good topic. You are so right about all of that. It's so easy to get sucked in. Especially important not to compare yourself or your garden to a lot of those you see on YouTube. It's really easy for them to avoid showing the things that haven't worked out so well and just show off their successes. Someone said: Comparison is the thief of joy. So true——especially these days.
Most of the gardening channels are full of bs. It's all about money, and their aim is to suck people in, unfortunately. They all say like, subscribe and comment and some ask for a cup of coffee etc etc etc. They are just wanting an income easily without getting a proper job. We're not all stupid forever.
Absolutely agree. I sow many flowers from (cheap) seed. Petunia, sunflowers, Monarda and lots of veggies. Also collect seeds from them. It's quite easy and as I reuse old soil, it's quite affordable and fun. Learned a great deal from Growveg.
Like your channel, BTW.
Mostly a womens problem, not a mens problem because men think before, most women don't, and then they end up making videos like this. A man should lead not a woman.
ty
this is me…….started this year propagating 72 lavender/lavadula shrubs. 58 are living and doing great. 33$ for three mother plants. 50$ for the proper indoor lighting/w adjustable red and blue/green specs for optimal plant growth. 30$ for heating pads to germinate alyssum and cone flowers, false sunflower…………discovered bunches of milkweed on my property..joe pye weed w/ very very impressive flowers. Mountain Mint in one area that I will be relocating.
the alyssum being the hardest to grow
Good advise. I make my own compost, grow plants from seed, reuse pots, etc. ,and buy interesting perennials at the end of the season at 70% off.
And I have the most bottanicaly interesting, rewarding garden ,avoiding the me too Impatiens and Begonia "lawns"
Here is what you need to garden a shovel (optional), seeds, somewhere to plant said seeds. This is LITERALLY it.
Yes, every channel that that did not use to try to sell products, slow slowly starts using and urging us to buy more and more products.. sometimes they struggle to show us how to use the product, but or just buy because they get a commission.
Just so you know, from Google “Overall Increase (2014-2024): According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, prices for indoor plants and flowers in 2025 are projected to be about 29.31% higher than in 2014.” everything in Trump‘s America is rising in cost because the billionaires want to make more profit.
Haha, the other day I duct taped a cheap plastic pot that split. Easy fix for a cheap thing that will go another year or two 😂
This is the best ever
This is soooo true!
As a new gardener who has been spending more money than I would like to on gardening tools, seeds, fertilizer and soil, I really need to hear this.
Pam, I totally agree! Great video!
Forty years of gardening has been my life long passion. By the way, you’re the reason I bought a hoedag!
I started my channel because I was finding it hard to find a relatable channel for my smallish garden. My husband built my raised beds from wood on a budget. My greenhouse was a big investment for my retirement. We furnished it with FB Marketplace and affordable Amazon furniture. My felco pruners are 20+ years old, same with my Japanese knife which I love. I also use the old fashioned shovel and don’t want or need an auger.
I’ll be making my own seed starter mix next season. I grow all of my cutflowers and vegetables from seed. I simply can’t afford to buy that many plants, not to mention how satisfying it is to say I started that from seed! Budget gardeners unite!
Overpriced plantas, ridiculous!
Omg the AI channels 🤮 they never have a face, and have 10 barely watched videos and 1 or 2 viral ones ("Amish ways to grow onions"). I unfollowed a channel who was only posting amazon links and all their videos were catastrophising events with a solemn thumbnail and "I'm stopping gardening", but it was end of season harvest. I get in the garden to escape from the outside world, I don't need high stakes videos on somebodies tomato plants dying en masse.
This is my favorite video of yours. This is the reason I watch you. I enjoy buying small plants to watch them grow and plants off the discount rack to bring them back from deaths door. I also like buying old tools with wood handles, and I use them makes me happy ❤
Thank you so so so much. I have been feeling like this for so long. I stopped watching the one channel a couple years ago that had so much product placement. I will now be watching your channel. I'm a Jim Putnam fan and he has a pretty similar take.
Social media pushes instant gratification – a stunning garden now and forever. Same for makeup, fishing gear, cookware etc In my area, $27 for a bag of "orchid" soil is the norm as are "special rakes", $$$$ fertilizer, plant stakes costing hundreds, and enough tools to brings tears to my eyes. Sheds – not DYI but Springfield with a small bedroom on the "second" floor for the grandkids, special shelving, racks, etc. Green houses (glorified junk rooms) I beg my kids to take a few dozen of my seedlings or split the daisies or aster bush, use chips from a tree service, compost their scraps. "Oh dad, that's too much trouble."
I got a drip system (five separate gardens) with the help of a boy down the street. My small auger is very useful. I get fertilizer on sale in the fall, ditto raised beds ("buy one get one free") I fill them over the winter with leaves, brush, chips and scraps.
Thanks for the video! I always say that I'm the world's slowest gardener. It takes me forever to get anything done! I have fallen into this consumerism trap with my gardening. I have scaled way back on the annuals that I buy. Soon, I'll be able to dig up and separate a few of my perennials and I'm SO excited for it! I'll be saving money everywhere!
This hits so hard! I’ve been going through the same things with art YouTube. So many artists now just do ‘hauls’. Having too much takes time and money away from the things you really love. That doesn’t mean I didn’t buy more seeds, tubers and paints this year😂
I'm working towards making my own compost and inputs, as much as is practical. I made my first trellis with our own bamboo last month. It was SO satisfying. Tubestock are where it's at. Tubestock, propagating, seed saving etc. I'm trying to save where I can, so I can invest where it's more important. Also focusing on more perennials for the vegetable gardens. It saves time and money, in the long run.
Thanks pam!! Every time I get discouraged because I just don't have the budget for a presto perfect garden I watch your videos and am reminded of the beauty of the slow method of building a dream. Love you!
I am a slow gardener and getting slower every year, all kidding aside, it takes years to build a beautiful garden, and it is okay not to do it in a year or two.
A breath of fresh air
We put hardwear cloth down.
Cinder Blocks stacked 2 high
2×4 boards
Mineral Tubs from a farmer and grow bags (I put an empty soil bag in the bags, putiing holes 3-4 inches deep on the bag for wicking. This keeps the plant from drying out.)
It makes things so much easier
I was influenced to buy heavy duty seed starting cells, pots and trays and I must say, they are worth it for me. Once I knew that I would be gardening every year going forward, I made the investment during a sale, and I pick up more products from time to time. I reuse as much as I can but was so fed up with flimsy plastic.
I also have an auction reseller for returned big box and online items near me and have found lots of gardening items (raised beds, perlite, vermiculite, pots, trellises, tools, fertilizer, and more) at a fraction of the retail price. And I buy every broken bag of soil I can find at box stores at a discount and mix in extra perlite and/or vermiculite as bags are often very heavy.
It’s not just gardening, it capitalism that they want U to buy everything, if you need it or not