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SENSIBLE GARDENING: BUY LESS, WASTE LESS
Like Anya Lautenbach, I use a half whiskey barrel as a planter, writes Ladybug.
By LADYBUG
Gardeners are frugal by nature. We save seeds, divide plants and root cuttings to fill our gardens to overflowing and to share with friends.
My sons tease me for not getting rid of old wires but bring me bunches from devices they are retiring. They make the best ties, weather resistant and with a ‘give’ that twine lacks.
But even the most thrifty gardener is not immune to temptation and will walk by a display of plants in a nursery (or a neighbour’s yard) and make note of plants she must splurge on.
Anya Lautenbach knows this and comes to the rescue with tips to transform your garden without breaking the bank.
A gorgeous garden does not have to cost the earth, and she shares ways to maximize would-be garden waste to enrich soil and boost your plant collection for next to nothing with seed-saving and plant propagation hacks.
In her introduction she writes that she grew up surrounded by passionate gardeners for whom “growing your food and flowers wasn’t a choice – it was a necessity to survive and stay sane”.
Buy less, waste less was their mantra, long before new-age gurus adopted it.
“By gardening mindfully, I’ve come to appreciate how unnecessary most garden purchases are. Sure, you can find a plastic gadget for every purpose, but do you need it? The answer is: No, you don’t!”
I love her description of her favourite gardening tool – a dry birch stick that her son sharpened for her years ago, which she uses to transplant seedlings and place cuttings in pots. “It’s truly multipurpose, and it was free.”
Also her take on the eternal time- versus-money conundrum. How much is an hour of my time worth, we ask ourselves, and justify an expense as a money-saving device or service because it will save us time.
“However, if you take a different approach – that is, spending more time and very little money – you may find that you not only save financially, but you are also rewarded with a sense of contentment and satisfaction you never thought possible.”
But the book is not all philosophy – it’s packed with practical tips.
In Hidden Treasures, she advises against ripping out everything in an overgrown garden in order to start fresh. Because some of those untidy plants can reveal themselves to be treasures in disguise.
The section on using garden waste includes one on reusing potting mix from pots from which plants have been transplanted for propagation because plants in the early stages don’t need many nutrients.
She uses small glass bottles or an old kitchen jug to display blooms. And a variety of containers including an old whiskey half barrel, to plant.
But my favourite has to be an old colourful can in which she grew seedlings.
It reminds me so much of dahlias and roses in Dalda canisters that one can see outside small homes in villages in India.
Saving water is about more than collecting water in rain barrels – it means using water judiciously and adapting your planting to the conditions in your area.
The Money-Saving Gardener by Anya Lautenbach is published by DK, $28.99.
And a tip that seems counter intuitive at first glance but makes complete sense when you think about it:
“The most important thing when creating a wildflower meadow is to keep the soil nutrient poor. When you cut the flowers at the end of summer, remove the trimmings so that they don’t break down and add nutrients to the soil. Never use fertilizers because they will stimulate the growth of grass at the expense of wildflowers.”
Lautenbach lists her favourite annuals and perennials that are generous self-seeders, providing plants for free.
But she’s not against all purchases, and so if you must have that plant, she advocates learning about its needs before spending money on it to ensure it will thrive in your garden and be a good value in every sense.
Gardening isn’t about instant gratification or achieving one’s goal as Lautenbach reminds us.
It is about taking pleasure in the journey and because, nature can’t be rushed, waiting is part of the process.
I reflect on her wise words as I look out the window at my garden, still asleep under a duvet of snow.
Soon the snowdrops will bloom.
Soon, I will be outside, glorying in the first breath of spring.