Seed Money

Beth (my wife) and I saved money in planting flowers.

While neighbors were visiting the garden centers to buy 4 to 8 inch high perennials, we just replanted what we grew from our seeds. Of course we had to start about three weeks before our neighbors were planting their new plants. However, the gardens around our house looked every bit as nice.
At first it was our own science experiment. We bought three packets of seeds, three different types of flowers. Used plant starter trays were available at the local garden center. All we had to do was add dirt, water, and create a warm enough environment for the seeds to germinate. Our closed in back porch served well as a warm room. The porch faces south and the sun shines in through the glass panes keeping the room warm during the day. For about three or four evenings we used a little space heater over night to keep the room at about 85 degrees.
The seeds grew. It was exciting seeing 300 small plants growing from just $2.25 worth of seeds. When the plants were about three to four inches tall we planted them in two hot beds in our back yard. While freezing was possible, sheet plastic worked well to protect the plants. When our neighbor was planting her store purchased plants, we transplanted again, all around the yard. We had so many plants that we gave some to neighbors and friends. We had blue flowers along the west side of the house, yellow flowers in one hot bed, purple flowers in another hot bed, and blue and red flowers in pots on our porch. Then in fall, we harvested seeds and did it again the next year. This is our third year of doing this. We enjoy beautifying our yard while we save in the process. Annual savings about $75.