The dirt cheap green thumb : 400 thrifty tips for saving money, time, and resources as you garden
Summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere and more and more people are wanting to get their hands dirty. That is, they want to grow their own food, inspired by the promise of fresh-from-the-backyard produce and lower grocery bills. But like any hobby, gardening has its pitfalls; without the right planning and know-how, even experienced gardeners can discover with shock that they’ve grown a $64 tomato!
Fortunately, gardeners don’t have to choose between frugal and fantastic. In The Dirt-Cheap Green Thumb, Rhonda Massingham Hart provides practical, commonsense advice that helps growers save money . . . without compromising the harvest. Using an accessible tip format, Hart offers time-tested solutions that stretch a dollar, even as they yield beautiful, bountiful plants.
While those of us outside North America will have to use our heads and adapt the tips, there is still a lot of useful info in the book, enough to make me want to get my hands on a copy.
From starting seeds to preserving produce, and from compost to water conservation, Hart's advice ensures that readers waste neither time nor money. The book offers dozens of helpful lists, including "pennywise plants" and "best ofs," and it covers all types of gardens — including vegetables, flowers, houseplants, and landscape foliage. Sidebars offer innovative money-saving tips and simple instructions. The book will appeal to the first-time gardener, as well as to more experienced growers who are newly budget-conscious.
Rhonda Massingham Hart is a master gardener and the author of several Storey books, including Dirt-Cheap Gardening and Bugs, Slugs & Other Thugs. Hart lives in Washington state, USA.
Summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere and more and more people are wanting to get their hands dirty. That is, they want to grow their own food, inspired by the promise of fresh-from-the-backyard produce and lower grocery bills. But like any hobby, gardening has its pitfalls; without the right planning and know-how, even experienced gardeners can discover with shock that they’ve grown a $64 tomato!
Fortunately, gardeners don’t have to choose between frugal and fantastic. In The Dirt-Cheap Green Thumb, Rhonda Massingham Hart provides practical, commonsense advice that helps growers save money . . . without compromising the harvest. Using an accessible tip format, Hart offers time-tested solutions that stretch a dollar, even as they yield beautiful, bountiful plants.
While those of us outside North America will have to use our heads and adapt the tips, there is still a lot of useful info in the book, enough to make me want to get my hands on a copy.
From starting seeds to preserving produce, and from compost to water conservation, Hart's advice ensures that readers waste neither time nor money. The book offers dozens of helpful lists, including "pennywise plants" and "best ofs," and it covers all types of gardens — including vegetables, flowers, houseplants, and landscape foliage. Sidebars offer innovative money-saving tips and simple instructions. The book will appeal to the first-time gardener, as well as to more experienced growers who are newly budget-conscious. Rhonda Massingham Hart is a master gardener and the author of several Storey books, including Dirt-Cheap Gardening and Bugs, Slugs & Other Thugs. Hart lives in Washington state, USA.
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