Yazmin Cruz
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
The Frugal Festival was the first time I had been to any kind of swap. That day, as volunteers and I sorted through clothes, the anticipation built in the room. Come the swap start the anticipation turned to excitement as hundreds of people rushed in the doors to swap. I didn’t swap then, but got my first swapping experience this past weekend.
I was invited to a garden swap in the Milagro Allegro Community Garden in Highland Park, California where gardeners exchanged everything from tools to produce.
I must admit I was a skeptic. I didn’t think I’d end up liking it as much as I did. I don’t even like participating in Secret Santa come Christmas time because I usually end up with the worst gift. But not this time.
The swap was free of charge and was organized much like the Frugal Festival. There was a specific area for everything people brought to swap like plants, seeds, magazines, produce and “worm tea,” which is worm pee used for fertilizing.
I arrived a little late but was still able to exchange the seeds I had brought with me. I had all kinds of seeds including dill, broccoli rabe, kale, and lima beans. I also had seeds that I’d harvested myself like basil and cilantro seeds.
Here’s my haul and approximately how much I saved:
- “Organic Gardening” magazine – $3.99
- “Sunset” magazine – $4.99
- Heirloom cucumber seeds – $2
- Organic Plums (10) – $6.90
- Organic Tomatoes (2 lbs.) – $5
- Aloe Vera plant – $4
- Organic Bay Leaves – $4
- Organic Pineapple Sage – $2
Total Saved: $32.88
My goods.
I am now a believer – swapping is the new shopping. If you’ve never participated in a swap, you must. BargainBabe.com writer Bobbi wrote a post on how to get the most out of a swap that is essential to read before heading to your first swap.
I already leafed through my magazines and found yummy recipes using my tomatoes and bay leaves, and I can’t wait to try my pineapple sage tea, which I hear is good for anxiety. The only thing I wasn’t able to get was the worm tea, but I hear the community garden is looking to have swaps every last Sunday of the month and you know I’ll be there.
What kind of swaps have you participated in and how much money have you saved?
hoyasmeg/Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Composting is a free source of organic fertilizer essential to properly take care of your garden. For many, composting is a daunting task because they think it is messy, pricey and time-consuming, but in my experience not one of these myths are not true.
Myth #1: Composting is difficult.
Composting can be difficult if you do not know what you are doing. Once you get the hang of it there isn’t much to it and messing up is pretty hard. Composting is simply the process of breaking down plant materials to form humus, (as opposed to hummus, which you eat). Homemade compost is the best fertilizer your plants ever had. There are different types of composting: hot composting, cold composting and vermicomposting.
I am most familiar with vermicomposting as that is the kind done at my community garden. Vermicomposting is very similar to hot composting in that you must mix wet and dry waste in a bin and turn it every now and then to create heat and accelerate decomposition. The difference is that hot composting does not require worms. In cold composting grass clippings and leaves decompose and as you may have guessed it, this process takes more time. There are specific things that are appropriate for composting and certain things you should never compost.
Myth #2: Composting attracts flies and smells.
One of the reasons many people don’t want to compost is because they think it attracts flies and is smelly — after all it’s a pile of waste decomposing, right? Wrong. I have a small compost pail in my kitchen and it hasn’t once smelled bad when I have properly taken care of it. The same goes for the flies. I did once have an infestation of fruit flies but it was because I forgot about my pail for about a week in a half. My pail has a filter so it didn’t stink up the place but it did smell pretty bad when I went to drop it off at the community garden. Haven’t had any problems since but I try to consistently take out my pail full of food scraps every two or three days.
Myth #3: Composting requires a lot of space.
Composting can be accomplished by apartment dwellers. It’s just a matter of finding the right spot in your home. I was composting at home before I decided to take my food scraps to my community garden. I decided to stop composting at home for selfish reasons. If I contribute food scraps to the community garden compost I am able to use more compost for my plants.
Do you compost?
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Two years ago I began gardening at a community garden near my home. There are many monetary benefits to community gardening, and there are some drawbacks. Here are the pros and cons I have experienced.
Land
PRO: Living in the city can be hard for a gardener because of the lack of space to plant. Getting involved in a community garden gives you a piece of land. Container gardening has limitations and with more space you can grow vegetables like zucchinis. You also have space to make your own compost.
CON: Many community gardens have waiting lists of up to a year so it is difficult to get a plot. My community garden does not charge a fee to join, but many do. Instead of a fee, I volunteer to weed the common areas and take care of the community garden’s rabbits. I used to spend 10 hours a week in the garden on weed duty but now spend I 15 hours in the garden taking care of the new bunnies.
Tools
PRO: Gardening can become very expensive if you purchase gadgets and tools. At a community garden, you can borrow tools the garden has made available, saving you a lot.
CON: With the constant use and natural wear and tear, tools don’t last long and aren’t always replaced immediately. Some gardens have more money than others to replace tools. It may also take time for you to get your hands on tools if other gardeners are using them.
Water
PRO: Some community gardens have free or significantly reduced prices for water. My community garden charges a water fee of $36 per year per plot. I have two plots in the garden and pay $72 a year, or $6 a month. Now that’s a deal!
CON: If your community garden charges for water, the fees can add up. Some charge steep fees to cover water usage while others divide up the cost evenly even if you are doing everything possible to save water.
Community
PRO: Community gardens are great at building bonds among gardeners and neighbors. At my garden, seasoned green-thumbs share tips with those who are not so good at gardening. When I first started gardening I met lots of people who shared their love of gardening with me and eventually became really good friends.
CON: Many times you want to spend alone time in your garden but community gardens don’t have much privacy. Your fruits and veggies may also disappear from time to time since everything is in the open and you are not there to watch it.
My community garden gives me space when I want to relax. It has some drawbacks but I wouldn’t be able to garden without it. If you are interested in joining a community garden check out the American Community Garden Association to find a garden near you.
Do you have a community garden? What to you like and dislike about it?
