My Gather Garden - The frugal garden

As some of you may remember, I spent the beginning of the planting season with garden envy. In fact, I even confessed to an unhealthy obsession with gardening and lawn care shows. I still have garden envy. Yes, I'm still like the girl who wishes she was Barbie, but just can't afford the surgery. There is no way I could plant up our entire acre, even if I did have the money. But, I have one corner of my yard that makes me happy. What is really great is that thanks to Gather my garden was very cheap. In fact, I paid about six dollars for the entire garden. I used Home Depot gift cards to buy many of the plants. In my three years of gardening, this is my cheapest garden yet!

In addition to what I bought with Gather gift cards I bought two rows of baby tomato plants that looked like they were dead for two dollars. I was shocked that the lived. But as you can see they are alive and well. For someone who is well known in the neighborhood for her charred thumb, this has really helped to turn my reputation around. For those who don't know, I am the only person in my neighborhood to have actually had a fire in their garden due to over application of peat and a gas leak on a very sunny day.

My zucchini, which I've recently learned is spelled with two c's, is doing very well. In fact, we've pulled several arm length zukes off. I didn't get a picture of them. They will soon be bread. It's the only thing I make with zucchini. Two plants produce tons of the stuff and it grows very well in Ohio - almost too well.  I got it at Home Depot. 

I'm also growing hot peppers thanks to my Home Depot gift card. I picked these up in those cute little containers that biograde back into the soil. They are very easy for planting.  I'm shocked by the fact that so many of them lived. I don't even like hot peppers! But the hubby likes them. I've never actually cooked with hot peppers. Clearly this garden is going to end up being a lot more work than I anticipated.

  I also planted cabbage and broccoli. Now I see why zucchini has two c's. Cleary it is because broccoli does too. I'm sensing a vegetable conspiracy here. My sons are not actually that happy about this new addition to this year's garden. I, however, am just giddy. I love cabbage. I planted onions and and potatoes as well, so I'm thinking that I'll have one very tasty garden meal out of this. 

Speaking of great meals, I have some beautiful baby green peppers I'm looking forward to turning into stuffed peppers. I'm not sure the boys are going to be happy about that either. I have never made  stuffed peppers before either. It should be an adventure.

I love my Gather Garden. It's simplistic and frugal. I paid for the onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. Gather paid for the rest. Which is why this qualifies as a VERY frugal garden. Now, I have to earn enough Gather points to buy canning supplies. I wonder if Home Depot sells canning supplies? Oh, I have to learn to can too. Hopefully, canning goes better than my first year of gardening - and that dreadful year I ended up in the emergency room with poison ivy.

But the best thing about gardening is who you get to garden with. In my case, it is my husband Kevin. You can see him there watering the potatoes for me. The best part is, he doesn't care that I'm not the Barbie of gardeners. He just jumps in and helps me out. That's why I love him - and yes, I love him even more than my garden.