Stepping into your garden on a brisk morning to watch the sunrise through dew-kissed leaves brings the perfect start to your day. You survey the garden and feel a sense of pride. You did all this.

You pursued that gardening hobby you'd dreamed of, and it didn't cost you an arm and a leg. Gardening on a budget is possible.

Sow Dreams, Not Dollars: Tips for Buying Seeds

Walking through the seed aisle can be overwhelming. You only have so much space, but the selection seems endless.

1. Map Your Garden

Before you buy anything, map out your space to avoid buying more seed types than you have places for. You can always expand next year.

The Planter Garden Planner app is a free app I always use. It helps plan and visualize your garden. It has a smartphone and desktop version.

2. Choose Heirloom Seeds

Heirloom seeds are the gift that keeps on giving. Unlike hybrid seeds, you can collect heritage seeds from them each year to re-seed your garden, reducing recurring costs.

3. Join Seed Swap Groups

Picture a room full of fellow gardeners with more seeds than they can use, so they're looking to swap with someone who has an overabundance of something else. Many communities have local seed exchanges. You may be able to find them on Facebook, Nextdoor, or by asking around.

Black Gold: Turn Kitchen Scraps into Nutrient-Rich Compost

Close your eyes and imagine the richest, darkest soil you can. Chances are it's filled with compost. While you must mix compost with other soils depending on each plant's preferred soil type, you can save on soil by "making" some of your own.

4. Learn About Greens & Browns

Composting is easy. But it does require some knowledge. You must have a good mix of carbon and nitrogen sources.

Nitrogen sources (called Greens) include grass clippings, food scraps, thinned-out tomato plants, coffee grounds, and cloth tea bags. Carbons (called Browns) include dry leaves, wood chips, straw, twigs, newspaper, cardboard with tape and staples removed, dead plant clippings, wood branches, sawdust, or pine needles. The ideal ratio is 3:1 browns to greens.

5. Keep Your Compost Active

An active compost produces heat, even in cold months. You can buy a long thermometer to check the internal temperature. Turning the compost with a pitchfork or shovel periodically will aerate the pile and keep greens and browns mixed so they break down efficiently.

A Helping Hand: Share and Share Alike

Gone are the days when we'd walk next door to ask for a cup of sugar. But you can help bring this mentality back by networking with other gardeners who can share expenses to reduce everyone's costs.

6. Consider Shareable Tools

Items like wood chippers, soil aerators, mini-tractors, and wheelbarrows are expensive. Specialty pruners, planters, and shovels can also add to the cost.

Gardeners don't need these items every day or week. It makes sense to build a little network of people who can pool resources to share tools.

7. Buy Together in Bulk

You may also find opportunities to buy in bulk as a group. See a special deal when you buy 10 pairs of garden gloves? No one needs 10 pairs. But you can split them up to save and get free shipping, too

8. Build a Community Tool Library

Start a community tool library in your neighborhood. Bring your community together to take inventory of who has what. Then you can reach out to the right person when you need a tool.

Just remember to share and share alike. If you don't have the tools to share, others might not want to share with you. Civility and trustworthiness are vital in a group like this.

Sip Smarter: Save on Water

Water is life in the garden. Conserve, reuse, and save!

9. Get a Rain Barrel

Hear the satisfying sound of your rain barrel filling. Then use that stormwater a week later when there's no rain in sight.

10. Water in the Morning

Early morning watering reduces evaporation and supports plants as the day heats up.

Fertilize for Free: Homemade Plant Nourishment

Store-bought fertilizers are pricey. Mother Nature has cheaper—and often safer—solutions. Of course, compost is your best way to fertilize for free, but here are some faster, simpler methods.

11. Make Banana Peel Tea

Rich in potassium, banana peel water helps plants resist pests and use water and sunlight more efficiently.

12. Create Eggshell Magic

Eggshells are a source of calcium. They can improve the plant's strength against strong winds and increase its resilience in short-lived droughts.

Watch Your Garden—and Gratitude—Grow

Gardening on a budget takes a little forethought but allows you to produce amazing yields and inspiring spaces. For more money-saving tips, be sure to bookmark our site and come back to see us.