Gardening Doesn’t Have to Be Costly-Let Your Local Experts Help

By Donna Schuld

If you’ve been putting off starting a garden because you think it will cost too much, you may be overlooking some key resources in your community designed to help you succeed. Even a small garden, let’s say a 5 X 5 foot space, could cost you anywhere from $50 to $200 to install. Things like compost, seeds, plants, and protective fencing can add up quickly and make you question whether it’s even worth the effort. 

Help Is Just Around the Corner

The Green Bay area has a lot to offer gardeners. With advice from seasoned gardeners you can plant, grow, and harvest like a pro this year. Here are some valuable ideas to get you started.

Gardening is a great way to connect with nature. Photo: Pixabay.

Study Time

Before you plant, it’s best to do a little research. Instead of buying gardening books, take advantage of free resources from the UW Extension office in Brown County.  Their website has information about growing a variety of herbs, vegetables, and flowers: Community Gardens – Extension Brown County

Do you have a library card?  If so, you can borrow books on gardening and choose garden seeds to take home at no charge from the Brown County Seed Library. Learn more about the seed library here: https://www.browncountylibrary.org/seed-library/

Free Workshops

The Gardeners Club of Green Bay offers workshops at the Green Bay Botanical Garden that are open to non-members. The Gardeners Club asks that guests consider becoming a member after visiting two of these workshops. 

On Wednesday, April 22, the Gardeners Club will host a workshop entitled, “Raised Bed Gardening in Wisconsin: Building Better Soil From the Ground Up.”  This is designed to educate you on the fundamentals of gardening, with tips on building raised beds for years of use. 

The Green Bay Botanical Garden offers many workshops throughout the year. While those are not always free, the GBBG does have a wealth of free information about gardening on their website: https://www.gbbg.org/build-a-butterfly-sanctuary/

Monarch butterfly. Photo: Canva.

Special Giveaways

Look out for community events where plants may be given out at no charge.  On May 27, the Gardeners Club of Green Bay will be handing out Wisconsin native plants at the Farmer’s Market on Broadway. This is a wonderful opportunity to get a quality plant that is pollinator-friendly from Stone Silo Prairie Gardens in De Pere.  

Join Garden Clubs

Connecting with other gardeners can be incredibly helpful. Consider joining a gardening club, or other civic or church group that does landscaping projects.  When gardeners find out that someone is looking to get started in their favorite hobby they tend to go out of their way to share bulbs, seeds, or perennials (plants that come back season after season) that have been divided up. 

Start Small, Plan Long-Term

By starting small with your garden, you take some of the pressure off for your initial purchase of materials. With a raised bed garden, try just one the first year.  If it goes well consider installing a second or third one the following year.  

If you’re ready to install a pollinator garden, the good news is that butterflies are not snobs when it comes to real estate.  A 2 X 2 foot garden will bring them in as long as you select plants that meet their needs (think native plants!) If you like the results, expand it next year. When you plant perennials in these gardens, they require some watering the first year, but after that they will be able to survive on rainfall, and are quite low-maintenance. 

Hit The Rummage Sales!

April and May are great months for rummage sales in most neighborhoods. These can be great places to buy perennials. You will get to meet the owner and ask questions. If you’re lucky they might take you on a brief tour of their yard and give you plenty of tips. 

Look for Sales from Schools

High school horticulture or 4-H clubs often have plant sales in May that are open to the public.  These are often great spots to get plants at a reasonable price. Plus, you’re supporting our future food growers of America so you can feel good about that!

Discounted Materials

Ever heard of the Re-Store?  It’s spinoff of the Habitat for Humanity organization and it’s a reliable place to find building materials at good prices. You might luck out and find wire fencing for keeping those pesky deer away from your lettuce, or wood to build your raised bed garden.

These are just some of the ways you can get into gardening without feeling like you’ve spent too much. And investing wisely in your garden the first year is certain to bring rewards for the years ahead.