Gardening can be an expensive hobby – compost, tools and, of course, plants. Yet, it is possible to create something beautiful at a fraction of the cost as The Money-Saving Gardener shows.
Reusing, recycling and, above all, propagating rather than buying new plants is not only a cheaper way to garden it’s also, argues author Anya Lautenbach, more sustainable.
I was given a copy of the book in return for a fair review.
Anya, originally from Poland, was brought up with a self-sufficiency style of growing: “Growing your own food and flowers wasn’t a choice – it was a necessity to survive and stay sane.”
A self-taught gardener, she found comfort in gardening as she moved to live in different countries. After all, she tells us “Home is where your plants grow.”
Her home is now Buckinghamshire where she has created a garden using the methods outlined in The Money-Saving Gardener.
One of the key messages is to think before you buy. Choose plants that will suit your soil so that they will thrive rather than die and have to be replaced. Better still grow from seed, cuttings or division. Consider carefully whether you really need that new garden gadget and look for secondhand alternatives rather than immediately buying new be it pots or furniture – “The day I buy new plastic pots will be the day I’ll stop gardening . . . Buying more of them simply doesn’t make sense: not for my bank balance, and certainly not for the environment”.
It’s sustainability as much as thrift that underpins her gardening style and there is advice on saving water, working with nature, and gardening without pesticides.
Other advice covers how to propagate, covering different methods and suggesting the best timings and plants to try. Step-by-step photographs make it easy to follow. Other projects include making plant supports and container displays.
Anya is working with the RHS to create a garden at this year’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival to showcase her ideas for thrifty gardening.
She says in the introduction to her book that “We’ve got to change how we garden”. The book is a good place to start.
The Money-Saving Gardener by Anya Lautenbach is published by DK with an RRP of £16.99. You can buy it here for £13.29. (If you buy via this link, I receive a small commission. The price you pay is not affected.) Alternatively, you may wish to buy from an independent bookseller here. All prices correct at time of publication of this post.
Top image: Dorling Kindersley – Britt Willoughby-Dyer
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This book is on my birthday wish-list. She is a good inspiration.
I hope someone takes the hint for you 🙂