The longer I garden, the more I discover about saving money while I'm at it. I've spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars - easily - at my local nursery over the last six years or so. During that time I've learned a little bit about what I can do to save some money and am starting to relish the thought of getting something for nothing in my garden. Here are a few tips to help you save some money in your garden this year.

Cheap Plants

Learn to grow plants from cuttings. Many, many plants can be grown from cuttings, which means you can have a whole new plant for free just by snipping off a piece of an already grown plant. I've had great luck with mint, red valerian, hydrangeas, pincushion, geraniums and scented geraniums.

While you're at it, learn to divide plants such as mums (or find a friend who has plants like this). This way, you get more plants from your original plant, and you keep your plants from becoming overgrown. Plants like daylilies, society garlic and agapanthus are great for dividing.

And, while you're at it, learn to spot plants that 'volunteer' themselves in places that you don't want them. You can dig them up and transplant them in more desireable locations. My mother-in-law grows raspberries, and I now have them too, thanks to digging up some volunteers from her garden and bringing them home.

Grow plants from seed. Seed packets are cheap and most come with a lot of seeds in them, so you can potentially get quite a few plants for a very small price.

Opt for smaller sizes when buying plants in pots at the nursery. The smaller sized plants will soon catch up to the larger ones - in a matter of weeks, sometimes.

Know your area and don't buy plants that won't thrive. Ask the people at the nursery for advice if you're not sure whether or not a certain plant will work in the area you have in mind. Just because a plant looks great in the store doesn't mean it will look great at home. When in doubt, ask!

Water Saving Techniques

Drip watering systems will target the water right where you need it, while sprinklers or hoses spray the water everywhere. An extra bonus to drip watering is that you can keep the space between plants dry, which helps reduce the number of weeds that sprout up!

Spread mulch around your plants. This will help keep the water from evaporating. You can buy mulch at the store, use compost (homemade would be great!), bark, pine needles, etc. there are many options.

Plant like plants together. Know how much water your different plants require, and plant the thirstier ones together and the more drought-tolerant ones together, so that you're not watering plants that don't need it as much.

Water in the morning or evening. Watering in the middle of the day leads to more evaporation and less water actually getting down to your plants' roots.

Catch rain water in large containers when you can and use it to water your plants later.

Home-Grown Benefits

Growing your own vegetables, herbs and flowers at home can translate into savings at the market. You won't have to buy as much produce, and you can have fresh flowers in your home for a fraction of the cost. If you get really good, you can make your own salsa, spaghetti sauce, pesto, jelly and more with the bounty of your garden.

What's Related: Gardening in Pots | Frugal Gardening Ideas | Getting Started | Mulch and Feed Your Gardens for Free | Our First Real Garden

Our friends at Dollar Stretcher have a helpful article here called Inexpensive Landscaping with Native Plants

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About the Author
Jennifer Thompson owns and manages DivaTribe, a web site for smart, creative, courageous women. DivaTribe features free journals, message boards, articles, book reviews and more to help women reach their full potential.

Recommendation: The Frugal Gardener is a great book of gardening strategy for those of us who want to (or have to) stay within a small budget. As it turns out, the frugal way is also the organic way, generally. TFG explained gardening organically in a way that made it easy and sensible even for me when I was first trying to make compost and wean away from chemical sprays. There is a lot that can be done to fortify and protect your plants and trees that will benefit them and the environment, and surprise! It's cheaper than chemical solutions. My garden has been thriving ever since. Frugal gardeners, don't be afraid to spend the money on this book! Even if you only use a few of the many tips packed within this book, you will more than make up the cost of buying it in the long run.

(Courtesy Amazon)