Friday, April 9, 2010

Saving Money on Food

As most of you know, this site isn't only about coupons and store deals...I like to find other ways to help people save money.  Some times that will be in the form of mass cooking and freezing meals, other times it will be in money saving tips and tricks for every day life.

Remeber this post regarding the super way to save money on fresh local vegetables, well, I also got an idea that I wanted to try my hand at container gardening along with my regular in-ground garden.  I had no idea how to container garden, so I looked to Amazon for some good books on the subject.  I was really surprised at the limited number of books published on vegetable container gardening....everything seemed to be about flower gardens. 

Then, I found this book: McGee & Stuckey's Bountiful Container: Create Container Gardens of Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Edible Flowers.  This book was dubbed the Bible of container gardening by the reviewers, so I took a chance and bought it.  I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading it....it was EXACTLY what I was looking for.  There are so many great ideas for different types of containers, where to grow, what to grow, etc.  They even show you how to grow a ton of potatoes in a 20 gallon plastic trash can (and you can do it without soil)!

This book makes me believe that ANYONE can grow their own vegetables no matter where they live.  Don't let the fact that you live in apartment or don't have a lot of land keep you from FREE and fresh veggies you grew yourself!  If you're nearby and want to browse the book I have, let me know and I'd be more than happy to lend it to you when I'm done reading.

24 comments:

Bridget said...

Thanks for the info! So timely for me. Just requested a copy from the local library.

Sherri said...

What a great post. I had never even thought about container gardening. Thank you!

Allyson said...

Thanks, that books looks wonderful!

Hokie Girl said...

Even me??? I have quite a full plate this summer, but maybe I'll work on that for next year! It will sure help with another mouth to feed!!!

Unknown said...

Yes, even you. From what I've been reading, it doesn't take much time at all if you start small and have an easy-to-care-for plant like tomatoes. Think about it for this summer too....just start little.

Mrs. Stephens said...

Oh wow I think I have to look into this book. I would love to get some projects for my kids to work on so they learn about being self efficient.

Nicole @ Some Call It Natural said...

Wow, that's great! I have done a lot of research on container gardening, but it sounds like I need that book too! :)

Kelly said...

Great Post, thank you so much for sharing...

Anne said...

Thanks for this! I also container garden and have had trouble finding good books on the topic.

Alisha K said...

We always grow our own fruits and veggies and not only does it save us money but I think they also taste better.

Mom Caboodle said...

I have tried and tried to grow tomatoes here in Florida....can't do it! I used to grow them all the time when I lived in Kentucky.
I think I need to check out this book! Thanks

Unknown said...

My husband would love this. He's always talking about wanting to start a garden.

Margaux said...

Our garden was kind of a bust this year, I need to check this out!

crunchyfarmbaby said...

Thankfully we have the space for a nice big garden outside! I would like to find a way to garden indoors during the winter months though. I'll have to check this out.

Unknown said...

Love this! I really wish I had time to get a garden started but it will have to wait until spring.

Pam said...

Very interesting. It looks like you can grow a garden just about anywhere. Great book for city dwellers.

Jennifer's Healthy Life Deals said...

I really need gardening help. When I killed a plant called "never die" I knew that I was NOT good at gardening. I will have to check out this book.

Unknown said...

What an interesting book, I will definitely have to check it out!!

Unknown said...

My Mom is a huge fan of container gardening and has even built this gigantic wall of container gardens on the side of her garage being her yard is SO small. She has really done an amazing job and always has fresh yummy's all summer long!

Colorful Canary said...

Fantastic! It's always great to see other bloggers giving tips on growing your own food!

Barb said...

I would love to try growing stuff inside. I'm just terrible about watering my houseplants. I don't know how my beds outside survive.

SOS Mom said...

I soooo need a book like this one! Oh my gosh! I love what it offers and it's true, ANYONE can grow what they want, it is super easy once you have done it once!

Tammylyne said...

I have never heard of container gardening but it sounds pretty cool. I will have to do some more research on it!

Everything By Chelsea said...

I would love this book because I live in a small apt!! Thanks!!