This year, I’ve had a longtime dream realized, and it’s making my heart sing with joy.
A few weeks ago, I was plucked from the waiting list and given my very own plot in our neighborhood’s very own community gardens. To say I am elated is a gross understatement of my excitement about this. Given the shade and space constraints at Chez Recessionista, I’ve only been able to grow vegetables in containers for the last few years, which has yielded suboptimal crops.
This year, though … well. Look out!
We moved in to our plot right away (actually, we were so excited that we walked down to the gardens the very evening we learned we’d made the cut and began to work!), and already it is proving to be a thrill. We’ve got eight tomato plants of different varieties, four bell pepper plants, three cucumbers, and three zucchinis. We’ve also got a little additional box for flowers – to dress up the place, you know.
I just don’t know what to do with all this sunlight and free dirt. It’s a dream come true for a wannabe gardener like me! Already we’ve met some of our gardening neighbors, and they’ve really enhanced the “community” aspect for us.
So, as with my other recent projects, this is great fun. But is it frugal?
Absolutely!
This time I don’t have to make much of an argument at all for the recessionista nature of this project. Look at the numbers and see for yourself:
Four Rutgers tomato plants: $2.50/four
Four Big Bertha pepper plants: $2.50/four
Four Roma tomato plants: FREE (given to me by a neighboring gardener who had extras)
Three cucumber plants: $2.50/three
Three zucchini plants: $2.50/three
Four butterfly garden plants for the flowerbox: $20/four (and they’re perennial!)
Cages: FREE from leftover supplies
Yearly dues: $25 OR a plant for the community flowerbeds.
GRAND TOTAL: $55.
… and that’s that. If my tomatoes behave as I hope/fear they might, we’ll not have to buy tomatoes again for about the next 25 years. :) Same with the zucchini! And we’ll be in stock of cucumbers and peppers, too, for the remainder of the summer. Even longer when I send them through the canner!
Anyway, do expect some updates from the garden as the season progresses. We’ve already come a long way from here:
The garden today:
:)