I've embarked on a new garden project, and while it feels a bit overwhelming, I'm embracing the challenge. Despite working on a tight budget, I've gathered some helpful tips over time for gardening economically.
Gardening isn't just a hobby; it's a therapeutic journey that occasionally presents the daunting task of starting from scratch. To tackle this, I've learned to break projects into smaller tasks and celebrate each milestone.
Creating a beautiful garden doesn't always demand a large bank balance. In fact, some of the most satisfying transformations can be accomplished on a limited budget. Let's explore some cost-effective ways to enhance your garden:
Repurpose and Upcycle: Before rushing to the store for new pots or garden decor, take a look around your home for items that can be repurposed. Old buckets, tin cans, or wooden crates can be transformed into planters with a fresh coat of paint. Get creative with unconventional containers to add character to your garden while saving money.
Propagate Plants: Instead of splurging on new plants, why not propagate your existing ones? Many plants, such as succulents, herbs, and certain flowers, can be easily propagated from cuttings or seeds. Not only does this save money, but it also allows you to expand your garden while fostering a deeper connection with your plants.
Welcome to the garden! I am wearing my creative gardener hat today and we are going to look at my Tropical Black Sage - also known as Varronia curassavica. Its journey developed from a simple plant cutting to a full-grown tree. I have it growing within a tyre in the garden and whilst I wasn't going to let it grow into a tree by regular pruning - I am glad I did as it has got a really lovely shape to it.
As the tropical black sage was growing, it encountered various pests that I have had to deal with. One such pest was a small moth with a lilac color that liked to feed on the tip of the shoots and lay its eggs on the undersides of the leaves. At first, I thought they were cute, but soon I realized they were a real problem and have drifted on to other plants. Over time I tried different natural solutions, such as spraying soapy water and oil, and even made my own neem oil, and the ladybirds also help when they can.
In addition to dealing with the pests, I have allowed the tropical black sage to grow in different areas of my garden and it seems to love it, I keep them trimmed regularly to reduce their size. The birds are the ones that have dropped the seeds in different areas and depending on where they are growing some of the leaves have been really large in size. I use the leaves in tea and for cooking and also create smudging sticks.
Check out the video of the Tropical Black Sage Plant above
Another interesting aspect of the tropical black sage is the wood. It's a fairly strong and semi-hardwood that I'm still experimenting with in terms of creative use. I will keep you updated on what I come up with.
Gardening is a wonderful way to relax and unwind, and today I'm taking some time out to tend to my garden chores. I decided to take a break under the shade of my flamboyant tree, to admire how the garden is looking at the moment. The Flamboyant tree that we are sitting under has lovely red flowers and this tree has grown well in this area.
This flamboyant tree
is relatively new, but it is already starting to produce large pods and seeds - I still have to find out more about the properties of this tree - it is used in some countries to line streets. I have two of them in my
garden and will keep them at a particular height, as they can grow quite
tall.
I'm also repairing a hole that my dog Cole made in the Mexican sunflower hedge. Mexican sunflower needs to be cut back regularly to stay vibrant. When I cut it back, it encourages new growth and keeps the plant healthy. Over the years the cuttings that I have taken have been planted in other parts of my garden. These cuttings will flower in the year that it is planted because has been taken from a mature plant.
Another plant that I'm currently working on is my scaevola. I want to retain the path near my Aloe plants, so I'm cutting it back to a certain height, so it doesn't hang over the path. I'll be using the cuttings as chop and drop in my moringa patch and other parts of the garden.
I've got a lot of other trees to trim and will get to them over the course of the week, including my Shak Shak tree and Clammy cherry tree. I've been documenting my gardening adventures on my Channel, and you can take a look at some of the videos to see how things have grown and changed over time.
Gardening is a great way to take time out and relax. It's an activity that allows you to be present in the moment and focus on the task at hand even if you are doing chores in the garden. Check out the video above to see the work I'm doing in my garden today. You can also check out my Amazon Gardening Guide for details of some of the plants that I have in the Garden. Check out my online course which takes lessons inspired by the garden. You can check it out HERE or click on the image below.
Welcome to the garden, today we are looking at Sweet Sop plant also known as Sugar Apple or Annona squamosa.
My plants have been grown from seeds. One of them is fruiting. Both the fruit and the leaves have many benefits and are packed with vitamins and minerals such as B6, calcium and iron. It is one of my favorite fruits!
I will be trying the leaves to see how they taste as a tea and let you know. If you have tried it, please let me know what you think in the comments.
Welcome to today's post, I am taking part in a 31 day blog challenge where I post everyday in October. I love creating challenges for myself and joining ones by others. My challenge for the rest of the month is to reflect on some of the series I created for myself and inspiration that I have taken away.
I moved a few years ago with my family to the Caribbean, Barbados to be exact, and I try and spend time between Barbados and London where possible.
I decided to do this challenge when I started growing my own food, plants in a space that could accommodate some of the things I wanted to grow in a tropical environment.
I had been collecting and purchasing seeds for the longest and in our current home was set with the challenge of planting on a slope and having an extremely tight budget, so I had to be creative in what I did. The Creative Gardener was born!
As I traveled round Barbados I came across many trees and plants that intrigued me and I wanted to know more about them and see if I could grow them myself.
It has been an exiting journey to see many of the plants grow and I was able to get quite a few going from seeds, some of the herbs I found that they didn't grow for me and I brought a few small plants then as they started to grow I propagated them, which was the start they needed.
The 31 Plant series was a way for me to share the plants that I was growing and how they looked in their small state, I found it encouraging as it took the mystery out of growing cause if I could do it then you could too! Filming the series was a way to document the progress and something for me to look back on to see how far I have come
Some plants have done really well, others have died and it is then the adventure to see what I need to do to correct the soil for next time. Some plants gave the appearance of having died, but then resurrected themselves and that has been really great to see.
One of the rewarding things that has come for sharing about what I am growing is that it has been so exciting seeing something that you put in the ground grow especially fruit trees, and plants that have so many beneficial and medicinal properties.
There are so many plants that I have wanted to grow over the years but being in a colder climate wasn't able to. I am now able to create a food forest, an edible landscape that is pleasing to all the senses and provides medicinal and nutritional benefits to the family as well.
Garden Nursery Set up - DIY
I encourage you to think about using your space to grow something whatever size you have. It is very rewarding and you will learn much about yourself in the process.
If you are on a budget and want to start growing your own, why don't you start with growing some of the seeds that come from the fruit or vegetables that you eat, you could start sprouting pulses and grow them on from there
Many of the seeds that you can purchase are quite economical and you can start quite quickly.
Places like the Pound Store/Dollar Store have a garden section and you can pick up some supplies for cheap. I have not brought seeds from them so can't say how good they are.
I will be sharing another series on my Gardening Channel for those who want to grow and garden on a tight budget so please subscribe and click the notification bell so you know when a new video has been uploaded. I currently post 2 or 3 new videos every week.
What has your approach been to your green space? You might only have a balcony but you can add a couple of pots and get some plants growing. If you don't have outdoor space you should get some pot plants. A lot of the plants grown in the Caribbean can be grown indoors in a warm environment so you can bring the tropics to your own home.
Do the plants you have need to have a new lease of life? you can look for some ways in which you can do some DIY and create a green space of your dreams.
Elephant Ears - gorgeous plant
Tomorrow I will share the second part from my Tropical Garden Series. I hope during this month you find some time to challenge, be creative and stretch yourself.
Why not join me each day for the rest of October as we dive into to some exciting challenges and look at ways in which they can impact on your own life.
I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, it is never too late to start! The main thing is to take one step at a time and do something that you find interesting.
Stay blessed and be a blessing.
Ps: If you are on a budget and would like to check out some gardening supplies/books at a discounted price, check out one of the links below:
Realityarts - Creativity Book Shop - Some really great titles for you to dive in
Creative Resources
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