Saving Your Seed Money

Get spicy with it. "Growing culinary herbs like basil, thyme and cilantro is a no-brainer," says Bruce Butterfield of the National Gardening Association. "You're going to save a ton of money." You can landscape with them, too. Rosemary, thyme, sage and chives look as pretty as perennial flowers but cost far less. And a few opportunistic mint plants will fill a corner bed faster than you can say "pachysandra." Stretch your herbal budget even further by planting some of those flavorful strands plucked from a grocer's produce section. The fresh herb packages often include plants that already have roots, so you can just put them in your garden.

Grow unusual varieties. Those beefsteak tomatoes taste great in the garden, but it's a sure bet that your local farmers market will have a nice selection, too. Grow the foods that never sell cheap: black peppers, Asian eggplants, yellow grape tomatoes and the like.

DIY. Think about all the money you'll save by seeding, feeding, watering and mowing your own lawn. Haul your own mulch and plant your own shrubs. You can cancel the costly lawn service, and if you really do up your yard right, you may be able to save on that gym membership, too.

© 2007