7 DIY Projects for a Better Garden
We didn’t get our garden going last year at all, and my grocery budget felt it all summer! After the initial investment when we first moved into our home, it has kept our expenses down while still allowing our family to eat fresh, healthy foods.
This year, we’re tackling a few extra projects that will make the process easier throughout the summer. With just a small investment — of time and money — gardening will be fun, frugal, and practically effortless.
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Rain Water Barrel
A rain collection barrel is top of my list for this year's garden. This project, made out of a garbage can, looks simple, should be inexpensive, and will save so much money on water bills through the gardening season.
Photo and tutorial via Beach Brights -
Homemade Compost Bin
I've been cold composting for several years now — basically, that means piling all our organic scraps into a compost bin and letting it do its thing without a lot of work. I love this simple compost bin made out of garbage can.
Photo and tutorial via The Happy Housewife -
Cucumber Trellis/Lettuce Shade
This takes the space saving of square foot gardening to a whole new level. Plus, it kills two birds with one DIY project — shading lettuce under the growth of cucumbers. And, all it takes is some chicken wire and scrap wood.
Photo and tutorial via Florida Vegetable Garden -
Garden Dibble
Plant evenly spaced seeds quickly and easily with this homemade dibble. I'm pretty sure we have dowel rods leftover from previous craft projects so this is on the honey do list before planting time!
Photo and tutorial via Beekman 1802 -
Penny Bowling Ball
While this particular project is intended for decorative use, I have heard that pennies repel slugs. Since it's a simple project and would look awesome in the garden, I think it would be fun to try with the girls.
Photo and tutorial via Beth Evans-Ramos -
Raised Garden Beds
A raised bed makes gardening easier and more economical. It was our first garden project 10 years ago. This plan uses cedar fence pickets to create raised beds for less than $10.
Photo and tutorial via Ana White Homemaker -
Backyard Greenhouse
A greenhouse sounds like an enormous investment, but this inexpensive project can be completed with a few basic hardware supplies and reinforced poly.
Photo and tutorial via Modish
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But how does the hose get pressure to spray?
The weight of the water will force it out of the hose. The fuller the barrel the harder it sprays.
I disagree, we have a pump from a lake behind our house and the pressure will never be enough to power the sprayer, BUT even just using it to water your grass would save $.
Sorry Natalie, but you are wrong. If the Barrel is full there is quite a bit of what they call “head pressure”. That is the pressure created by the weight of the water. Water weighs almost 8 lbs per gallon so a 55 gallon drum has quite a bit of pressure behind it if your outlet is at the bottom as shown in the picture.