I would just like to rant a moment
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Planted by: Jennifer Tidwell
Date: Monday December 28, 2009
Planted in: Frugal Gardening,Rants
In my market research for weddings, I’ve come across dozens of articles that give advice to have a wedding on a “shoestring budget.” Articles such as these usually rub me the same way as articles on landscaping on a “small” budget. Small, being between $5,000 and $10,000. Seriously? I want to live a life where $5,000 is a small amount of money.
I understand that most wedding and gardening publications cater to the people who have a little more money than I do. Why else would they include things like “bride’s parents” in the “Who pays for what” column or “use decomposed granite for your entire driveway” as a suggestion for a new landscaping project? Featured gardens are always lush and well-appointed.
I’d like to bring some of these companies down to earth for a moment and remind them that even people with really small budgets read their publications too, for inspiration. Whether they pick up the magazine or visit the site online, they are reading. Offering realistic suggestions for people with limited incomes might be something they could consider, given the state of the economy.
One person who seems to have it right is Joe Lamp’l. He posted about growing a $25 victory garden on his site with follow-up on his progress. I recently caught up on all the episodes, and I love his style. If you want to grow your own food, but have this idea that it’s terribly expensive, you might want to check out his site.
Like Joe, I utilize Freecycle as a gardening tool (he gave some shrubs away). You’d be surprised what people have lying around that they aren’t going to use. Most of the gardeners I know are pretty generous people. Unless you are growing commercial gardens or feeding a huge family, there are more seeds in a pack than can be grown in one season.
What other sites or tips can you recommend that offer realistic ideas for people with low or limited incomes who want to garden?
*Keep in mind that not everyone lives in an urban area with access to community gardens. That is a great suggestion for those who do. Even people who live in rural areas may not have access to a large tract of land on which to garden.
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3 Comments
Our oldest daughter got married in our back yard. Check out my blog from June and July 2008. As for low cost plants, we use perrenials we buy at the end of season and split. I can send you hosta and ligularia.
jim
Comment by Jim Groble on December 28th, 2009 @
9:43 pm
Most people I know don’t have the money to spend upwards of twenty thousand on a wedding. I’ve seen people put wedding expenses on plastic time and time again. Deb, I agree that starting a marriage in that much debt is no way to start a marriage! One of the biggest issues people fight about is money. Why would anyone set themselves up for difficulty out of the gate?
Jim, I too purchase end of season plants and divide them up. By the time you get them they’ve outgrown the pot anyway. I love passing along plants to other people and have gotten many bulbs and plants that way myself.
I think most average people shop and garden smartly. What these magazines cater to is fantasy. They showcase elaborately landscaped and perfectly manicured gardens that make you say “ooh” and “aah.” Same with weddings. You aren’t going to see the wedding that cost less than $2,000 for everything between the pages of a magazine.
Thanks for the comments!
Jennifer
Comment by Jennifer Tidwell on December 29th, 2009 @
8:24 am
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My own wedding was long ago, but I am shocked when I hear young women discuss wedding costs, with ten to twenty thousand dollar budgets. These are young people with average incomes and parents who are not wealthy. How do they afford it? They don’t. They go into debt, which is a terrible way to start a marriage. I became a gardener when (many years ago) I found that the average landscaper charged sixty dollars an hour. I decided to buy gardening books and do it myself. And I have enjoyed it ever since.