I don’t think I’ve shared this with you before, but as far as I know, I’m mostly Scottish. Well, honestly, I’m a fine example of an American – all sorts of nationalities. But, I identify most strongly with the Scots. Scots have a reputation, deserved or not, of being frugal. If I didn’t come by this trait genetically, I certainly learned it at a very early age. Both sets of grandparents were dirt poor, trying to start their adult lives in the midst of the Great Depression: save up, make do, do without, make it yourself. Their example certainly influenced both my parents – when I was cleaning out the garage, I found cans and cans of nails that were bent or used, carefully stored away. I can hear Daddy saying, “Never can tell when that might come in handy”.

That frugal character is why I grow mostly perennials – I’m too tight to buy a plant that will only last a season! So, it’s really not my fault that I can’t throw away a plant that might, just might live. It’s not my fault that I hunt sales like a shark hunts herring. It’s not my fault that I wait until the garden centers have nearly dead perennials marked 50% off before I buy them – I know they’ll look just fine next year in my garden.

If you’re lucky, you can enjoy a perennial for many years. Even better, it might grow so well that you can divide it so you can gain several new plants for the price of the first one. Another great strategy is to have friends that are also gardeners, so you can share starts with one another.

Our Southwest Indiana Master Gardener Association (SWIMGA) holds a fundraising plant sale the weekend before Mothers’ Day – neat plants at good prices? Hold me back!

Being frugal (that sounds so much better than “cheap” or “tight”) influences other gardening practices. I mulch heavily so I don’t have to water as often, saving on the water bill. I’d rather pull weeds by hand instead of resorting to expensive herbicides. I care about wildlife, so I avoid herbicides and pesticides if I can. We use leaves and grass clippings to make compost and mulch and get chipped wood from the tree trimming services – they will happily deposit of few, free loads of future mulch for us.

When I’m at thrift stores or consignment shops, I’ll keep my eyes open for nice pots, tools and garden art. Sort of feels like a treasure hunt – sometimes nothing, but sometimes you find something good.

This doesn’t mean I’m “penny-wise and pound foolish” and frugal though. I invest in soil amendments and fertilizer. After all, what’s the point of buying a plant without setting it up for success? I will water when necessary, making sure my plants get the requisite 1″ per week – but, I use a soaker hose or other water-wise method to do it.

Sometimes, it’s a judgement call…do I pay more up front for a tool that will last a long time? Or do I buy the cheap one and replace it next year? I admit I appreciate a well-designed, well-made tool, so I will generally buy the good one.

Although the deer and rabbits don’t bother us too much, I just planted two Asian pear trees (no, not Bradfords!). These are fruit trees, which I really, really want to do well. So, they have an armored (well, almost an armored) fence around them. No rabbit or deer is going to make a meal out of my baby pear trees – not if I can help it!

Keep doing what you do, Green Friends! We’re all making the world a better, greener place, one garden at a time!