In my area, September is the month of beginnings and endings. Local schools and colleges have now started back, county fairs have come and gone, and the harvest is well underway.
I was blessed to spend my "teenage years" growing up on my grandparents' farm. As I got older and started my own family, I got away from my "frugal" beginnings, but as prices have increased and concerns about food safety and climate control have increased, I have come to realize that there is no time like the present to try to incorporate some of the half-forgotten budget-friendly practices of my youth. Even though I have a very small yard, each year for the past three years, we have consciously made the decision to try to be more responsible and a little more "self-reliant" by reducing the size of our lawn and increasing the size of our vegetable patch. It is surprising how "ornamental" many of the most common vegetables can be in our yard, and how good it is for the environment to grow at least a small portion of our own food.
This year we planted zucchini, squash, cucumbers, peppers, corn, onions, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, peas, pole beans, green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, okra, radishes, beets, turnips and watermelons. I continued with herbs from last year: basil, thyme, oregano, sage, tarragon, lavender and rosemary. Everything but the basil will "over-winter" right in the garden by applying a thick layer of "leaf mulch" right before the first killing frost. We also have a Bartlett pear tree, that is overloaded with fruit, and my neighbor has an overloaded apple tree which she gladly shares in exchange for me making apple butter. I took a week of "vacation" from my "paying job" to stay home and start canning our harvest. My yard is only 1/10th of 1 acre, and even though we were hit with a cold, wet Spring and then a major drought this Summer, I have an over-abundance of food for my family of six.
I already have "big" plans for next year to dig up even more of my yard and expand further. My hope is to have nothing left that needs to be mowed. The first year that I started gardening again, I just put a few tomato and pepper plants in some pots along my walkway. Whatever you do, whether you dig up part of your yard, or set out a few plants in pots, each little bit helps. It is just one more food item that did not have to be mass-produced and driven to your local store.
I started out with "heirloom seeds". Some were seeds from family and friends and some were seeds that I purchased, but heirloom seeds are the way to go. You can save the seeds from your harvest year to year, and you are cultivating varieties not normally found in your store's local produce selection. These "heirloom" varieties are often more attractive visually, with unique flavors and textures.
So this September, as the growing season is coming to an end, make a resolution for a new beginning next year and begin planning how you can begin or expand your own vegetable patch; you will save money, you will help the environment and you will get a little exercise in all at the same time. That is truly a frugal beginning that we can all use.
