If you're growing an organic garden, the good news budget-wise is that you're far better off than a conventional gardener. Synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are expensive, and must be applied over, and over, and over again to be effective. Organic gardeners (after a few seasons) are able to use less water because they've spent time building great soil that retains moisture and make judicious use of mulch.

Saving money on chemicals and water alone are good reasons to go organic.

But there's even more you can do to save money in your garden. From finding free and inexpensive sources for garden materials to re-using what you already have, a little creativity can go a long way toward saving you some green. Here are a few ideas for you.

Tips for Frugal Gardening

• Don't throw away grass clippings, fall leaves, food scraps, newspapers, or corrugated cardboard. They can all be used effectively in the garden. You can make a lasagna garden with them, compost them, use them in a worm bin, or mulch with them. Even if all you do is toss them into a pile in a corner of your garden, they'll break down and turn into beautiful compost -- much better than sending them to the landfill.
• Reuse! Items that would normally end up in your trash can or recycling bin can often be used in the garden. Egg cartons can be used to start seeds, as can plastic single-serving yogurt cups, paper cups, or baby food containers. Containers from carry out -- especially those with clear plastic lids -- also make great seed-starting flats. Save clear bags from the produce department to place over pots or flats of seeds or cuttings. Plastic milk jugs make excellent cloches to protect tender plants from frost, and can be used for winter sowing as well. You can also cut up lids from cottage cheese or yogurt containers and use them as plant labels in your seed starting flats or in your garden.

• Trade for seeds and plants. One of the least expensive ways to increase the number of plants in your garden is to make friends with other gardeners. Trading seeds, cuttings, and bulbs is a great way to clear out extras from your own garden while getting fun new things from someone else. You can trade with neighbors and friends, of course, but there are also a few online message boards where you can trade seeds and cuttings. Many cities also host plant swaps in the spring, in which people can dig up extras from their garden and trade them away to receive new plants from other people's gardens. These are a lot of fun, and a great way to get to know other gardeners in your community, as well.
• Buy small plants. Often at the nursery, you have the option of buying a plant in varying sizes, from a 4 inch starter pot all the way up to a two or more gallon-sized pot. If you're trying to save money, go with the smaller plant. It may take a while to grow in, but you can get more for your money and often these smaller plants are less likely to suffer from transplant shock than one that has been growing for a long time in a large pot.
• Buy plants on end-of-season clearance. Most home centers and nurseries put at least some of their shrubs and perennials on clearance in the fall. This is an excellent time to get a bargain, but you also want to make sure you're not bringing problems in to your garden. Check any clearanced plants for signs of pests and diseases.