just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
gardens???

"www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
> gardens???
>

My veggie garden comes to about $50 per pound. ;-)

"www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
> gardens???
>

That's best not discussed.

In article <oX3bg.1496$Oh1.407 [at] news01.roc.ny>,
"JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis [at] yahoo.com> wrote:

> "www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> > just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
> > gardens???
> >
>
> That's best not discussed.

I guess it is close to my transportation money. But my 1970 Camaro
( a car Cost 3500 in 1970) is gone and my Japanese maple may be worth
about 10+ K purchased the same year.

Labor of love.

Bill

--
S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

"William Wagner" <not-to-here-williamwag [at] gmail.com> wrote in message
news:not-to-here-williamwag-7DF6C4.15424218052006 [at] sn-indi.vsrv-sjc.supernews.net...
> In article <oX3bg.1496$Oh1.407 [at] news01.roc.ny>,
> "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis [at] yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> "www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>> > just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
>> > gardens???
>> >
>>
>> That's best not discussed.
>
> I guess it is close to my transportation money. But my 1970 Camaro
> ( a car Cost 3500 in 1970) is gone and my Japanese maple may be worth
> about 10+ K purchased the same year.
>
> Labor of love.
>
> Bill

When I was married, I tried a few times to shuffle garden money into the
health care part of the budget, since fresh, non-poisoned vegetables are so
good for you. The accountant caught up with this practice.

In article <%e4bg.1344$oa1.1336 [at] news02.roc.ny>,
"JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis [at] yahoo.com> wrote:

> "William Wagner" <not-to-here-williamwag [at] gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:not-to-here-williamwag-7DF6C4.15424218052006 [at] sn-indi.vsrv-sjc.supernews.n
> et...
> > In article <oX3bg.1496$Oh1.407 [at] news01.roc.ny>,
> > "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis [at] yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> >> "www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> >> news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> >> > just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
> >> > gardens???
> >> >
> >>
> >> That's best not discussed.
> >
> > I guess it is close to my transportation money. But my 1970 Camaro
> > ( a car Cost 3500 in 1970) is gone and my Japanese maple may be worth
> > about 10+ K purchased the same year.
> >
> > Labor of love.
> >
> > Bill
>
> When I was married, I tried a few times to shuffle garden money into the
> health care part of the budget, since fresh, non-poisoned vegetables are so
> good for you. The accountant caught up with this practice.

All past tense.

Bill

--
S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> "www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
>>just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
>>gardens???
>>
>
>
> That's best not discussed.
>
>

I agree with that!

And its now what you spend, its what you get out of gardening. For many
of us it is truly a labor of love.
--
Bill R. (Ohio Valley, U.S.A)

Gardening Since 1969

To see pictures from my garden visit http://members.iglou.com/brosen

Remove NO_WEEDS_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail

"William Wagner" <not-to-here-williamwag [at] gmail.com> wrote in message
news:not-to-here-williamwag-1F159C.16014218052006 [at] sn-indi.vsrv-sjc.supernews.net...
> In article <%e4bg.1344$oa1.1336 [at] news02.roc.ny>,
> "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis [at] yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> "William Wagner" <not-to-here-williamwag [at] gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:not-to-here-williamwag-7DF6C4.15424218052006 [at] sn-indi.vsrv-sjc.supernews.n
>> et...
>> > In article <oX3bg.1496$Oh1.407 [at] news01.roc.ny>,
>> > "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis [at] yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> "www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
>> >> news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>> >> > just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
>> >> > gardens???
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> That's best not discussed.
>> >
>> > I guess it is close to my transportation money. But my 1970 Camaro
>> > ( a car Cost 3500 in 1970) is gone and my Japanese maple may be worth
>> > about 10+ K purchased the same year.
>> >
>> > Labor of love.
>> >
>> > Bill
>>
>> When I was married, I tried a few times to shuffle garden money into the
>> health care part of the budget, since fresh, non-poisoned vegetables are
>> so
>> good for you. The accountant caught up with this practice.
>
> All past tense.
>
> Bill

Now, I do everything with cash. Harder to trace.

Andy replies:

Well, if I add up the money I spent for seed, fertilizer, my
roto-tiller,
assorted containers .... I'd be much better off just buying the stuff
from Walmart grocery.

However, I am looking out my bedroom window and I see neat
rows of lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber vines, cantalop vines,
some otherkinda vines, in a freshly weeded and plowed plot....
...... hell, I don't even want to pick anything cause it will spoil the
symmetry... My vegetable garden in like some people's flower
gardens, except that , if I want to , I can eat the stuf....... I have
growing at least 10 times what I can use, but it costs about the
same for seed, so it's no big deal.......
There are intangibles involved that I can't peg to a price....
..... sort of like buying a painting that you like, and just want
to look at......

And when I get tired of it, someday, I'll just throw out
20 bucks worth of Bermida grass seed and the next year
I'll have a nice yard again.......

Oh.... I forgot labor...... Well, I spend as much time in the
garden now as I spent in the health club every day for 20 years
before I retired. But I no longer have health club dues, stinky
people around me, or a wall of posted regulations to obey....

I guess if I take the money I used to spend on health club dues
and use it to pay for my garden, I come out about even.....
...... that's not such a bad deal, after all...

Andy in eureka, Texas

I don't even want to go there with the expense. I kind of do what
other posters to this thread are doing. . .I pencil it into physical
fitness, improved diet, and peace of mind.

However, I must admit that last night I really thought about the poster
of another topic who complained about the deer, rabbits and varmints
eating his vegetables. Perhaps, the vegetables could be used as bait,
for even more expensive animal protein;-)

I think gardening has to be a lot like fishing. . .It isn't the cost of
the activity per pound - but the enjoyment of the time passed. . .Food
on the table, is mere frosting on the cake;-)

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

"Myrl Jeffcoat" <myrl_jeffcoat [at] yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1147995679.095657.314670 [at] i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I don't even want to go there with the expense. I kind of do what
> other posters to this thread are doing. . .I pencil it into physical
> fitness, improved diet, and peace of mind.

Several years ago, during my annual checkup, my doctor asked how I stayed in
shape. I told him it was from gardening. He didn't believe it. I told him to
try following me around the yard for a weekend, and I'd call him an
ambulance afterward. That's what gardening does for me.

According to the following website quite a few calories can be burned
while gardening. It gives the breakdown as follows for 10 minutes of
activity:

125 pound individual - 41 calories
150 pound individual - 49 calories
175 pound individual - 57 calories
200 pound individual - 65 calories

http://www.spirita.net/diet/calories-burned-chart.htm

I swim about 5 times a week. And found the calories to be as follows
for 10 minutes of swim activity doing a slow crawl:

123 pound woman - 95 calories
170 pound man - 130 calories

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

Andy writes:

Myrl, if you went into hydroponic gardening you
could get:

200 pound gardening = 65 calories
200 pound swimming = 150 calories
_______________________________
215 calories

All you have to do is swim while you are
doing the weeding....

....... Ya just gotta look at the big picture :>)))))

Andy in Eureka, Texas

Pecking at the keyboard with two fingers <www.gardeners-advice.com> at
<vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> turned out this gem:

> just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
> gardens???

We spend about $300 a year on plants, fertalizers, mulch and more.

I swim 50 laps about 5 times a week - I always figured my laps [at] my
weight (big secret), at about 5 calories a lap. It usually takes me
about a minute to complete a lap. I need to stop about half way
through each lap and bounce off the bottom, while catching my breath.

I realize I wouldn't need to do that with a rake in my hand, but I also
factor in the hot Sacramento heat, to a 82 degree pool. I'm into
creature comforts unfortunately;-)

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

"www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
> gardens???

Years back, I spent a minimal amount with some fruit trees, clump of
birches, roses and plants in trays and fertilizers, peat, etc. Then I
went for years and didn't do anything. Finally the cherry trees died
after years of little or not maintenance and tons of cherries. This
year has been bad trying to get the yard looking nice again. Spent $968
just for two arbor kits, $50 from arborday.org, $50 on some plants to
set out, and bought several bags of mulch, potting soil, etc., few
packets of seeds. Also paid a girl to clean out behind my garage and
plant some hostas and spread mulch, just getting started there. That is
a lot for me.
>

::sigh::

This year?

Hundreds. As in, four or five, and I've lost track. I've stopped
counting.
Why? Well, I live in Phx, Az, and the weather is seriously HOT. So I
buy 8x8 burlap sheets and tie them up for shade [at] 5$ apiece. Also, I
have bought seed, two watering cans, sisal, scissors, pots, soaker
hoses, hose attachments, pickaxe, hoe, compost bins...blah blah blah.
Really, I don't save any money at all - but that's partly because this
is a new garden. A lot of the tools and supplies I had to buy this year
will be around nexy year, and I'll have seeds and cuttings of my own.

It's well worth it, though - my garden brings me health, education,
exercise, joy and satisfaction. What else could you ask for?

On 5/18/06 3:30 PM, in article oX3bg.1496$Oh1.407 [at] news01.roc.ny,
"JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis [at] yahoo.com> wrote:

> "www.gardeners-advice.com" <vlxpro [at] yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1147976373.054888.209910 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>> just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
>> gardens???
>>
>
> That's best not discussed.
>
>
Definitely - especially with non-gardening spouse!

Cheryl

"Myrl Jeffcoat" <myrl_jeffcoat [at] yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1148006060.441258.220630 [at] j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I swim 50 laps about 5 times a week

Lucky you. I get a rash within 30 minutes of being in an indoor pool. The
rash lasts for 2 weeks, and itches intensely.

www.gardeners-advice.com wrote:
> just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
> gardens???

More than my wife thinks.

Probably ~$1k or so to get all the material and less than $100/yr to
maintain (additives, replacements, annuals)

Merle O'Broham wrote:

> www.gardeners-advice.com wrote:
>
>>just wondered how much over the years people have spent on there
>>gardens???
>
>
> More than my wife thinks.
>
> Probably ~$1k or so to get all the material and less than $100/yr to
> maintain (additives, replacements, annuals)
>

Sorry for the piggyback. I don't see the OP. This is a somewhat cheap
year for me as far as gardening. I bought enough wood to make four
4'x'4 raised beds. DH thought the garden didn't need expanding from the
5 larger raised beds but I did. The wood was about $60. I've gone
through at least three bags of peat moss, four bags of manure and four
bags of potting soil so that's likely about another $60. This year I'm
using fertilizer so the starting cost was about $20. I'm battling wild
rabbits so bone meal, mothballs, CritterRidder and temporary fencing.
Then there's the bird seed for three feeders, a new watering wand
because the other one split when it froze, batteries for the motion
sprayer, a couple of hanging baskets, at least two flats of flowers so
far, and tons of seeds. I'm redoing the two front flower beds but
haven't bought any vegetation for them yet and the new raised beds need
to be filled then planted. I've only hit the local garden supply not
the larger ones yet but I will this weekend. I think I'm just going to
stop thinking about the money spent. Really, I think I could maintain
for less than $100 if my seeds all co-operated.

Garden Gnome

--

Garden Gnome
http://ca.360.yahoo.com/sfg.oamc
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/garden_wanderings
http://gardengnomewanderings.blogspot.com/

"tenacity" <anonymouswrds [at] yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1148020479.428428.289340 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> ::sigh::
>
> This year?
>
> Hundreds. As in, four or five, and I've lost track. I've stopped
> counting.
> Why? Well, I live in Phx, Az, and the weather is seriously HOT. So I
> buy 8x8 burlap sheets and tie them up for shade [at] 5$ apiece. Also, I
> have bought seed, two watering cans, sisal, scissors, pots, soaker
> hoses, hose attachments, pickaxe, hoe, compost bins...blah blah blah.
> Really, I don't save any money at all - but that's partly because this
> is a new garden. A lot of the tools and supplies I had to buy this
> year
> will be around nexy year, and I'll have seeds and cuttings of my own.
>
> It's well worth it, though - my garden brings me health, education,
> exercise, joy and satisfaction. What else could you ask for?

That's the whole point. It makes you feel better and it is so nice to
watch things grow; it's good for you in so many ways. Iowa has it's
problems, too, but you do what you have to do where you are.

I have another expensive hobby (you can do both on a severe budget if
you have to), photography, but they aren't necessarily mutually
exclusive. You just have to prioritize, try to be patient and not do it
all at once. Sometimes you have to do a lot at once. You can grow
things in AZ that will not flourish here unless you have a hothouse and
vice versa. You probably have to use a lot more water though, but I am
using plenty with new planting even though we've had lot of rain the
past few weeks.

If only I could have some bougainvillea on my new arbors. It wouldn't
look natural here though. Some of it I've seen from pictures seems to
do well low and bushy, hugging the ground. Sigh. I'll be lucky to find
the rose varieties I want and have them grow. I'll be lucky to get the
arbors assembled, painted and installed properly. I will need help.
You can probably do most everything yourself, so count your blessings on
that.

BTW, that doesn't sound like an exorbitant amount you have spent there.
Everything is relative. Funny how it tends to snowball on you. You
think you have plenty, then find yourself making more trips for potting
soil, mulch, and all sorts of odds and ends you didn't plan ahead for
because you didn't know you were going to need/want them.

Good luck with your strategy there. I need burlap for bare spots on the
terrace because grass seed won't take without something to hold it until
it gets established. Not going to bother with that on top of everything
else this year.
>

When fully developed, a garden is cheap to maintain. Unavoidable yearly
expenses:

- 2 bags of seeding mix, about $13.
- impatiens, 2 flats, about $6.
- 1 ton leaves, free
- 3 tons wood chips, free
- 0.5 tons manure, free
- 100 lbs wood ash, free
- 1 bag fertilizer, about $10.
- about 10 seed packets that run out (this year I had to buy new string
beans, kale, daisies, beet, oregano) $15. By now I only buy big
packets, that last multiple years in the freezer, and save a number of
seeds
- water, about $140.

I get about 1000 lbs of vegetables this way, limitless amounts of
herbs, and the flowerbeds are full.

$250.00 for a garden tiller 30 years ago; $20.00 worth of misc.
yard/garden seeds annually for a 15' x 30' garden, plus 3 trellises of
green/wax pole beans Fresh veggies all summer/fall; wife cans 150 pints.
Can't count the labor; I enjoy it. harley

James wrote:

My veggie garden comes to about $50 per pound. ;-)

============

That seems fairly average. We have a northern climate, a
short growing season, and poor soil. Adding up the costs
of materials over the years plus labor costs calculated at a
very modest $8 per hour, I figure that a home grown tomato
costs about $25 and a home grown fig about $100. Probably
much more.