The Shoestring Gardener is an ebook full of tips for gardening on a budget. And, boy, let me tell you, this thing is packed. Over 300 pages are full of tips, information, and instruction for starting seeds, propagating plants, composting, fighting pests, and more.  (It’s also full of whimsical full-color borders and illustrations.)

A woman after my own heart, Claudia Brownlie has extensively “indexed” this ebook. The clickable table of contents will quickly take you to whatever you’re looking for, making it a ready reference, whatever your current garden need.

Learn which supermarket produce you can readily propagate, which doesn’t work so well, and which is a bit a of a gamble. Learn the best methods for propagating each one. Learn how to start seeds – including which inexpensive containers to start them in – and how to shop for plants. Get tips for growing vegetables indoors, ideas for cold frames to extend the season, and help for “vertical gardening” to make the most of your space. And that’s just the first chapter! There are six others.

Chapter two is all about recycling items for use in the garden. There are ideas for items than can be altered or employed as tools, garden “furniture” (like potting benches), and other supplies. I think this is probably the shortest chapter, but there’s still a lot here – and it’s one of the most important to frugal gardening.

In chapter three, we learn about compost and other soil amendments. Even if you’ve never heard of composting before, you can do it after reading this section. The author describes four basic composting methods, tells you how to balance your compost, and describes items that fall into each compost category. Compost bins are described, “lazy” methods are offered, and questions are answered. There’s even a section here for apartment dwellers.

It then suggests sources of free mulch, provides homemade potting soil recipes, tells you how to sterilize your potting soil, and tells you where to find cheap fill dirt.

On to chapter four, which is all about DIY projects. Make a birdbath. Build a simple wheelbarrow and/or garden cart. Make a rain chain. (I’d never even heard of these before!) Create a decorative walkway. The instructions are all here, and they’re all very realistic for the average home gardener.

Chapter five contains safe, eco-friendly solutions to pests (large and small) and weeds. There are “extras” here, too, though, such as hand cleaners and fertilizer mixes.

Chapter six offers numerous options for plant supports: trellises, cages, stakes. It also provides suggestions for markers. Plant displays and containers are touched on, and here we also learn about rain barrels.

Chapter seven is the catch-all chapter, containing all sorts of garden-related miscellany that didn’t fit neatly into any of the first six chapters. Did you want to know where to find inexpensive plants, grow new plants from cuttings, or protect young seedlings? Do you need to quickly make a raised bed? Improve drainage? Line hanging baskets? Do you want to know where to find free gardening supplies? This is your chapter.

Really, this book is just jam-packed – it’s a great resource.

Interested?  Click here to buy it now.

Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of the ebook to facilitate my review.  As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.