Though I had success with my balcony garden and houseplants, it was time to up my gardening game. In the Spring of 2018, my partner and I purchased an off-grid cabin and plot of land – a planter’s paradise. I had a fresh, blank canvas to work from!

Still pretty new to gardening but an avid plant lover, I made my first mistake. I went out and bought a plethora of plants, without a plan.

Hot tip: Learn from me. Map out your garden design plan before getting too excited and purchasing all the plants.

Instead of planning my new garden, I purchased about 20 ornamental plants – lilac trees to irises and hydrangeas to juniper bushes. The plants I bought were not necessarily native to the area (more on native plants later). Needless to say, while some of my new seedlings rooted, many did not. Another tip for gardeners looking to save money on plants – attend gardening events in your community to grow your seed collection, save seeds from prior years to share with others and propagate cuttings from your gardener friends. I’ve learned that the gardening community is the most generous community. Everyone wants each other to succeed!