Looking for inspiration

[Tiam]

I don't really have much money. My back yard has become quite overgrown. I can't afford to hire anybody to work on it. And it has out of control bamboo growing back there. Well, I know how to weed, and I know the bamboo is never going to be conquered, but I can push it back. But, my question is, if you are challenged by cash and materials (wood, extra tools etc) and you have a huge mess. What would you try with? What would you do? I have cleared large sections of the back, surrounded by the encroaching bamboo. I'm handpulling hundreds of weeds, raking, making a burn and a compost pile. I've decided the back will mostly be vegetables with flowers mixed in, so I can grow those and keep battling the bamboo. I've got a huge black tarp over the dirt driveway to kill the weeds. I'm knee deep in blackberries that are vicious, but diligently clipping them into manageable pieces to burn. My question is, what kind of things work well in such a situation? What can you do or make to make things better?
I've built a tall trellis with the bamboo poles and am planting sunflowers behind them. These are for peas and string beans. I've made a small border of rocks. It just seems so overwhelming and weedy and ugly. What kind of frugal things have people used to redesign their outdoor areas.

[gardenlover]

Hi Tiam,Im in Perth Australia my climate is different to yours, but for weeds I've found a thick layer of newspaper then a layer of straw or if you cant afford straw, leaves and lawn clippings work well at stopping the weeds reappearing.
As for land scaping I get a picture in my head of how I want it to look and then keep an eye out for materials when we have a verge throw out. I have done the garden using thrown out bricks and wooden logs using these as borders and raised garden beds also laying paths with thrown out bricks and slabs. Home building sites are a treasure trove for thrown out materials.
I have also found garage sales to be great for finding cheap furniture and unusual decorative pieces to put in and around the garden. Let your creativity soar.
I hope this is a little helpful.

[SRP]

I'd say a whole lot of elbow grease is your best ally, and it sounds like you have plenty of that! I don't have any nifty tips, really. I live in the southern US, with long, hot, humid summers and a very long growing season. I also live out in the boonies, and over the years I have carved my yard and garden out of an old cow pasture and adjoining woods.

I just took it one step at a time. I focused on one project/area, and when I got it looking like what I wanted, I moved onto the next. That may have taken one season, or several years. In the meantime, I just kept the rest of it sort of trimmed back and as neat as possible.

That sounds pretty much like what you're doing. Sure, it takes time, but it's worth it. I'm really happy with the way my place looks now. I had fun with all the work, but now it's just as enjoyable to sit back and know that it's DONE. Ahh.

So keep up the good work, Tiam, and don't lose hope!

[puglogic]

With bamboo, you have such a double-edged sword - can be so pretty, but so invasive (certain species). I am thinking, initially, that you will have to become the queen of mulch. Holding the bamboo back with a multi-layer mulch, for example black plastic covered by a thick newspaper/cardboard layer covered by four inches of wood chips, and/or if anyone is getting rid of some kind of flexible heavy plastic material you could cut into deep edging to keep the invaders in their place. Oftentimes, great garden weapons can be obtained for free on Freecycle or Craigslist, and you just need some way of transporting it -- like big rubbermaid containers, garbage can, strong bags, etc.

Scrap lumber is often easy to get, and you can build a series of raised beds with it, one a year until you've had enough :) Keep the faith, keep fighting, and claim your space one piece at a time.

[jania]

Bamboo can certainly be a pain but it sounds like something you will be living with so how about considering it a great backdrop for a comfortable sitting area? Consider even letting the outer edges grow a little so you create the feeling of a room. I think it is a good choice to use the bamboo you have for building materials, ie: the trellis. I use a lot of bamboo on my raised beds to keep the feral cats out.

With so many things going on (the bamboo, general weeds and blackberries) you just have to be patient but persistent. I am probably pulling weeds every day but just make it part of walking out to the trash or getting the mail. Try not to feel overwhelmed and recognize and enjoy your progress.

I always keep a lookout in the alley and have been amazed at what people toss. By keeping my eyes open I have found simple wooden chairs and three wooden tables that I have painted or stained and put to good use out in the yard. Good luck and thanks for tugging me out of my lurking mode!

[peggy]

These are all good suggestions. I just wanted to add don't forget the library. It's your best friend for inspiration and it's free!. No need to buy expensive garden books.

[mattj]

I use cardboard and straw to mulch over weedy areas... I pull as much of the weeds as I can first. I'll second the free section on craigslist as a great resource... I got a dozen or so old storm windows that, combined w/ a few straw bales, makes a great cold frame. Pallets are usually free, four can be tied together to make a great compost bin. If you don't have enough cardboard just show up early at the grocery and take all the empty boxes the stockers have piled up. Also, I like to alternate between ugly clean-up jobs and more fun, inspiring pursuits (like installing a hammock!) to stay motivated.

[redfox]

Tiam, Google sheet mulching - pretty much the cardboard and/or newspaper solutions described above. Add to this searching on Craigslist for free wood chips delivered. I've gotten several yards delivered from tree trimmers who just want to dump their chips, so I gladly take them and use them on top of layers of cardboard to mulch out grassy areas I want to plant, on paths, in the garden beds, etc. Just be careful what kinds of chips to get. NEVER get black walnut - it's allelopathic, which means it has chemicals in it that suppresses seed germination, for a very, very long time. Sunflowers do this too.

What region of the country are you in? Permaculturists are a great bunch for gardening suggestions, as are members of the Urban Homestead movement.

[Jemima]

Building sites are a great idea for discarded materials. Scavenging for chunks of broken concrete has become so popular among the frugal set that there's even a name for the stuff: "urbanite".

Try Amazon.com for books on landscaping and gardening and take look at the ones with the "Look Inside!" icon. I found one the other day that has great ideas for vertical gardening, so great that I will likely buy it. (Our library is not at all convenient to my house, but you may be luckier.)

Also try "The Dollar Stretcher" website for gardening and landscaping ideas that are cheap or free: http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm . I subscribe to their weekly e-newsletter, also free, and have gotten lots of great, frugal tips such as using vinegar as a weed-killer. It's far cheaper and less damaging than Roundup, plus I'm not supporting the infamous Monsanto. To be really cheap, you could probably let leftover wine spoil and use that.

I envy your bamboo problem. I'd be making trellises, arbors, bean teepees, and plant stakes like crazy, maybe even selling them. My lot is tiny, so I have to think "up" for many plants. Right now I'm coveting a fan trellis for a grapevine I just got on sale.

[slackercruster]

Cut down, burn ground or if your not in a hurry cover with black plastic. till it up. When you get back to dirt plant food and fruit trees.

[Tenngal]

a couple of the things my Dad used as weedkiller was kerosene or boiling water, he was super stingy and kerosene was much cheaper at the time.....think he also used salt.

[rosarugosa]

Befriend some folks who have been gardening for a long time (perhaps via a local garden club). We are generally happy to share. If you were my neighbor, I could give you divisions and seedlings of about twenty different types of perennials, and I would delight in doing so, because gardening is one of my passions! And perennials are very frugal because they come back every year. In the spring, people are always asking me if I've done my planting yet. But I honestly don't plant much other than a small veggie bed and a few containers. I have so many perennials that just come up by themselves. My garden would chug along just fine at this point if I never planted another thing and just maintained what I have.
I would also echo the suggestion to work on one small area at a time. One of the most common errors I see is when someone takes a fairly large bed and plants a six-pack of marigolds, or some other annual. It just looks pathetic. If all you have is a six-pack of annuals, you should plant them in a pretty tiny area, or in a couple of pots.