How to start a backyard garden (using very little money)

Winner, would you like to start a backyard garden?

If you do, you’re in luck. Because in this post, I share with you exactly how to do it.

I’m definitely not an expert at backyard gardening (Disclaimer). But approximately 2 years ago I started a backyard garden. And it’s going strong to this day.

The truth is, gardening can be learned. Anybody can learn gardening. Yes, you can learn gardening. I did the same.

Farming is a big part of my rural life here in Sub-Saharan Africa.

And while I can’t say gardening comes naturally to me, I can say that it doesn’t really take that much intelligence to put a seed into the ground, cover it with soil, water it, give it some sunlight. And then watch it grow into a plant that gives you a harvest 2 to 3 months from planting.

Winner, just like with everything else good in life, backyard gardening takes passion, time, a lot of trial and error, and patience, amongst other things.

But it’s all worth it.

In fact, these 15 great reasons why you should grow your own food basically point to you taking complete control of your life. Essentially by saving you money, and giving you access to a healthy diet.

Which is why growing your own food is also one of these 130 frugal living tips you need to start start now.

But how do you start a backyard garden?

It’s easy with these:

10 steps to start a backyard garden

Step #1: Determine which foods you want to grow

You have a wide variety of foods to choose from. So, this step is where you get to exercise your preference.

In my backyard garden I grow maize, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, peanuts, beetroots, carrots, okra, leafy greens, bell peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, squash, and watermelons. (I’m going all out, right?)

I intend to add more foods as time goes on.

And you know how much money it would cost you to complete this step? $0.

Step #2: Educate yourself about each food

This might sound intimidating, but it’s really not.

Because you don’t have to open up the huge textbooks with all the footnotes. No.

If you have internet access (like I do. And most likely you do, too), then you can google each food.

Even better (and more entertaining), just search for YouTube videos.

Or do it the old-fashioned way: ask around.

There’ll definitely be farmers around you. And they’ll gladly share information with you, if you ask politely. (Who doesn’t like to feel like an expert?)

Now brace yourself for how much money this step should cost you. $0. Or no more than what you already pay for your internet (if you’re researching on the internet).

Step #3: Find a sunlit spot

As you conduct your research, you’ll learn that some foods perform best in full sun. Some can do part shade, and so on.

But if your head is about to explode with all that information (mine did), just know this:

You need to find a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday. And any kind of food will thrive in that spot.

Luckily, finding such a spot is not a problem for me here in my rural village where we have huge yards, and no tall buildings to create shades.

What about you, Winner? Can you find such a spot, too? Because if you can, you’re good to go.

And who says your gardening space has to look boring? Pinterest has amazing backyard garden ideas to inspire you.

But even if you live in a small space, you can still use your balcony and/or window sills.

Or use LED grow lights.

Step #4: Find good soil

If you don’t already have good soil in your garden, you can either:

Or both.

This step will depend heavily on your budget.

For example: for some weird reason, the soil in my backyard is just not supportive of plants.

But my budget is just too tight to afford store-bought soil or fertilizers.

So, what do I do instead?

But if you can’t get good soil free of charge, then you can still buy it for cheap at any farmers’store.

For example, Amazon has great potting soils for under $20. That’s $20 to last you years. It’s a worthwhile investment.

Step #5: Gather your seeds

In my part of the world, you can get a sachet of seeds for about $2. And that sachet can easily last you more than a year.

And seeds are readily available in many stores, including almost all grocery stores.

So, 1 sachet of each of your desired foods is more than enough to get you started.

Winner, for foods that contain seeds inside, you don’t even need to spend money on these seeds.

Instead, just buy the food, collect the seeds as you prepare the food for cooking.

And then prepare the seeds for planting.

Doing this will significantly reduce your seed costs.

I never spend money on seeds for tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, okra, beans, peanuts, watermelons, squash, eggplant.

Step #6: Gather your tools

A watering can, digging fork, spade, rake, hand trowel, garden net, are some of the tools you’ll need when you start a backyard garden.

With a garden net, it really depends on what you’re growing. Where you’re growing it. And when you’re growing it.

For example: pests like birds and rats love the tenderness of spinach leaves. Growing it during the drier months when the wild vegetation around your garden is dry might require you to put a net over your spinach. Versus the wetter months when the wild vegetation is plentiful because then pests have plenty of other food sources.

So, if you’re tight for money, you can skip the net and follow the guideline above. Or even better DIY your garden net.

I spent $10 at a hardware store for a 16 feet garden net. You can probably even get it for cheaper at a farmers’ store.

You don’t have to buy all the tools.

Instead, you can borrow/rent some if not all of them.

Or even better DIY.

Step #7: Supplement your gardening space with containers

This works best if you have a small space to begin with.

Adding containers to your garden can really change the game for you.

Because containers maximize your space and give you a chance to grow as many foods as you like.

You just need to be creative about the placement of your containers.

Winner, you don’t need to spend a dime on containers.

Instead, there’re literally thousands of containers around you to choose from, either from your house or any trash can you find.

Recycle every sizeable container you can find.

Cost of containers: $0.

Step #8: Establish a continuous water source

If you have a constant water supply you can take this step for granted because, duh, who doesn’t have water?

But you’ll be surprised to know that running water is a luxury for many people, especially in my part of the world.

That’s why you have to ensure that you’ll have plenty of water before you start a backyard garden.

Which is why most people here do most of their backyard gardening during the rainy months.

This way they get their plants watered free of charge. And also collect the rain water for later use.

But even if you have a steady supply of water, for example, from your running tap,

ALWAYS use water sparingly because it’s still a scarce resource.

Strive to lower your water costs as much as possible by recycling water. And collecting rain water.

You shouldn’t pay all that much different from what you’ve been paying before you had a garden.

And if you collect rain water, you can pay even less. Because now you use your rain water for both gardening and other home uses.

Step #9: Secure your backyard garden

I know I already talked about a garden net.

But it’s expensive to cover every inch of your garden with a net.

So, what do you do instead?

You can invest in inexpensive strategies like planting pungent-smelling plants round the parameters of your garden to keep rodents away, eg onions, mint.

Also, having a fence around your garden helps to keep larger pests away.

Or you can also use scarecrows (They still work for the most part. But some birds have discovered they are a farce. And can actually perch on your scarecrow while they wipe out your harvest).

Step #10: Begin gardening

You can easily think this step goes without saying. But you’ll be surprised how many people actually gather everything they need, only to never start gardening.

So, this is the time to try your hand to see what works and what doesn’t.

There’ll be times when you’ll lose a handful of seeds that for some reason never shoot out of the ground, even though all the conditions were seemingly conducive.

Other times, they’ll shoot out only to be eaten by some worm you never knew about.

This is the time for trial and error. So, do allow for some time. And most importantly, enjoy this learning process.

Final word on how to start a backyard garden

Backyard gardening can give you control over your life by saving you money and giving you access to a healthy diet. Starting a backyard garden is relatively easy, given time, and patience as you experiment with what works and what doesn’t.

I hope the steps above will help you start a backyard garden.

Please remember to share your feedback with us by commenting below:

Winner, by sharing your feedback, you can inspire another Winner out there to also start their own backyard garden. So they can also take control of their lives.

Last but not least, remember that it’s your journey. So, there’s no rush. No right or wrong. Only progress.

Also, remember that in everything you do, you’re a Winner. And in everything that happens, your life is always win!