A garden budget can disappear surprisingly fast. A few seed packets here, a bag of potting mix there, then suddenly a perfectly innocent trip to the garden center has turned into a receipt that deserves its own zip code. Fall gardening does not have to work that way, though, because the garden already contains plenty of resources worth using again.
The trick involves treating the end of summer less like the closing credits and more like a changeover between acts. Existing plants can provide seeds, kitchen scraps can become compost, summer crops can make room for cool-season vegetables, and containers can get a second job. With a little planning, the same handful of supplies can carry a garden much farther than expected.
