Free Gardening & Landscaping Resources

Free gardening and landscaping resources can help you obtain food or yard decor. This page will list any free resources for gardening and landscaping as they are discovered. For gardening you need know how, space, soil, tools, seeds, and other materials. It is arguable whether gardening is cheaper than buying food. If you can get free gardening resources then it will certainly be cheaper, unless you’re using other freebie strategies to get food, such as coupons. See also Free Food. However, gardening usually produces healthier food than what you can buy in regular grocery stores.

Free Gardening Education

Federal & State Departments of Agriculture will assign Extension Agents to local schools and universities. These agents will educate and assist the public on local agriculture practices. Try doing a Google search for “local extension agent” or “county agent” to find an agent near you.

Home stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot have free workshops that are open to the public. See Free Classes From Local Businesses.

See Web Freebies: Free Education: DIY to find gardening education resources online.

Gardening Space

Depending on where you live, you may or may not be able to get free space to plant a garden. Obviously, if you own property then space will not be an issue for you. If you rent an apartment in a suburban or rural area then you can possibly find a neighbor who will share space with you. It would be especially easy to get the space if you trade some of your crops with them. That would be an equitable trade.

In an urban area you could possibly get space on the roof of your building or even in a pot or planter on your patio.

If you are not able to obtain free space, then it may be worth it to participate in a community garden where the fees are minimal.

Free Tools For Gardening & Landscaping

If there is a tool library near you then they will likely have tools for gardening. One of the purposes of tool libraries is to support self-sufficiency in the community, and gardening is one of the ways to do that. Read more about library freebies.

There are other community freebie strategies where you could possibly get tools, such as Craigslist, Dumpster Diving, Yard Sale Leftovers, and Retail Leftovers. However, tools are one of the least likely items you’ll find. They are among the most sought-after used items. As with any other used item that is given away, your options will be expanded as you learn repair skills.

On an even rarer occasion you might be able to get free tools as part of a commercial promotion, such as sweepstakes or rebates.

Free Soil For Gardening & Landscaping

Soil could be a mixture of multiple different ingredients.

For fill dirt, go to a construction site where they are digging a hole for a basement. Talk to the person in charge to see if you can have some of the dirt for free. They may even be grateful that you are taking it off their hands. Also keep an eye out on Craigslist.

For saw dust to mix in with the soil, go to Lowe’s, Home Depot, or any lumbar yard where they custom cut wood for customers. Ask if you can take the saw dust around the saw, they may even be glad you’re taking it.

For fertilizer, go to a zoo, ranch, circus or any place with animals or contact an extension agent in your county. Ask if you can take their animal droppings.

Some farmers and gardeners like to add human hair to their soil. It adds nutrients and acts as a natural pesticide. Go to any barber shop or salon to get human hair clippings.

Keep a compost with plant clippings and food scraps to add additional nutrients to your soil. This is not necessarily free since you’re using resources you already had but it is a great way to conserve and maximize your resources.

Free Seeds, Plants & Other Materials

Plants are given away frequently on sites like Craigslist. This could include many types of trees, bushes or other plants.

Seeds from old or rotting fruit can still be fertile. There are multiple ways to collect free fruit, and it would be even easier to collect it if it were old or rotting. The tree keeper would even be glad you’re helping them clear out some trash. See Free Food.

Free seeds are often given away on Earth Day. See other Best Days Of The Year For Freebies.

For free sod, get day-old sod for free at Lowe’s or Home Depot (depends on the manager of the branch). It’s usually redeemable and just needs good watering when you lay it down. Day-old sod is similar to other products with an expiration date. When products don’t sell by their expiration date, they are either thrown away or given away. Read more on Dumpster Diving and Local Retail Leftovers.

Landscaping, such as pavers, bricks and other hardscape materials are also commonly given away on Craigslist and similar sites.