| Category | Total Spent |
|---|---|
| Seed Starting | $262.00 |
| Soil | $224.72 |
| Irrigation | $240.14 |
| Structure | $156.85 |
| Harvesting | $119.17 |
| Floral | $145.96 |
| Education | $3,832.00 |
| Total | $4,980.84 |
Key takeaway:
The biggest non-plant expense was education. The most useful practical categories were seed starting, irrigation, support, and harvesting tools because those directly improved the growing system.
This view helps separate true one-time learning costs from reusable supplies and recurring garden inputs.
| Type | Total |
|---|---|
| One-time | $3,987.10 |
| Reusable | $553.89 |
| Semi-recurring | $119.72 |
| Recurring | $97.00 |
| Discarded | $82.17 |
| Partial recurring | $80.96 |
| Occasional | $60.00 |
| Returned | $0.00 |
This view helps separate true one-time learning costs from reusable supplies and recurring garden inputs.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temu All-in-One Tray | 16-cell tray with dome + light | $35.00 | One-time | Beginner setup not ideal |
| Ultra-Thin Grow Lights | Under-shelf LED lights | $45.00 | Reusable | Timer limitation (3/9/12 hrs only) |
| RooTrimmer Pots (90 pcs) | 3–3.5 inch pots | $35.00 | Reusable | Difficult transition stage |
| Bootstrap Farmer 1020 Trays | Propagation trays (10 pack) | $50.00 | Reusable | Good but not compatible with Winstrip |
| Old Potters Germination Mix | Peat + perlite + vermiculite mix | $52.00 | Recurring | Solved damping off issues |
| Soil Sifter Set | Bucket sifter set | $20.00 | Reusable | Improves soil consistency |
| Humidity Domes (10 pack) | Seed tray covers | $25.00 | Reusable | Helpful for germination |
| Seed Starting Total | $262.00 | |||
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coarse Vermiculite | 4 cubic ft bag | $69.72 | Semi-recurring | Improves aeration |
| Perlite (Bulk) | Large bag | $50.00 | Semi-recurring | Drainage improvement |
| Worm Castings | Organic fertilizer | $20.00 | Recurring | Soil biology support |
| Biochar/Humic Products | Soil amendment | $60.00 | Occasional | Optional enhancement |
| Soil Revitalizer Liquid | Humic acid product | $25.00 | Recurring | Supplemental |
| Soil Total | $224.72 | |||
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Drip Watering Stakes | 4-pack watering spikes | $120.10 | One-time | Useful for peonies |
| Blumat System | Bottle adapter watering system | $120.04 | Reusable | Best simple solution |
| Hose Adapters (Brass) | Hose connectors | $0.00 | Returned | Did not work |
| Irrigation Total | $240.14 | |||
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATICCA Trellis Netting | 5×750 ft netting | $82.17 | Discarded | Not practical for home garden |
| Bamboo Stakes (50 pcs) | 3 ft plant stakes | $42.68 | Reusable | Best support option |
| Plant Support Cages | Peony cages | $0.00 | Returned | Not sturdy |
| Soft Plant Ties | YDSL ties | $20.00 | Reusable | Good for support + floral use |
| Garden Twine (656 ft) | Green twine roll | $12.00 | Reusable | Dual-purpose tool |
| Structure Total | $156.85 | |||
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimura Pruning Scissors | Professional snips | $47.97 | Reusable | Primary harvesting tool |
| Hori Hori Knife | Garden knife | $71.20 | Reusable | Essential for digging/dividing |
| Harvesting Total | $119.17 | |||
This section tracks floral design supplies. These are useful for arranging and conditioning flowers, but I can simplify this category in the future.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimura Pruning Scissors | Professional snips | $47.97 | Reusable | Primary harvesting tool |
| Hori Hori Knife | Garden knife | $71.20 | Reusable | Essential for digging/dividing |
| Harvesting Total | $119.17 | |||
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books (All) | Flower growing + design books | $125.00 | One-time | Mixed usefulness |
| Floral Coach Course | Color + design training | $694.00 | One-time | High value |
| Gardener's Workshop | Business + growing system | $1,290.00 | One-time | Most practical growing course |
| Harmony Harvest (Mums) | Mum production course | $125.00 | One-time | Short but useful |
| Floret Workshop | Flower arranging course | $1,598.00 | One-time | Highest design impact |
| Education Total | $3,832.00 | |||
| Category | Year 1 Actual | Year 2 Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Seed Starting | $262.00 | Lower — reuse trays, lights, domes, and pots; only replace mix as needed. |
| Soil | $224.72 | Lower to moderate — replenish only amendments that were actually useful. |
| Irrigation | $240.14 | Lower — continue using Blumat and avoid complicated systems. |
| Structure | $156.85 | Lower — reuse bamboo stakes, ties, and twine; avoid impractical trellis systems. |
| Harvesting | $119.17 | Minimal — tools should carry over. |
| Floral | $145.96 | Lower — simplify conditioning products and reuse mechanics/tools. |
| Education | $3,832.00 | Much lower — focus on applying what I already bought. |
This is my first-year record of the non-plant purchases behind the garden: seed-starting supplies, soil amendments, irrigation, plant supports, harvesting tools, floral supplies, and education. I am keeping this as both a souvenir of the first season and a practical reference for what to repeat, simplify, or avoid next year.
$3,832.00
Year 1 RecordFuture TrackingYear 1 vs Year 2 Comparison
If I only look at the summary, this is what I need to remember: the garden itself was not the only expense. The real first-year cost came from building the system around the plants. Some purchases were one-time investments, some were reusable, some were recurring, and a few were simply first-year mistakes.
| Category | Total Spent |
|---|---|
| Seed Starting | $262.00 |
| Soil | $224.72 |
| Irrigation | $240.14 |
| Structure | $156.85 |
| Harvesting | $119.17 |
| Floral | $145.96 |
| Education | $3,832.00 |
| Total | $4,980.84 |
This view helps separate true one-time learning costs from reusable supplies and recurring garden inputs.
| Type | Total |
|---|---|
| One-time | $3,987.10 |
| Reusable | $553.89 |
| Semi-recurring | $119.72 |
| Recurring | $97.00 |
| Discarded | $82.17 |
| Partial recurring | $80.96 |
| Occasional | $60.00 |
| Returned | $0.00 |
This section records the early seed-starting equipment I bought while figuring out what worked. Some items helped, but several were part of the first-year trial-and-error stage.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temu All-in-One Tray | 16-cell tray with dome + light | $35.00 | One-time | Beginner setup not ideal |
| Ultra-Thin Grow Lights | Under-shelf LED lights | $45.00 | Reusable | Timer limitation (3/9/12 hrs only) |
| RooTrimmer Pots (90 pcs) | 3–3.5 inch pots | $35.00 | Reusable | Difficult transition stage |
| Bootstrap Farmer 1020 Trays | Propagation trays (10 pack) | $50.00 | Reusable | Good but not compatible with Winstrip |
| Old Potters Germination Mix | Peat + perlite + vermiculite mix | $52.00 | Recurring | Solved damping off issues |
| Soil Sifter Set | Bucket sifter set | $20.00 | Reusable | Improves soil consistency |
| Humidity Domes (10 pack) | Seed tray covers | $25.00 | Reusable | Helpful for germination |
| Seed Starting Total | $262.00 | |||
This section tracks soil amendments and bulk inputs. These were not all mistakes, but they helped me understand what materials were actually useful and what was optional.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coarse Vermiculite | 4 cubic ft bag | $69.72 | Semi-recurring | Improves aeration |
| Perlite (Bulk) | Large bag | $50.00 | Semi-recurring | Drainage improvement |
| Worm Castings | Organic fertilizer | $20.00 | Recurring | Soil biology support |
| Biochar/Humic Products | Soil amendment | $60.00 | Occasional | Optional enhancement |
| Soil Revitalizer Liquid | Humic acid product | $25.00 | Recurring | Supplemental |
| Soil Total | $224.72 | |||
This section tracks watering systems. The biggest lesson here was that simple watering systems were easier to maintain than complicated irrigation setups.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Drip Watering Stakes | 4-pack watering spikes | $120.10 | One-time | Useful for peonies |
| Blumat System | Bottle adapter watering system | $120.04 | Reusable | Best simple solution |
| Hose Adapters (Brass) | Hose connectors | $0.00 | Returned | Did not work |
| Irrigation Total | $240.14 | |||
This section tracks support materials for plants. Some items were reusable and helpful, while others were not practical for my home garden setup.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATICCA Trellis Netting | 5×750 ft netting | $82.17 | Discarded | Not practical for home garden |
| Bamboo Stakes (50 pcs) | 3 ft plant stakes | $42.68 | Reusable | Best support option |
| Plant Support Cages | Peony cages | $0.00 | Returned | Not sturdy |
| Soft Plant Ties | YDSL ties | $20.00 | Reusable | Good for support + floral use |
| Garden Twine (656 ft) | Green twine roll | $12.00 | Reusable | Dual-purpose tool |
| Structure Total | $156.85 | |||
This section tracks tools used for cutting, digging, dividing, and harvesting. These purchases are more like long-term tools than yearly expenses.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimura Pruning Scissors | Professional snips | $47.97 | Reusable | Primary harvesting tool |
| Hori Hori Knife | Garden knife | $71.20 | Reusable | Essential for digging/dividing |
| Harvesting Total | $119.17 | |||
This section tracks floral design supplies. These are useful for arranging and conditioning flowers, but I can simplify this category in the future.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrysal Full System | Conditioning + hydration products | $80.96 | Partial recurring | Can simplify to 2 items |
| Compote Vase | Ceramic vase | $25.00 | Reusable | Foundation piece |
| Floral Cage | Pillow mechanic | $20.00 | Reusable | Foam alternative |
| Floral Pins | Securing pins | $8.00 | Reusable | Used with cage |
| Floral Knife | Stem cutting knife | $12.00 | Reusable | Professional tool |
| Floral Total | $145.96 | |||
This section tracks books and courses. This was the largest non-plant expense, but it also shaped the system I am building for future seasons.
| Item | Description | Cost | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Books (All) | Flower growing + design books | $125.00 | One-time | Mixed usefulness |
| Floral Coach Course | Color + design training | $694.00 | One-time | High value |
| Gardener’s Workshop | Business + growing system | $1,290.00 | One-time | Most practical growing course |
| Harmony Harvest (Mums) | Mum production course | $125.00 | One-time | Short but useful |
| Floret Workshop | Flower arranging course | $1,598.00 | One-time | Highest design impact |
| Education Total | $3,832.00 | |||
This table is the reason I want to keep this record. Year 1 was about building the system and figuring out what I actually use. Year 2 should be much cleaner because I already know what can be reused, what needs to be replenished, and what should not be purchased again.
| Category | Year 1 Actual | Year 2 Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Seed Starting | $262.00 | Lower — reuse trays, lights, domes, and pots; only replace mix as needed. |
| Soil | $224.72 | Lower to moderate — replenish only amendments that were actually useful. |
| Irrigation | $240.14 | Lower — continue using Blumat and avoid complicated systems. |
| Structure | $156.85 | Lower — reuse bamboo stakes, ties, and twine; avoid impractical trellis systems. |
| Harvesting | $119.17 | Minimal — tools should carry over. |
| Floral | $145.96 | Lower — simplify conditioning products and reuse mechanics/tools. |
| Education | $3,832.00 | Much lower — focus on applying what I already bought. |
This record is not just about what I spent. It shows the cost of building a first-year growing system from scratch. Next year, the goal is not to buy more. The goal is to reuse what worked, simplify what was too complicated, and make better decisions from the record I already have.
