I'm a master gardener – my favorite inexpensive items to spruce up your plants, including a new use for an old bicycle | The Sun

ONE master gardener has warned against buying "cheap" gardening products that won't last — and could cost you more in the long run.

But there are some inexpensive finds she loves that can give your garden a personal touch for only a few bucks.

"I typically don't like using cheap gardening products, because they are not a good investment in the long run," Gingham Gardens founder Joanna VonBergen told The U.S. Sun.

If your cheaply-priced — and cheaply-made — items break, you'll need to replace them every year, racking up costs.

"That being said, if you're okay with something only lasting one season, go for cheap."

But that doesn't mean everything needs to cost a fortune.

"However, my favorite garden decor items are vintage things I find at flea markets that can be upcycled for use in the garden," she said.

Examples include using an antique milk can as a planter or vintage chairs in your garden with flowers on the seat.

"Old wheelbarrows make excellent planters," she added.

Perhaps one of her most whimsical ideas is setting up an old bicycle in your garden, using the basket to hold flowers and other plants.

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Whatever you choose, VonBergen warns against getting "overzealous" in the spring and planting "a huge garden that is hard to maintain in the heat of summer."

When weeds inevitably take over, "many will give up and say they have a 'black thumb,' which really has nothing at all to do with their ability to garden."

You also don't want to start cleaning up too early or trying bad TikTok hacks.

"There are so many social media tricks and/or hacks that are really bad advice," she warned.

"I especially dislike homemade pest control remedies, or remedies to control weeds.

"They are often touted as "organic" when they aren't organic at all and they don't work, or they wreak havoc on your soil and environment."

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