By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

As people around the world mark Earth Day by volunteering to pick up trash or plant trees, many look for ways to continue in that spirit long after April 22. One option is to try composting, which recycles food waste that would otherwise end up in the trash and has the added benefit of being an economical way to get excellent fertilizer. As the Environmental Protection Agency explains, it can be as simple as piling up compostable material in your yard, but that method may take up to two years to yield usable compost. For less than $50, a compost bin can help speed up the process, keep animals at bay, and keep your space a little neater.

The Redmon Green Culture compost bin is our top outdoor choice.

Related: Our cheap hybrid cars buying guide

Cheapism.com has researched two different kinds of compost bins for frugal-minded gardeners. Two of the recommendations are kitchen pails for storing compostable (and potentially smelly) food scraps for transportation outside later. The other two live outdoors and

Monday is Earth Day and as we all take a moment to think about what we can do to help sustain our planet, it's nice to know that some of our favorite movie stars are also thinking about it. Some of them are actually thinking about saving the planet more than you realize.Take a look at this list of 7 of our favorite eco-friendly celebrities and you might be surprised what big stars are doing behind the scenes for the betterment of all mankind and planet earth. - By Dresden Shumaker

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Start your garden:
Your get-started guide
No-fail spring planting
Garden border ideas

Thomas J. Story
Put the right plant in the right place
Add low-water-use plants. Group plants with similar water needs, so nothing gets over- or under-watered. For what works in your region, use the Sunset Western Garden Book, the Sunset Plant Finder, and our plant list.

E. Spencer Toy
Water efficiently
Irrigate deeply and infrequently, then allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings. Water early in the morning, when the air is calm and temperatures are cool. If you have sloping ground or clay soil, water more often but for less time to minimize runoff.

Norm Plate
Shrink the lawn
Across the West, lawns are the number-one consumer of residential water outdoors. Reducing their size, restricting them to spaces where you actually need them (like kids' play areas), or eliminating them altogether are the most effective ways to reduce your own outdoor water use.

E. Spencer Toy
Mulch, mulch, mulch
Organic mulches (ground bark, wood chips, compost)

We know that our little ones love helping. We know that they are usually picky eaters. Almost every avid gardener I know attributes their love for growing things to fond memories of digging in their mom's or grandma's garden. Which is how it's supposed to be. A passion for growing our own food is something that indeed is passed down generationally. It can be fun and I guarantee your toddlers will love it. They'll love growing it, learning, helping and most of all; eating the fruits of their labor! Every gardening parent I've spoken to, testifies that their kids are way less picky eaters and go for the fresh stuff. Click through for 7 tips for gardening with a toddler! -By Selena Mae

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Try these ten tips for 1. Post-it Notes: While these little guys are great for leaving yourself reminders, they're pretty wasteful. Even worse, they're rarely recycled (yes Post-its can be recycled!). By cutting your Post-it use by four packs a year, you can save almost a third of a pound of paper.

2. Drinking Straws: Plastic straws, though small, make trash that's completely unnecessary, and every ounce of trash created by a straw is entirely avoidable. By eliminating five straws a week you can keep more than one third of a pound of unwanted waste out of our landfills.

3. Paper Mail: Though e-mail has rendered snail mail almost obsolete, a lot of companies still mail out paper bills and advertisements. Eliminate one piece of mail a week by either switching to online billpay or removing yourself from a mailing list or two and in one year reduce your paper use by 1.15 lbs.

4. Zippered Sandwich Bags: Packing a lunch today? Then chances are you used at least one

I'm pretty excited for the various things we will be planting this year. Living in an apartment, we don't really have a huge yard we can use for gardening, but we have plenty of room for planters! They brighten our space right up, freshen the air, and give me something green to put my energy into. From flowers to herbs, there are so many different types of plants that just love being indoors. Some will grow wonderfully inside only with careful care and attention, while many others require hardly any hand-holding at all. Whatever you go for, these creative and beautiful pots will keep your place looking wonderful - green shoots or not. Click through for 7 awesome planters for spring! -By Liz Stanley

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Container gardens are great to have for many reasons - they are easy to move around, don't require a ton of sun, and can be just the right size for a small space. You can grow plump tomatoes on your balcony and colorful flowers on your porch. And, because of the small size, these are perfect for people that are in apartments and don't necessarily have an abundance of green space to utilize. Learn about which plants grow best in a container, what soil and fertilizer to use, and tips and tricks for Container Gardening 101!- By Jaime Morrison Curtis

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Whether you want to make chamomile tea or add a few sprigs of chives to your morning eggs, herbs always come in handy in the kitchen and around the house. Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow and with so many uses, there's no reason not to try your hand at some this season! Below are a few products to get you started on growing and harvesting herbs this year. From seed starter kits to an herb drying rack, you'll be all set to grow and harvest your own mint, sage, dill and more! - By Chelsea Fuss

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