For any perennials, put the word out to your friends. When they divide their plants, they may give you some of the divisions which won't cost you anything (and I find that divisions of field-grown plants grow better than potted plants anyway). Grasses: miscanthus, calamagrostis (grows very well and fast)are pretty in my garden. Long-bloomers include coreopsis moonbeam or zagreb, salvia east friesland, daylily pennsyworth. Have fun!

Camomile (Anthemis) looks like yellow daisies, Yarrow (Achillea,) Coneflowers (Echinacea,) and Malvas are long-bloomers, especially with regular deadheading. All are fairly heavy seeders if you don't deadhead them. You should be able to grow all of them easily from seeds, although the show this year might be a bit small. Next year it'll be great! All of these prefer lots of sun.

Monarda is a long bloomer. Not much of a re-seeder, but likes to spread out. Also for sun.

If you know someone with a butterfly bush, ask them for a cutting. That's how I got all of mine. They bloom for at least 2 months, longer with deadheading, full sun.

They're not perennials, but I get so much joy from a few Coleus plants. Their beautiful leaves are as pretty as any flowers! Most of them survive in the house over winter, too. Even the common ones you can grow from seed are just smashing. Prefers part-shade or mostly shade.

Come on over to the frugal gardening forum & check out some of the threads there, especially the one called "I've got $20 and an ugly balcony." Hehehe. Most of my 'disposable income' is in the gas tank lately, I drive hundreds of miles per week for work! Ugh!

Have you considered trying to build some type of trellis? Try looking in those big dumpsters near construction sites. They throw all kinds of decent pieces of wood and steel rebar away. Add a little hardware and/or fishing line, some elbow grease, and voila! Tomato plants are cheap, grow FAST, and, of course, give free food. Also easy to grow from seed, but you don't need many of them!

Go out to your local wooded area - ask permission if it's owned privately. Clear all the fallen sticks and brush off the ground. The tallest sticks and branches - say 6 or 7 foot and taller - stick in the ground in a row about 2 feet apart. Weave the extra branches through the "planted" sticks. Make sure you weave "every other one" like they do for wicker furniture. It actually looks kind of pretty and functions as a great temporary privacy fence. In the future, when you can go digging at the junk yard, you can add some supports to the "planted" sticks by getting poles or pipes, pushing them in the ground right next to the "planted" fence. Wire them on and they are cheap supports.

I'd tour the local junk yard - you might find something for free or cheap.

Good luck!

hi, i would like to know some long flowering shrubs. i live in newyork.thanks

Try a reed fence-Home Depot had them pretty cheap-both 4' and 6' heights. For long flowering you can't beat Victoria Blue Salvia-but it would be an annual in your area. Cheap though-just replace every year for $1.50 at Wal-Mart.