With prices at the pump and in the produce aisle rising, consumers are digging for ways to save money -- in their own backyards.

Griffith resident Lisa Gossler said her epiphany came last year when she saw heirloom tomatoes shoot to $8 a pound.

"Considering that the plants were $4 each and can produce a couple dozen tomatoes, I'm getting a bargain growing them myself. All I did was read books and be careful in taking care of my garden," Gossler, a first-time gardener, said.

Since then, Gossler said she began growing such herbs as basil and oregano.

"That's where I really save money. I can't get over how expensive a bottle of dried basil is compared to a pack of seeds that produces 10 times the amount you'd get in the store," she said.

Owners of area lawn and garden stores say that they've been seeing plenty of folks like Gossler this spring.

Jennifer Scheeringa Vanek, one of the owners of Scheeringa Farms and Produce in Highland, said it is selling more vegetable plants than is usual.

"Yeah, a lot of people are starting gardens for the first time. They're asking questions, and you can tell they haven't gardened before," she said.

At Maple Grove Greenhouse and Nursery in Cedar Creek Township, co-owner Marie Rucker said, "We've had some people come to buy (vegetable) plants and say they've never done it before. Bill (her husband and co-owner) sat down with them and showed them how to plant. You can't just stick a plant in the ground."

Rucker said she hears grumblings from customers about the price of produce which, she expects, will remain fueled by the cost of gasoline.

Steve Govert, owner of Leo's Feed and Garden Center in Cedar Lake, said he's seeing a marked increase in vegetable plant sales, particularly for tomatoes and peppers.

"It seems people who hadn't been gardening for a few years are starting again," he said. "They say, 'have you seen the price of produce? I'll grow my own,' " he said, adding fuel prices also are keeping customers closer to home.

W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the nation's largest seed company, has sold twice as many seeds this year as it did last year, with half the increase from new customers, company'president, George Ball estimates.

"When we saw the gas prices go up, we said, 'Oh, boy,' " Ball said.

Interest in growing fruits and vegetable picks up during economic downturns, industry representatives say. Seed companies say a dime spent on seeds yields about $1 worth of produce.

With rows of seed packets behind her, Maple Grove's Rucker said sales of green bean, zucchini and cucumber seeds have been brisk. In response to interest, the greenhouse planted green bean and zucchini seeds for starter plants. That supply is gone, she said.

While some garden centers report working 16- and 18-hour days to keep up, it's a matter of making hay while the sun shines.

"Going in this spring, with gas at $4 a gallon, we didn't know how much disposable income people would have. We're all competing for that leisure dollar," Govert said, adding, "We've been pleasantly surprised."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.