Planting a backyard vegetable garden is a terrific idea, but it can be a pricey—and time-consuming. Today’s first reader has a great tip: Let the master gardeners foot the bill and do all the work while you have a laid-back summer. Then show up to get in on the harvest. It’s all perfectly legal, and quite ethical, too. Cheaper Than a Garden I used to attempt to grow my own vegetables, but I never enjoyed it. And it can be very expensive. Here’s what works for me: I pick my own produce at a local farm for steep discounts on bulk fruits and vegetables. A few weeks ago, I picked 10 pounds of green beans at 95 cents per pound (total $9.50) and 40 pounds of beets at 35 cents per pound (total $14). I canned all of it, giving me 12 jars of fresh green beans and 21 jars …