Since buying our home, our Saturdays have been full of house projects. Before we moved in we started painting. We put painting on hold to move boxes and then unpack boxes. Then we got our baby chicks situated and started mowing and weed eating (with 5 acres, that will be a never-ending task).
With everything on our list, I was afraid a garden was just not going to happen this year. With our rocky soil abounding in gophers, we decided raised beds would be our best bet. We just don’t have time to build them this year.
I got to thinking about all the great reasons to grow a garden. For the past dozen years of marriage, we’ve had a garden though, so we’ve got to at least do something!
Nearly three years ago, I shared a my list of 10 great reasons to grow a garden. I’m sharing it again today to remind myself and encourage you to grow something too! Then I’ll tell you what we’re going to do this year!
In no particular order, here are….
10 great reasons to grow a garden:
Eat Healthier
My children’s pediatrician reminds us at every visit that vegetables should make up half of what we eat. That is a lot of veggies! Thankfully, we drink a lot of them. We still don’t usually make the “half your plate of vegetables” rule, but we get much closer by having an array of vegetables so convenient. Kids are more likely to eat veggies when they take part in growing them!
Chemical-Free Food
If you really ate half of each meal in conventionally grown vegetables, you could be ingesting a dangerous amount of pesticides and other chemicals. Don’t let that be an excuse to not eat enough veggies! Instead, let it be a reason to grow your own!
Tastier Fruits and Veggies
You don’t have to be a tomato connoisseur to tell the difference between a tomato from the garden and a tomato from the store. Fruits and vegetables that you grow yourself have more flavor because they go straight from the garden to your plate. Produce at the store was picked weeks ago, before it was ripe and full of flavor.
Save Money
Growing your own food does cost money, especially if you live somewhere where you have to water your garden. Still, when you compare your costs to the cost of buying the quality and quantity of what you can grow at home, you will often come out ahead. If you’re just starting out, consider focusing on veggies that are the most cost-effective for you.
It’s Work
In our lazy society, this might not seem like an enticing reason, but work is good for us. Work in the garden yields tangible results that are fulfilling and satisfying. Hard work is a great way to improve self-esteem.
It’s Relaxing
Wait! Can it really be work and relaxing? Yes! For most people, working in their garden is a different kind of work than their day job. Working in the garden is a great way to relax, unwind, and have some quiet time after a stress-filled day.
Spend Time Outdoors
Working in your garden forces you to “unplug” and spend time outside. Sunshine, fresh air and bird song are wonderful medicine for many of the medical and psychological problems we face. There’s something calming and rejuvenating about sticking your hands in the dirt and feeling the sun on your back.
Exercise
Working in a garden provides low-impact exercise. Digging, weeding, planting and harvesting require strength, stretching, and repeated movements. Working in the garden will keep you limber and flexible, all while accomplishing a task.
Teach Your Children
Children learn so much from taking part in growing a garden. They’ll feel the satisfaction that comes from hard work. They’ll learn to be diligent and responsible. They will witness the miracle of one tiny seed turning into a plant that provides an entire family with food (which still amazes me!).
Increase Self-Sufficiency
From natural disaster to political upheaval to job-loss, there are plenty of reasons we should be prepared and increasing our self-sufficiency. Having your own source of good food is a crucial part of self-sufficiency. Between your fresh harvest and what you can, freeze, and dehydrate, a garden will help you provide for your family even when facing the unexpected.
What we’re doing this year
I started by enlisting the kiddos to help me weed part of the back patio. A previous owner had landscaped the area, but it was pretty overgrown and needed some love.
I planted strawberries from my mother-in-law there. Some of them area already flowering! I left some room for the strawberries to send out runners in the future, but for the time being I planted spinach in between the strawberry plants to make good use of the space.
We also cleared a spot for lettuce and green onions. We started some squash and tomatoes seeds, too, although I haven’t decided exactly where they will go. Maybe I’ll put them in containers or maybe we’ll give the rock soil a try! I’ll keep you updated.
You can do this!
Don’t be intimidated by the thought of starting a dream garden this year.
It’s not too late to start growing something this year! If you don’t have time to get an entire garden spot ready, you can at least grow something.
Start with a tomato plant in a pot or some lettuce on your patio. Surely there’s something you can plant. With just a couple containers on your porch, you can start a garden.
If you’re new to gardening, start simple! Your success this year will motivate you to expand in the future.
How about you?
- Are you growing something this year?
- What are your top reasons for growing a garden?
I planted some carrots a couple of weeks ago, and five of the 8 that I planted are now growing. I’ve never had anything planted in my life before, so I’m so happy! =) I’m planning to grow some cucumbers too this week.
There are a million reasons to grow a vegetable garden, you definitely picked the best ten!
I like what you said about growing the vegetables that will be most cost-effective for you when starting a garden. My sister has been telling me about how she wants to start a garden in the coming weeks. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for plants that she can grow.
We planted because we wanted fresh fruit and vegetables, plus we wanted to save money. I’ve always loved growing a garden. I also like to try out the different flavors of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Thanks Katie
We will be starting our veggie garden on our new property soon. We will start with the basics as see how it goes.
As we live on a small farm we will also be raising our own sheep and cattle for meat, which gives us massive savings ($1000-$2000 pa). Looking forward to reading more on your website!
This is such a great list! Growing up on a farm, we grew or raised approximately 80% of what we consumed. Luckily, since I was exposed to this as a child, it has stuck with me and is something that I want to instill in my daughter!
We have 3 3×6 square foot raised beds that we put in 3 years ago, and it has been much easier to garden there than in our difficult clay soil. We still have to deal with pests, though – sometimes the squirrels climb over the chicken wire fence and try to dig up nuts that they think they’ve planted there (which they haven’t) and rabbits have been chewing the bark off our fruit trees. Still, it’s so much fun starting seeds and having the kids participate in the harvest. This year we are growing Swiss chard, kale, collards, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, squash, a sunflower house for the kids, cucumbers, lettuce, and a bunch of herbs and flowers. I’m sure you will have a great garden this year even if you have to grow it in containers!
We just moved into our house last spring, and like you Stephanie, we have rocky clay soil. So last year we focused on constructing four raised beds and I also have 3 Earth Grow boxes on the deck. We managed to get in some tomatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, and herbs last year. This year we already have kale and garlic growing that I planted last fall. We are in Maryland, but had a mildish winter last year. I am looking forward to increasing our harvest this year.
Our apartment complex announced that there will be community plots for $35 each this year. We signed up for 2. They won’t be ready for us to plant in until the end of April so we’ve started seeds at home. We are planting tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers.This is our first year doing something besides container gardening in almost 15 years. I told the kids that each child could pick one item tp plant so we don’t get overwhelmed.
I’m not really into gardening since I’m not good at it. But reading your blog really inspires me to do something.
My husband and I started gardening a few years ago, and it is amazing how much better the produce tastes than grocery-bought! I also found that it was more expensive upfront buying supplies, but with each passing year we spend less money. We have even saved seeds from previous crops and replanted them, so we don’t have to buy new seeds the next year. Especially now that I have a daughter and we live in a city, I really want her to see how food grows. Stopping by from the One Project at a Time linkup!
There are some start-up costs involved, but like you said, it goes down with each year. Saving seeds from previous years is a great way to save money. Thanks Bev!
My dad and my grandpa both grew beautiful vegetable gardens. Everything was fresh, tasty, plentiful. Now that I have summers free, I really need to do this, too!
It sounds like you have a legacy to continue!
I agree. I am a bit of an “urban farmer.” My family just visited from Ohio (I live in Massachusetts), and they were amazed at the variety of food I have growing in my back and front yards. Our property is about 1/3 of an acre. I have asparagus, rhubarb, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries which are finally established and producing every year. I also have a variety of greens, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, herbs, and more. If something doesn’t grow, or if the rabbits eat it before I can, I just plant something else–gardening is my ongoing experiment! I love going out in the morning to harvest fresh berries or in the afternoon to snip fresh herbs for the evening meal. The herbs alone would be very expensive in the store for a small amount, but I can clip what I need when I need it. For anyone just starting out with gardening, herbs are a great choice. Rosemary, parsley, mint, and basil are all fairly easy to grow in pots and will liven up many dishes.
That’s great Karen! I bet your family was really impressed!! Good for you for not letting the rabbits and other pests deter you.
Herbs are so expensive in the store, so you really can save a lot by growing your own.
You are so right, there is nothing like the taste of a homegrown tomato. The whole time we were kids at home my father had a beautiful garden full of cucumbers, the biggest tomatoes I have ever seen, and raspberries. Now I live in a part of Canada where home gardens just can’t be done because our summers are too short and not hot enough. But you are right, it is a great way to save money while enjoying delicious foods without chemicals. I so miss it.
Have you tried growing cool weather crops like lettuce, spinach, peas and broccoli? Those only work well for us in the spring and fall because they can’t handle the heat.
I wasn’t aware of all the different benefits to owning a garden! What a great way to spend time with my family and save money!
It is! We spend a good amount of family time together in the garden every Saturday.
It amazes me what kids will eat out of the garden! My son will eat tomatoes right off the vine but will pick them out of his salads. I am always telling my girlfriends they need to garden with their kids. Great post.
Between the freshness and the feeling of ownership, gardening really helps kids eat their veggies!
I just planted some carrots about two weeks ago and 5 out of the 8 I planted are starting to grow. I’ve never planted anything in my life, so I’m so excited! =) I’m gonna try and plant some cucumbers also this week.
Good for you Jessica!!
We just started some seedlings last week (we’re in socal so the growing season is pretty much always) and it’s amazing how excited our older girls are when new sprouts come up. We also have fruit trees and it really is a different kind of work and relaxation learning how to care for them. I’m totally new to all things gardening, but I completely agree with all your points.
I get excited just like a kid when the seedlings come up. I always marvel at the miracle that one tomato seed can produce hundreds of tomatoes (and each of them is filled with hundreds of seeds which can each produce hundreds more).
My kids like to plant their “own” things in the garden and are so proud of the produce that comes from their plants. That’s awesome that you have fruit trees too!
I am curious to know how much you budget for gardening costs. We are just getting started with ours and even though we got some seeds free, plus we’ll be getting free organic soil from a nearby mushroom farm, once we transplant everything we’ll need to fence it all in and grate it underneath to keep out the plethora of local wildlife. I know these are probably one time costs, but there is also the additional cost of water as well.
Anyway, just curious 🙂
Good question! We are slightly spoiled in our current living arrangement. My father-in-law is an avid gardener. He has a huge garden and gave us some space in it. He has all the equipment (tiller, hoses, pots, tools, etc) that we can use. We bought our own seeds and that’s pretty much all.
That’s great that you got free seeds and soil. I am continually amazed what you can find for free if you are willing to look!
I’d love to grow more but I don’t know where to start! I need to do more research I think 🙂
Start with what you like and eat most, then branch out from there!
From what I heard, you can start with the seeds you have at home (i.e. avocados, grapes) and try letting them sprout before planting them. I’ve tried it a couple of times, but it didn’t really work for me for some reason -_-
I love your posts, Stephanie! You put such a positive spin on being in debt. For the first time in my life, we have incurred some debt and your posts empower me to see it as a challenge and to find creative ways to climb out of it. BTW, love my garden and wish we could eat from it year round, but I will take the 3 months I get 🙂
Thanks Beth! I’m glad you’re finding creative ways to face the challenge of debt! That’s way more fun than crumbling under its weight. 🙂
A year-round garden would be nice. You can grow a lot in three months though! 🙂