There’s so much more to growing your own produce than just the end result of you and your family eating better quality food than you are able to buy in a retail store. The whole experience is so rewarding that you’ll never go back to store-bought products. You’ll save money, improve your health, spend more time outdoors and get that unique feeling of self-accomplishment – and all that from the comfort of your own backyard! Keep reading to find out make the first step towards your new-found passion.
First thing’s first – you have to know what and how much of it you can actually manage to grow successfully.

Planning

Consider the climate, rainfall, the space you have available and of course the soil.

  • The climate will largely dictate what type of plant you will benefit most from. If you have a brief growing season, opt for quick producing plants that’ll be ready to store that same winter. If, on the other hand, you enjoy warm weather all year long, you can relax and harvest on demand.
  • By choosing healthy soil you’ll make sure that your veggies grow into luscious plants, resilient and more nutritious. An organic mix, and/or a combination of compost and mulch, for example, will make it richer to start with, and you can add organic matter for a little nutrient boost.
  • Rainfall should provide a substantial amount of water for your garden. If, however, the normal rainfall rate for your area is not enough, consider irrigation.
  • Plenty of space allows you to grow plenty of food in the most usual, traditional way, but if your space is limited, try container or vertical gardening or sharecropping.

Health benefits

  • The moment the plant is picked, it loses moisture, ripeness and nutrients. Having your own patch nearby will enable you to eat produce which is rich in vitamins and healthier (by far) than the one that traveled miles to get to your local store.
  • Furthermore, you can increase the variety of the food you eat. There are many types of the same vegetable that you will most probably never find on the market.
  • It goes without saying that you’ll get more exercises and spend precious time outdoors, soaking up the sun and enjoying the fresh air.
  • Gardening reduces stress. Just 30 minutes a day will reduce cortisol levels to normal and take your mind off the daily grind. Surely, one of the healthiest ways to stay positive.

Fun and educational for the kids

  • By letting kids help out with gardening, you are doing a world of good for their education. Explain to them what the plants need to thrive and why it is important to take care of them regularly and carefully, as well as what benefits there are to having a healthy fruit or vegetable grown in your garden.
  • Not only are you creating a stronger bond with your kids, you are also teaching them responsibility, empathy, focus and consistency, apart from giving them a sense of accomplishment once they see the fruits of their labor.
  • You can squeeze in some other subjects as well, like biology, ecology, math and so on.

Saves you money

  • The statistics of the National Garden Associations show that an average family spends only $70 a year on their garden, but grows about $600 worth of produce. Surely there is no store discount that can beat that. Even if you invest more than this amount in the initial stages of planting, you will at least get your money back.
  • There is no more driving to the store, so you save on gas as well, and just keep in mind that the price of a bag of seeds is almost equivalent to the price of one single vegetable in the store.

Helps the environment

  • By gardening alone you are helping the planet in so many ways, especially if you grow your produce organically. There are no herbicides and pesticides so you are not polluting either the air or water.
  • You are also avoiding the use of fossil fuels which would definitely pollute the air during transport to the grocery store.
  • Use your peels and other fruit and vegetable waste and make your own healthy, organic compost for that lush garden look.

So why not give your garden a go this season? You’ll enjoy healthier food, more quality time with the family, and let’s not forget – a happier and healthier you.

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