6 Reasons To Start A Garden

Posted 2 years ago by melsholisticlifestyle

6 REASONS TO START A GARDEN

Whether you live in the country or the city I think everyone would benefit from having a garden on some level. Did you know prior to the 1950s over 50% of our food production was in backyard gardens and small farms. Now large scale farmers representing 3-5% of the population makes up almost 90% of our food production. Add in the fact that large mono crops are destroying biodiversity and most crops are grown conventionally with goodness knowns what sprayed on them I think it’s high time to resurrect the long forgotten backyard gardens and take back our food production. Here are 6 reasons to start a garden plus some bonus tips for getting the most out of your garden if you have a small space.

 

CUT DOWN ON YOUR GROCERY BILL

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Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive and if done frugally even a small garden can help reduce your grocery bill to some degree. With rising food costs this is something we can all benefit from. Even if you can only grow a handful of things you can save a few dollars, at least, each week at the store while having a supply of fresh produce at your finger tips. You can even grow your sprouts right on your kitchen counter top.

Here are some good plants to grow if space is limited. You can also increase your growing space by growing many of these plants vertically.

  • Herbs
  • Lettuces and other greens
  • Peas
  • Pole beans
  • Green beans
  • Cucumbers
  • Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Chives

Also take advantage of the different seasons. Some plants are cold hardy and can be grown in the fall and winter while others need the warmth of spring and summer. You can rotate different crops in the same space. Just made sure you’re adding nutrients back into the soil with compost. Find quality seeds here.

You can further stretch your grocery bill saving garden by canning or freezing your harvest to preserve produce for the winter months. 

 

BETTER QUALITY

Ask anyone who has ever gardend and they will tell you that the quality of homegrown fruits and veggies is far superior to anything bought at the store. The taste just doesn’t compare not to mention the nutritional quality is actually higher. The moment a vegetable is harvested it begins to loose nutrients so the fresher it is the more nutrients it has. Additionally, if you practice organic and regenerative gardening, you will have produce with even more nutrients. When plants get nibbled on by insects they release more phytonutrients to protect and heal themselves. These phytonutrients are where the plants get their color and taste as well as their nutrients. So having a small number of pests in your garden is actually a good thing. Not only will your produce taste better they will be more nutrient dense.

 

BETTER FOR YOUR HEALTH

Obviously with the better nutritional quality from your produce comes better health but gardening is good for you beyond the fruits of your labor. It gets you outside in the fresh air and sunshine. Getting you some much needed vitamin D and away from the inferior air quality of the indoors. It also puts you in touch with nature. Grounding, the act of being in and touching nature, specifically the ground, has been shown to have countless health benefits. Lastly, while not a strenuous activity, gardening does demand some physical labor helping keep you active and fit.

 

KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE EATING

Thinking about all the things allowed to be sprayed on and used on conventionally grown crops is not a pleasant thought. Glyphosphate alone has been shown to have numerous side effects on our health. Furthermore the number of people who have handled the produce from harvest to store is a few too many as far as I’m concerned. In my garden I know exactly what’s not on my food and no one outside my family has handled it.

 

BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Large scale farming and momo crops are destroying our ecosystem. The heavy use of pesticides are killing pollinators and other beneficial bugs at an alarming rate. Plant biodiversity is dwindling and soil depletion is at an all time high. We need to bring back organic and regenerative gardening and farming not only for our benefit but for the benefit of our entire ecosystem.

 

Keeps Your Supply Chain Local

If recent events have taught us anything, it’s that supply chain disruptions can easily lead to shortages. Keeping our supply chain local for as many things as possible keeps these disruptions to a minimum. And it doesn’t get more local than your own back yard. Now not everyone can grow a large enough garden to completely supply all their needs but every plant you grow is one less thing you’re dependant on from the grocery store. Consider buying from small local farms to fill in the gaps of what you’re not able to grow yourself. Or maybe start a garden coop in your neighborhood where everyone grows different plants and shares with one another. 

 

Bonus tips for GARDENING IN SMALL SPACES

Now that you’ve read through the 6 reasons to start a garden hopefully you’re ready to dive in to your first garden but not everyone has a big yard or any yard for that matter. Here are some tips to make the most of your small growing spaces.

 

CONTAINER GARDENING

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Lots of plants will actually do quite well in containers. From traditional pots, to 5 gallon buckets, to grow bags there are a variety of ways you can grow plants in containers. Make towers or terraces, so many creative ideas online. I once saw someone grow a bunch of potatoes in trash can. Even if all you have is a patio, do what you can with the space you have. You can even grow indoors. While not as ideal as growing outside growing plants in a sunny window or even in basement with grow lights is possible.

 

VERTICAL GARDENING

When we first started gardening our yard was less than .08 of an acre. I put in a vertical garden in a 1.5ft by 15ft section along the side of the house and grew everything on a trellis. And I mean everything. I grew plants like peas, green beans, and cucumbers that are traditionally grown on trellises but I also grew zucchini, winter squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe. It was just a matter of training the vines to grow up instead down along the ground. Once the plants started producing fruit they were supported by a hammock made from pieces of scrap fabric and old t-shirts.

Find the trellis I used here.

 

COMPANION PLANTING

This last tip can help maximize your growing space. A great example of this is lettuce and beets. You can grow these 2 plants closer together than it’s normally recommend because they support one another and one grows up while the other grows down. Another example is a native American tradition called the 3 sisters. You plant corn, peas or beans, and squash or melons all together. The peas or beans grow up the corn stalks and provide nitrogen to the corn and squash or melons. The squash or melons grows down and out along the ground. Companion planting creates a natural symbiotic relationship between your plants that not only maximizes growing space but can also increase your yield.

 

There you have it 6 reasons to start a garden plus tips on how to maximize your growing space if you have limited growing space. Now get out there and garden!