10 Good Reasons To Start A Vegetable Garden

Reasons To Start A Vegetable Garden

Perhaps you’ve noticed that the price of veggies in the supermarkets is ridiculously high, even more so since they don’t taste as good as those from your childhood.

Maybe that is the real reason why the idea of growing your own food crosses your mind too often lately. Although it sounds complicated, know that starting a vegetable garden is a manageable project, even if you are a newbie. So, if you are weighing the pros and cons of becoming a gardener, here is the list of ten convincing reasons why you should head off to the nearest gardening tool store and shovel your backyard upside down.

Gardening is really easy

Even if you are a proven cactus killer, know that it is easy to start and maintain a vegetable garden. The best way to begin is to start small and to pick veggies that are easy to grow. Choose no more than two or three veggies on a small piece of land. Don’t despair if you don’t have any land of your own since you can grow vegetables in containers and pots. Greens like spinach and lettuce are fairly easy to grow from seed, but you can always opt for the small plants from the nursery. Once you have your first harvest, you’ll be confident enough to expand the garden.

It is healthy

Everyone knows that vegetables are healthy, full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, by growing your veggies, you will have the luxury of picking them at their peak, right when they are richest in nutrients and taste. Not to mention that if you choose to grow organic seeds, you will ensure that food on your table is GMO-free*, as well as free from harmful chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers. Reducing amounts of chemicals that we unintentionally take in will significantly improve your health.

*Editor's Note: The current scientific consensus is that GMO's are not an unhealthy food choice. Here is an article from the New York Times on GMO foods. I will also add that the best tasting veggies I've ever had were ones I or my brother grew.

The taste is amazing

Any vegetable from your garden will have a full and rich flavor, nothing like those poor veggies from the store. There is nothing like fresh produce, especially because it doesn’t lose any of its richness during transport or sitting on the shelves. Also, there is more to flavor knowing that you’ve grown them yourself. How delicious can that be?

It will save you money

Needless to mention that growing your own food will reduce your grocery bills, especially if you used to buy organic produce. However, if you are a novice, gardening can be quite expensive. Look for ways to save money wherever possible. Grow what you will eat and make sure to plant from seeds. Also, make sure to learn how to make compost since it will save you money you would spend on fertilizers.

It is eco-friendly

You will reduce the carbon footprint by lessening the demand for imported vegetables from who knows where. A significant percentage of pollution comes from burning fossil fuels during transport.

It can improve your social life

Although you may be working in the garden all by yourself, know that it will connect you to people more than any other activity. Having a garden means having more than you can use, so you’ll be able to share your produce with friends and neighbors. Also, it will bring you closer to people who are also into gardening and from whom you can learn.

It is good for your body

Not only you will spend more time outdoors, but gardening will turn out to be a great exercise. While using lightweight gardening shears does not require a lot of strength, shoveling most certainly does. Along with some weeding, pruning and fertilizing, rest assured you will break some sweat. Keep in mind that you will work on different groups of muscles, which is not very different from exercising, yet it is less boring.

It is great for your mind and soul

Spending time in nature is beneficial to our mental health, and it can improve our cognitive abilities. Gardening is also known as dirt therapy. There is no better way to cut off the noise and stress pouring from the outside world than to place yourself in a small pocket of nature where everything makes sense. It is a perfect way to relieve stress, calm whirling thoughts and to feel optimism crawling back inside your life. After a while, you will use any spare time to spend it in the garden, only to enjoy the serene atmosphere of nature.

It is a perfect family time

Include loved ones in your project and spend quality time together in the fresh air. Delegate responsibilities appropriately and watch your kids looking after a pumpkin or tomato. The mere fact that every family member contributed to putting food on a table will bond you even more. Not to mention it will create some memorable moments to cherish in years that will come. Make them all play in the dirt and know that they will enjoy it.

It is educational

Taking your kids to the garden to work with you is probably the best thing you can do to educate them on many levels. Not only they will find out more about vegetables, but they will witness the natural cycle first hand. It is an enlightening process of watching a tiny seed becoming something big and familiar, something that we used to take for granted. After some time in the garden, your kids will learn responsibility as well as to appreciate nature and hard work.

Conclusion

Start a garden, regardless of its size. Grow food in your backyard, balcony or a community garden. Give gardening a try, even if it is on a windowsill. Don’t be afraid to start because nature is generous and will reward all your efforts. Reap many benefits of gardening, including becoming healthier, happier and more self-sufficient, since it is a pure avant-garde in this toxic world of ours.

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Building a Small Organic Farm in Australia

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