Hello and welcome back to The Self Sufficient Citizen where I talk about homemaking homesteading and self-reliance. Today I am talking about something that goes hand in hand with the theme of my blog. Gardening is something that homemakers and homesteaders alike can get behind. And for good reason! Who wouldn’t like to go outside and pick fresh vegetables for dinner?
But if you have never had a garden, it is understandable if you have the question, “Why would I want a garden?” Gardens have so many benefits that can enrich your life, but I want to focus on the big 4 for this blog post.
1.) Provides Fresh Food.
This one is stating the obvious but even so shouldn’t be overlooked. This will be truly fresh food with no time spent in a truck transporting it to the store etc. The impact of eating fresh food will amaze you. Something that is another oversight is the amount of nutrients food loses from the second it is picked up until consumption. According to an online source “Some spinach can lose 90 percent within the first 24 hours after harvest”
2.) Opportunity for Growth and Learning.
Gardening is one of those things that you can go really simple or really complex with and still get great results. Depending on what you want and your personality, gardening can provide you the opportunity to never quit learning. Here is a small list that I put together to show you the diverse amount of information you can learn.
- Plants
- Varieties
- Growing zones
- Types of Composting
- Companion planting
- Natural pesticides
And if you want to keep it simple that is more than possible! As long as you have soil and seeds you have a chance at growing a garden. I would suggest reading the back of the seed packets to make sure you accommodate for water, sunlight, and frost survival of each plant.
3.) Gardens Can Supplement Diet to Help With Expenses.
If you grow your own food you won’t be going to the store as much so it will help your budget. There are people online today who have not gone to the grocery store in a year because they are able to grow their nutrition requirements. That might not be plausible for everyone but any money saved is a good amount.
4.) Gardening Provides Mental Boosts.
There are studies out there that growing plants help depression and anxiety. I will argue too that you will be walking around more so the exercise helps with the mental boost as well. You can read more about the benefits here at Anxiety.org.
Next week I am going to go over how to pick a garden space wherever you live. This includes apartments because right as I type I have an indoor garden that I started for cheap! Stay tuned for more information and cost break downs for that. Until next week.
-Hannah
