Learn to grow food right outside your own back door. It’s really quite easy to grow some of your own fruits and veggies right in your own backyard or on your patio. Growing some of your own food is a great thing to do, it’s healthy, fun, relaxing and rewarding too.
It’s best to get started growing some of the easier things like carrots, potatoes, peas, beans, raspberries and blueberries. These are all quite low maintenance, easy to grow and will tolerate growing in smaller spaces. There are lots of other foods that will grow in containers too.
Take a trip to a big, good quality nursery and there are so many options, even just in the food plant department, that it can be overwhelming by itself. Take your time to browse around, ask the staff to guide you through the food plant department. Take time to read tags and find the plants that you want to grow and those that are best suited to your garden environment.
The cost to get your own little food garden started will vary greatly depending on the space you have available and your budget.
There are many different types of growing methods available. Planter kits, Vertical garden kits, Raised Bed kits, Hanging planters, Wall mounted planters, Gutter garden, Cedar boxes, and more. That doesn’t even count any of the things you could build yourself. The options are almost endless, you’ll be able to customize the garden just for your space.
The gutter and wall mounted systems are great for smaller rooted plants such as radishes, small varieties of carrots, lettuce, spinach and herbs.
Most fruits and veggies are adaptable and will be happy growing in one or more of these environments. They include many plants such as bell peppers, carrots, peas, beans, hot peppers, cucumbers, squash, strawberries, blueberries and many more. This makes it possible for people who live in places with little growing space to have a garden. The picture below is a fresh picked pile of red, yellow, black and purple raspberries that were all ripe at the same time. Each of those varieties was grown in a container.
The kitchen garden is a great way to do a little bit of gardening right on your window sill or patio. Basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow, you can do that one on a table in your house, I just recommend getting a table top grow light. Basil is fast growing and it’s delicious in so many recipes. Rosemary and thyme are also easy to grow in containers.
Kids in the Garden
It doesn’t need to be said really, that kids are eager to learn anything and everything they can. I say, let’s teach them about gardening!
It’s really important to pass the knowledge of growing food and love of gardening on to our next generation. Gardening teaches so many things from the practical to the emotional, for example how it seems to have a calming effect. Playing in the dirt is very therapeutic, I highly recommend it to everyone.
The kids gain great pride from sprouting seeds and caring for the young plants. The first time they sprout a seed and successfully grow it into food they can eat, they’ll be amazed and so proud of themselves.
Gardening can involve a lot of great activities to do in schools and day cares as well. I definitely recommend getting all kids into gardening, even if it’s just a windowsill.
Touching the soil has a calming effect on kids and adults alike. Gardening has been shown to reduce stress in both kids and adults.
Gardening is also great therapy for a wide range of physical and emotional issues. It’s good for depression as it’s known to raise serotonin levels through exposure to Mycobacterium vaccae which is a specific soil bacteria. The act of harvesting your crop releases dopamine and therefore you feel mild sensation of bliss.(Source) There’s so much good in gardening!
Toddlers & Kids
Pretty much all little kids and toddlers can get into the digging and planting too. Just make it age and ability appropriate but not 
too restrictive at the same time.
Give them room to learn and discover what the soil feels like and even what it tastes like if they want to…a bite of good old fashioned dirt won’t kill them (I know it’s called soil, but you get my point). It may not be tidy, they might spill some seeds and soil, but they’ll love it and learn so much.
Let them get dirty and most of all let them have fun. I bet they’ll even surprise you with what they understand and are capable of doing. Enjoy that time with them, it’s priceless. You might even create a life long passion for gardening in them.
I hope you like the site, spend some time here and most of all I hope you become inspired to grow some of your own fruits and veggies in your own backyard or small space.
Even if you only have room for one or two containers or beds, then still do it. It’s well worth the effort.
Thank you for visiting! Let me how I can help you get started.