When money gets tight, many people cut expenses as a quick and easy way to get back on track. Cutting back on restaurant meals is not only good for your wallet, it's also good for your health. But what if you were to take it one step further and grow your own food? Not only could you save money on groceries, but you would also have total control over what you eat. You wouldn't have to worry about dangerous pesticides or rising produce prices. Best of all, you could cut back on your trips to the grocery store, which would save both money and time.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a huge yard to grow a garden. People living in apartments grow rooftop gardens or container gardens in their own kitchens. To get seedlings started, all you need is an old egg carton. Once they've sprouted, you can transport them into larger containers or into the ground. If you don't have a lot of room to grow, try smaller plants like herbs, tomatoes, or strawberries. These plants are easily grown indoors and can be grown in hanging planters so they don't take up any room. If you have enough room for an outdoor garden, the sky is the limit! You can grow large vegetables like pumpkins, watermelons, corn, cabbage, and many more.
To get your garden started, you first need to decide where it's going to be and what you're going to grow. If you're growing plants indoors, you need to look for small plants that don't need a lot of sunlight. Before you decide to grow anything outside, make sure it can withstand the temperature ranges in your area.
If you want an outdoor garden but don't want to dig in the dirt, you can give new life to old containers that you have laying around by turning them into planters. Almost anything can be used from old boats, bathtubs, water containers, and even buckets. These items can all be used to grow plants, and as an added bonus, they'll keep out many insects and rodents that would dine on your vegetables if they were planted in the ground.
To make your garden even more "green," you can create a compost pile and add kitchen scraps, such as old fruits and vegetables and egg shells, as well as a variety of other items such as grass clippings, hair, and cardboard. When mixed with water, these items will eventually decompose and turn into a nutrient rich mixture that helps plants grow.
While many people grow gardens to save money or to eat more healthy foods, it's also a great way to stay active and it's something you can proudly say that you did yourself. Imagine having guests over for dinner and being able to tell them that you grew all of the vegetables or herbs in their meal. The wonderful thing about gardening is that anybody, young or old, can do it and it's beneficial not only to you, but also to the environment.