Actually- I think you should think inside the box... a garden box that is!
Now is the time to start getting ready for a garden. Nothing easier will cut your grocery bill to next to nothing if you can supplement your grocery bill each week with fresh veggies.
And you don't have to have a plow and a huge plot of land. Our HOA restricts garden plots. We created a couple of garden boxes around the house in the backyard. I did herbs, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers and a few tomatoes last year. I'm going to expand it a little more this year and I'm adding onions this year.
The best thing about doing a small garden is including your kids. My girls loved it last summer to go out each night, water and check to see how big the veggies were growing each day. My oldest loved taking the herb scissors and getting fresh herbs for dinner when I needed it. This is a great free lesson in how to grow something from seed or a small plant and my girls certainly enjoyed the fruit of our labor each night!
The other idea we had last summer was to add to Mike's parents' and grandparents' garden plots allowed in their neighborhoods. We purchased additional tomato plants and placed in their gardens. Mike helped make tomato cages and when everything really started coming in- would just stop on his way home for work and get tons of produce. We did squash, cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes at his parents' house. We actually had so much that we couldn't eat it all in time. Which made the neighbors happy- several stopped by all the time to get produce.
Spending a little time and money on a garden box will definitely pay off. Fresh, awesome tasting produce without spending for inferior produce at horrible prices is worth the effort. Getting creative and finding ways "outside the box" to save more at the stores makes the "fruits of your labor" even more rewarding. Sharing priceless moments with your kids and seeing their excitement- learning about goals, utilizing our planet and appreciating the reward of their work only sweetens the garden even more!
1 comment:
I so want to do more of this this year. I usually plant a basil plant, but long for garden tomatoes -- a patio yard means I am gonna have to think on the small scale. But inspiration nonetheless. :-)
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