No one who has visited a grocery store in the last few years is immune to the rising cost of food. For those on a fixed or limited income, inflation can cause great concern.
But food security doesn’t have to be passive. You can take an active part in controlling the cost of food by growing your own, even if you’re in a limited space.
1. Make a Garden Plan
For novice gardeners, there are two challenges to tackle right away.
First, every start-up garden needs infrastructure. This could include soil improvements, raised beds, tillers or other devices to turn over soil, fencing, drip irrigation or other watering options, pots, mulch … whatever the size of your gardening ambition, you will need to invest time and money to bring it to fruition. Fortunately, most of these improvements are one-time expenses. After this, gardening is virtually cost-free.
And second, novice gardeners will have a learning curve as they figure out their particular soil, climate, pests, latitude, and other factors. Fortunately, even beginners will be rewarded with successes such as fresh strawberries, luscious tomatoes, abundant potatoes, or other culinary rewards.
A common mistake among rookie gardeners is attempting to duplicate the lush picture-perfect results of experienced growers featured on social media. Remember, comparison is the thief of joy. Instead, concentrate on your own journey and take pride in your successes.
2. Plant with Intention
Rather than trying to duplicate someone else’s perfect garden, why not focus on growing something high yield or expensive? Why not grow just what you love to eat? Why not have a “best bang for your buck” garden?
There are some vegetables that are easy to grow and don’t require a lot of space. These veggies can be grown in raised beds, grow bags, or even containers on a patio. Depending on your climate, you might be able to grow two or three crops in a season. These include salad greens, spinach, sweet or hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, potatoes, and bok choy.
If you have room for support structures (such as trellises) or sprawling plants, there are some high-yield options you can add, including melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, pole or runner beans, and peas (one of the loveliest garden plants, in my opinion).
Some vegetables are almost comically productive or very easy to grow, including zucchini (tremendously prolific!), cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, and salad greens.
Four calorie-dense staples to consider are beans, corn, squash, and potatoes. If you have the space to plant these – and not everyone does – then they’re worth considering.
Herbs are highly satisfying, including garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, and chives. Some herbs (notably the mint family) will spread underground, so these are best grown in containers.
3. Start Slowly, Then Expand
While these lists sound intimidating, just start with a few of your favorites. If you don’t like onions, don’t grow them. If you love peas, double up. If you’re being priced out of one particular favorite veggie at the grocery store, focus on growing that favorite in your backyard. The whole idea about taking control of your food is to start with the easy stuff and work your way up.
In fact, working your way up may eventually result in being able to feed your entire family off your gardening efforts. This won’t happen the first year, of course, but it’s a wonderful goal to strive for. If you expand your knowledge to include food preservation, food security becomes a year-round benefit. Canning, dehydrating, and fermenting are just some of the techniques to preserve fresh foods. That way, the financial benefits of gardening extend into winter when you open a jar of preserved beans or rehydrate those peas you harvested last summer.
Don’t forget gardening’s intangible benefits, too. What are fresh air, healthy exercise, organic produce, and confidence about your food sources worth to you?
The best way to get started with gardening is to take it one slow and inexpensive step at a time. Find frugal alternatives to pricey infrastructure, learn as you grow, and expand year by year as time, energy, and finances permit. This year, you might have to settle for a couple of pots of tomatoes and a grow-bag of potatoes. Next year, who knows? Your garden might be featured on social media, the envy of others. Happy planting!
