Grow Your Own Food
Growing your own food allows you to choose the varieties you love. Have you noticed in the grocery store there are usually only three different kinds of tomatoes? There are more than 10,000 known cultivars! You can even go as far as choosing a tomato that has the right acidity for you. Find your perfect tomato at our tastings in summer and save the name for the following year.
The same goes for veggies and herbs. In spring we stock over five different cultivars of Basil including: Lemon, Thai, Sweet, Genovese, and Spicy Globe. Thai Basil is great for soups and try Lemon Basil on chicken breast with Rosemary!
Growing your own food is a great way to save money. A 3″ herb plant ($4) will give you a harvest that lasts an entire season and herbs like Rosemary, Oregano, and Thyme can last for years. Look for Adria’s preserving seminars to learn how to make your harvest go even further.
Make Flower Arrangements at Home
No need to spend money on flowers from the grocery store, when you grow flowers at home there’s always an arrangement waiting to be made.
Zinnias make wonderful cut flowers. Plant them in spring, arrange them all summer.
Arrangement 1. (Pink Hydrangea, Sword Fern, Basil, Fennel, Roses, and Oak Leaf Hydrangea for foliage)
Arrangement 2. (Coreopsis, Drift Roses, Yarrow, Verbena, Artemisa, Gaura, and Abelia)
Sense of Accomplishment
There is nothing more satisfying than being able to make an entire summer dish from your own backyard. Taking the time to plant, fertilize, water (and love) your vegetables is hard work! Having a colorful plate of food that you grew adds a sense of confidence and self-sufficiency.
Save Energy
By placing trees, shrubs, vines and landscape structures properly, homeowners can reduce the energy required to keep homes comfortable during winter and summer. Along with the reduction of energy bills, a well-planned landscape adds beauty, interest and increased property values. (NC State)
Sustaining Relationships
Gardening is a great way to build and maintain friendships in your life. Invite a friend over to freshen up pots and spend time together outdoors. Gardening doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be a leisurely afternoon spent with good people.
Spending time in the yard is also a way to maintain relationships with children and still be educational. Teach them where their food comes from, how bees make honey from flowers, and composting. Kids who spend time in nature early in life are more likely to care about the environment. Learn more about why kids need to spend more time outdoors!
Connecting Today’s Kids with Nature
Comment below and let us know the reasons why you love to garden.
-Allana of The Greenery