With the warm weather finally upon us, my husband and I have been planning out our vegetable garden and prepping the beds for our starter plants and seeds.
My husband, Nick, and I are accidental gardeners. Several years ago, we became tired of spending top dollar on vine-ripened supermarket tomatoes that tasted bland at best. Produce isn’t cheap, especially organic produce, and coupons for fresh items can be hard to come by. Growing a garden is a great way to save money and have plenty of fresh veggies all summer long, if it’s done right.
We took a trip to our local nursery and bought several varieties of tomato starter plants. Honestly, we didn’t put much thought into planning the layout or care of our tomatoes. We learned the hard way that tomatoes need full sun and lots of watering. We also learned that backyard critters love tomatoes as much as people do.
Here are some tips for making the most of your garden delights:
• Research which fruits and vegetables will do well in your particular area and how much care and attention they will need. Your local garden center can give you guidance on this. Be realistic about how much time you and your family will have to tend your garden plot and choose plants accordingly. Start with the veggies that your family buys at the grocery store on a regular basis. This year, we’re planting tomatoes, cantaloupe, zucchini, radishes, beets, cilantro, basil and parsley.
• If you’ve never grown a vegetable garden, be sure to start small. If you’ve overly ambitious, you may get overwhelmed and give up. You can always expand your garden next year. If you’re a beginner, try growing a salad garden – lettuces, spinach, cucumbers, and maybe a tomato plant or two. You can even try growing fresh herbs, strawberries, or cherry tomatoes in containers on your back porch for starters.
• Involve the whole family, especially the kids. Many hands make for light work in the planting and maintaining of your garden. Kids are more likely to eat produce that they helped to tend and grow. You can assign them easy chores like weeding and watering the garden, which means less work for you.
• Protect your investment. Nick and I learned this the hard way during our first year of gardening. We now protect our garden beds with green chicken wire. We don’t like using pesticides on our plants and chicken wire keeps out most of the big critters who would like to snack on our produce.
Yes, a garden does take some time and attention to maintain, but the payoff is worth it.There is nothing like being able to walk out your back door and gather up fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables to make a healthy meal for your family.
Christine Luken is the Financial Lifeguard and a veteran Meal Planner. She helps individuals, families, and entrepreneurs design a financial road map to help them arrive at their Preferred Financial Destination. You can find Christine’s blogs, podcasts, and videos on her Financial Lifeguard website and her Meal Planning Monday blog.
