Victory I mean, Vegetable Garden!

The amount of energy that is used to grow, harvest, and transport vegetables all over the world can make it almost impossible for a family to fit healthy options into their budget. By growing a vegetable garden, however, families can create something together that will help save money, offer healthier choices, and create a beautiful landscape.

What’s on the menu?

Once you decide to start a vegetable garden you need to pick what goes into it. You should start by planting food that your family eats on a regular basis. This will ensure that any harvest you have will be enjoyed. After that you may want to add a few family favorites. This way the family has something to look forward to and will be even more excited about tending to the garden. From there you may want to add a few new things you may want to try.  This way you can experiment with new recipes and get the most out of your garden!

Tending to your garden

After mapping everything out and planting all your veggies you will need to tend to them to ensure a great harvest. Unless you’ve dedicated a large plot of land (an acre or more) you should only need to hand-weed your garden. This should be done as often as possible but at least once a week. That way your plants have plenty of room to grow and do not need to fight over nutrients and water.

Unless it rains during the night or throughout the day you should try to water your plants once a day or every other day.

Soil needs to be nutrient-rich and aerated. If you have a rototill or can borrow one this should be an easy job. If not, planning and preparing the ground for each plant may be best. This way you do not need to hand plow an entire section but still have plenty of great soil for your plants. You may want to consider composting as well. It is a great way to create fabulous, nutritious soil without extra expenses.

Enjoy!

That’s why you started the garden in the first place, right? Once the plants begin to produce vegetables start harvesting as soon and as often as possible. This will help create a better yield.

Make it look attractive. While I suggest using chicken wire to protect your plants you can reinforce it with an adorable picket fence. You can also plant flowers like nasturtiums around the border to add a pop of color and (if you like spice) a little something extra to your dishes.

Your vegetables can even be preserved! There are plenty of ways to freeze, can, and pickle your veggies so they last all winter long. That way even in the dead of winter you can have homegrown sweet corn. Yum!