This post is going to be short and sweet (and savoury!). Hopefully, it will encourage you to listen to the latest episode (if you haven’t already). If you’ve already listened, keep reading too: More motivation is never a bad thing! I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Maybe it’s the dawn of Spring (of course no one told the weather in the GTA). Maybe’s it’s waiting in line to buy groceries. Or maybe it’s a desire to rediscover some long-lost ancestral root. Whatever it is, I now have a ton of reasons why you should start your own vegetable garden:
1. Food Security: Let’s get the worst one out of the way. If COVID-19 didn’t make you realize how much your subsistence depends on a complex supply chain that is completely out of your control, then you’re forever condemned to the 2010’s, like Bieber and the Kardashians (I hope!) You also depend on grocery retailers and within this system, a number of underpaid workers (all the way from migrant farm labour to your friendly neighbourhood cashier). Growing your own produce is one way you can limit (at least slightly) your reliance on a system that you had no idea was fragile until recently.
2. Health: Gardening gets you outside in the fresh air. It involves physical labour, such as digging, squatting, and puttering around the yard. It improves your mental health. And it provides you with a steady supply of nutritious food, which will encourage you to include more vegetables in your diet (bonus reason: You won’t have to listen to your mom reminding you to “eat your vegetables!”)
3. Giving: On that note, why not flip it around on your mom. Pack her up a nice basket of fresh vegetables from your garden for Mothers’ Day. Who says ‘no’ to free food? Your garden provides a way to make nice with the neighbours or impress a dinner party host (one day). If you have kids, it’s a great hobby to pass on; one that will keep giving throughout the rest of their lives.
4. Aesthetics: Walking through a garden can be a transcendent experience. The colours, the aromas, the warmth, the sound of birds and bees! And vegetables that come in all sizes and shapes, resembling the more intriguing parts of our anatomy. What better way to annoy your Instagram followers than with pictures of your homegrown eggplants!
5. Nature: Not only is a lawn full of grass boring (so 20th century!), it is also a dessert for pollinators. Your garden will provide nourishment for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial wildlife. Some you won’t want (listen to the episode for tips on keeping away the unwelcome guests), but the bottom line is that your garden will be a net positive for mother nature.
6. Ease: I’ll admit that I’m not at the point where I can guarantee this one yet, but according to gardening pro Camille, gardening is not that difficult once you get over the initial intimidation. It takes a bit of planning (finding a good spot, getting the right soil, and choosing the right crops for the right season), but once you’ve got that down, mother nature does most of the work! You don’t even need a yard: Most veggies can be grown in pots too! If you need extra help, pick up a copy of The Year Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour; this is Camille’s vegetable gardening “bible”.
7. Flavour: This is another one that I cannot attest to yet, so for now we are going to have to take Camille’s word for it. I have eaten home grown herbs and aside from the flavour enhancement, I can say that there is something so heartwarming about being able to able to go into your backyard for a fresh handful of basil or rosemary. You’ll find yourself adding herbs to almost every dish you make, which will up your flavour game even more! On that note, some of us could use a cooking lesson (coming soon!)
So, there you have it. If I haven’t convinced you yet, then let me know and I’ll send you some fresh tomatoes (or something – I hope) at the end of the summer. Maybe then, you’ll come around. If you are convinced, then go and give the latest episode a listen. And please don’t hesitate to comment, like, or share!
Camille happens to be a talented photographer as well!