This January, did you make any resolutions? Did you set a goal to save more money? To eat healthy? To replace a few takeout meals with home-cooked ones? Maybe you would like to spend more time outside or do something good for the environment? Or stay active? Guess what?! Gardening can help you do ALL of these things!
We’ve all seen our grocery bills go up lately. While gardening won’t make eggs less expensive, it can certainly help with the produce department. (Then, maybe look into getting some chickens, but know they’ll dig in your garden!) You can spend $5 on a container of spring mix, or cut a fresh bowl full each day from a $2 seed packet.
Having healthy, homegrown veggies right on your patio or in your backyard can make it easier to eat healthy. Just try to get all of the sugar snap peas, strawberries, and cherry tomatoes that you pick into the house without eating them!! A fresh supply of produce and herbs will coax your inner chef into preparing some tasty meals, or at least a salad.
A counter packed with garden vegetables
A handful of freshly picked tomatoes
As you get outside to tend to your garden, all of that bending, stretching, carrying potting soil, and squatting to pick weeds adds up to a low impact workout in the sunshine! While supporting your own health (bring on the Vitamin D!), you can also support pollinators. Plant things that offer pollen, nectar, seed, and habitat options throughout the season for the bees, butterflies, and birds in your area, and don’t forget to provide a water source. Learn more about pollinator gardening in this post.
One of my goals for this year is to take more pictures! Photos can help document the changes in your garden and serve as a great way to remember when things bloomed, how big they got, or what combinations you might want to change next time. Try taking a photo from the same place each week, or each month. It can help you see the change in your garden over the year and, if you’re like me, help you remember when you put those plants you got on clearance. 😉
To help you stay organized, consider keeping a garden journal. If you prefer tech to paper, Farmers Almanac has a free app: https://gardenplanner.almanac.com/journal.aspx
If you resolve to start a garden this year, you’ll have the best success if you plan ahead. Find tips on planning your garden in this post. Don’t forget to try something new, and have a healthy and happy year. 🌱
