Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Vegetable garden cost comparison
I’ve talked about this many times before and continue to get the question…
Do you really save money planting your own vegetable garden? That depends. Things to consider:
- how much effort will you put into creating your garden
- how much you spend on seeds and/or plants
- are you buying soil? amendments? fertilizer?
- your time spent watering, weeding and harvesting
- will you be building a raised bed
- do you need to buy equipment
Your first garden will always cost more but as I noted in my radio show, the upfront cost, especially if building a raised bed, will be worth the money because your crop yield will be higher.
And then there’s the benefit of being outside in the sun, working with nature, eating fresh, organically grown veggies! PRICELESS
“The garden is no place to stress for success but to soak up some sun and renew your spirit” Teri Knight
There’s also the sense of community should you get involved in a neighborhood garden, or if you’re involving your kids and teaching them about gardening.
I also love just being able to walk out to my garden and grab a perfectly ripe tomato or a handful of cilantro whenever I want it!
So, are you going to save by growing your own veggies? You’ll have to answer that for yourself, however, your happiness quotient will rise. A recent study to discover the happiest places on earth, or Blue Zones, gave big kudos to places where people were out in nature enjoying hobbies or working with the soil. It’s been well documented that gardening of any sort is a stress reliever and can, quite literally, make you happy.