Whether you garden in containers on a balcony or on half an acre out back, you can nourish your body and save the planet at the same time.
Save the planet? It’s easier than it sounds. Growing a vegetable garden is the right thing to do – on so many levels. You get fit, you get healthy, you eat local, and you do your share to care for our precious planet. If you have kids, it gets even better. Those little people are more likely to get excited about – and eat – the fruits and veggies that they’ve tended in their own backyard.
Inner Space
You don’t need tons of space or any special expertise. You can start small by growing tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and beans in containers. A small patio is big enough to keep you, your family, and your neighbors in tomatoes and eggplant well into autumn.
If you’re feeling super gung ho and really want to make an impact, convert an underused lawn to vegetable beds and install a low-water-usage irrigation system. You’re getting greener by the minute.
Three easy steps:
Save the planet? It’s easier than it sounds. Growing a vegetable garden is the right thing to do – on so many levels. You get fit, you get healthy, you eat local, and you do your share to care for our precious planet. If you have kids, it gets even better. Those little people are more likely to get excited about – and eat – the fruits and veggies that they’ve tended in their own backyard.
Inner Space
You don’t need tons of space or any special expertise. You can start small by growing tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and beans in containers. A small patio is big enough to keep you, your family, and your neighbors in tomatoes and eggplant well into autumn.
If you’re feeling super gung ho and really want to make an impact, convert an underused lawn to vegetable beds and install a low-water-usage irrigation system. You’re getting greener by the minute.
Three easy steps:
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Plant
Visit your local nursery to get expert tips and to find out what grows well in your area. Purchase good soil or amend the soil that you already have. Plant from seedlings or carefully follow the instructions on seed packets. -
Maintain
Stay on top of pests and diseases. You can purchase non-toxic pesticides and fungicides at your local gardening shop. For do-it-yourselfers, a quick Internet search of non-toxic pesticides will reap a wealth of recipes that you can mix up at home: garlic sprays, soap sprays, and milk sprays are only a few of the myriad ways to keep it green and simple. Don’t forget to water. -
Harvest
Reap what you have sown. The fruits of your labor are…edible! You can’t get fresher, more nutrient-dense food than this. Filling your table with a healthful abundance of veggies and fruits that came out of the dirt and straight in through your back door decreases the carbon footprint of your meal by a lot. You can’t get greener – or more local – than that.
