Most people aren’t gardeners, and even fewer are bona fide farmers. All of us, though, eat.
For this reason, food producers around the country — and around the world — are faced with a high demand for their products, a demand that might become unattainable in the future. In order to ensure a greater sense of food security, it’s time for us all to consider cultivating our own gardens.
You might be scratching your head if you live in an apartment, urban environment, or any other place that doesn’t have the green space for a garden. Fortunately, green thumbs before you have come up with the idea of a vertical garden. You can hang plants, put them on shelves, or simply put them in pots with trellises so that they can grow onward and upward.
You, too, can grow onward and upward if you start your own vertical garden. Aside from improved food security, below are six more reasons home gardens are the way of the future.
It’s Good for the Environment
Imagine the journey the vegetables you buy in a grocery store must go through to get there. They’re often picked in another state or country and transported for miles to reach you. That effort requires a ton of resources that your backyard garden can eliminate. Your own fresh fruits and veggies will produce less waste, help prevent soil erosion, and stave off future droughts.
It’s Healthier for You
You’ve heard — or you might know from sampling them yourself — organic fruits and veggies typically taste better than their pesticide-laden counterparts. Naturally grown produce also boasts more vitamins and minerals, especially if it’s locally grown and bought as fresh as possible. Imagine how flavorful and beneficial your vertical garden will be: freshly picked vegetables and fruits can go directly into your cooking, no middleman or nutrients lost.
Many home gardeners also get creative, growing produce that might otherwise be hard to come by or expensive in stores. This daringness has health benefits, as your body craves dietary diversity. New fruits and vegetables without steep price tags or miles of travel? Sign us up.
It Keeps Water Cleaner
As previously mentioned, many farmers rely on chemically based products to keep insects and other plant-eating pests at bay. These might be helpful to the farmer and improve overall yield, but they’re not good for us or for our water supply.
Perhaps it rains or the farmer waters his plants after spraying on a layer of pesticides. Where does the run-off go? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it often goes into our groundwater, and more than 35 states have contaminated groundwater because of this cycle. Your home garden can help cut down on this, and you can drink from the tap with a little more confidence.
It Cuts Down on Energy Usage
You probably don’t think about farms as places where a massive amount of energy is used, but think again: modern farming uses more petroleum than any other industry. This figure includes the production of synthetic pesticides, which actually account for more energy usage than the planting and harvesting of natural crops. If you say “yes” to gardening — and “no” to synthetic pesticides — you can help reduce this number.
It Boosts Biodiversity
Crop fields are often dedicated to, well, one type of crop. This makes the farmer’s life easier, for sure, but it doesn’t do much for the environment. It saps nutrients from the soil and allows pests to become smarter in their attack on our food supplies; that’s why fertilizers and pesticides have become commonplace.
By planting your own garden with a bunch of different plants, you’ll be doing your part to mix it up. Even if you don’t have a plot of land to improve with your green gardening, your vertical garden can attract bees and other helpful insects that might not show up to tired farmlands. They’re vital to the biodiversity of an area, too, because of their role in pollination.
It Bulks Up Your Wallet
This one might not necessarily save the world, but it might mean the world to you and your family. A vertical garden can help you save grocery money.
You can also use scrap wood and recycled containers, rather than buying new supplies to start your vertical garden. It doesn’t take much: seeds, soil, and some basic power tools can transform an unused corner of your patio or apartment into a tiny farm.
You can also create your own compost in order to fertilize your plants for free. Once your garden starts yielding produce, you’ll save money at the grocery store, too. You’ll avoid rising food costs, help the environment, and eat more flavorful meals. Who said saving the world had to be hard?
If you want to contribute to sustainable lifestyles and grow your own food, vertical gardening is a great solution! Nearly anyone can do it; you just need the right inspiration.
What vertical gardening strategies could you use in your home? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!
Further Reading:
- How to Start a Vegetable Garden – How to Grow Vegetables
- Planting a Fall Garden
- DIY Solutions for the Garden
- Medicinal Herb Garden – What To Grow and How To Keep It Growing All Winter
- 12 Organic Ways to Keep Your Garden Free of Slugs
- Planning Your Organic Garden
- 5 Reasons Small Scale Gardening Could Save the World
Sources:
- Growing A Vertical Vegetable Garden – Gardening Know How
- Power Tools – Hermance
- Top 10 Reasons To Grow Your Own Organic Food – Food Matters
- How to Start a Vegetable Garden – How to Grow Vegetables – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
Latest posts by Kayla Matthews (see all)
- How Vertical Gardening Could Help Save the World - January 29, 2015
- How To Fight SAD Naturally This Winter - January 11, 2015