Planting Seeds for a Better Future
Gardening! Home gardening is one of the best things an individual can do for themselves and for their local environment!
It can seem a bit daunting when you see images of full gardens, lush and weed-free, but every garden starts from a simple seed!
Why Garden?
Why should someone garden? Well, there are many reasons!
There is such a large amount of satisfaction that comes from seeing something grow, and being able to reap the literal fruits of your effort!
But, more than that, there are economic and ecological reasons to garden.
Not only can it save you money in the long run, but it can help your local environment in many ways!
By planting native species, you can support other native species in your area, and drive out invasive species! Not to mention supporting local fauna, such as bees and other pollinators!
Planting and sharing your harvest can keep others from having to buy non locally sourced, chemical-ridden food.
Pollinators are very necessary for the planet, as without pollinators, nothing would grow! Even spreading some local clover varieties gives pollinators a bigger headstart than you might think!
Having a garden over a lawn can help support eco-diversity, and also give you less work! Rather than having to mow every week, native plants are suited well for growing in areas, and have natural predators to keep them in check, meaning less work for you overall!
So, how do you start a garden?
It depends on what type of garden you like!
Decide how large a garden you'd like to start out with. Some easy ones to start off with are cherry tomatoes, which grow happily in medium-sized pots and are low maintenance! Others include cucumbers, herbs of all sorts, and radishes!
Make sure that what you plant is either native to your area, or well contained! Driving out native species can be more harmful than people realize, as all sorts of bugs and animals depend on these plants!
Set aside an area, buy some seeds and some soil, and get to planting!
Most of the effort from gardening comes from the setup, so set aside a day to weed and plant! From there on, most of what you need to do is water and weed, and wait for the fruits of your labor to roll in!