With the last of the late spring frost warnings behind us (finger’s crossed), now is a great time to talk about the rewards of growing your own tomatoes and veggies as a part of your garden.
The most obvious reason to grow your own food is taste. Yes, you can find lots of produce in your local grocery store, but nothing will thrill your taste buds quite like what you produce in your own garden. Remember, it takes a long time for tomatoes and veggies to be harvested, shipped and distributed – plus you don’t know how long they’ve been on the shelf by the time you buy them. The food you grow, however, has a very short journey to make from garden to kitchen and that freshness makes it more delicious and nutritious.
When you cultivate your own food, you also have more control of what goes in and on your food. Typically, you don’t know what commercial growers are using. You can go all-organic, but you’ll pay a premium for it. You, on the other hand, determine what goes into your garden soil to amend it and what types of treatments you use to deal with bugs or other plant issues.
You’ll also avoid other uncertainties about the food you eat. It’s not so long ago that we had romaine lettuce recalls because of e-coli outbreaks. That’s something you don’t have to worry about with your homegrown veggies.
Then there’s the benefits that extend to all sorts of gardening, whether it’s flowers or food. Time out in the sunshine gives you vitamin D. You increase your physical activity doing something you love. There’s also a lot of evidence that microorganisms in the soil (specifically Mycobacterium vaccae) triggers the release of serotonin in our brains, which is yet another reason why gardening can make you happy.
If you have small children, make sure they are a part of cultivating your tomato and veggie garden. First of all, it’s a great family activity, plus it will teach them loads about everything from biology to having a little patience. As a bonus, it’s more likely your kids will eat their vegetables if they help you grow them, according to a study by Ohio State and Cornell universities.
If you have any questions about growing tomatoes or vegetables (or anything else in your garden), please stop by the nursery and ask. We’d love to help you cultivate a terrific garden that’s full of good eats.
Happy gardening,
Misti