Roasted Tomatoes Straight from the Vine
Each year for as long as I can remember, I have planted herbs, tomatoes, and peppers. Sometimes I’ll also plant pumpkins or cucumbers (love both of these!). This year we went all out and planted tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, corn, pumpkins, squash, okra, peppers of every conceivable kind.
It has been an absolute joy to go outside and “grocery shop!” So much so that we’re planning on planting even more next year and have mapped out a few choice spots to have not one, but two gardens. We got an extra freezer to store our produce in and I have a strong feeling we’ll be thanking ourselves for our efforts all winter long.
Benefits of Growing Your Own Food
- It’s healthier! Fruits and vegetables are outrageously healthy and growing them, yourself, means you control the pesticides used and know EXACTLY what all has been involved from getting them from the garden to your plate.
- Convenient. Even when we weren’t living inside of a pandemic, the convenience of being able to step outside your back door and grab what you need to complete your meal was crazy convenient. These days, however, it’s even more so. Anything we can do to keep from having to go to the store is a win.
- Economical. If you shop for fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices in stores I don’t have to explain this one to you at all! Growing your own produce and herbs saves you money during the summer as well as during the winter if you freeze or can your harvest.
- Fun and Enriching Hobby! Any time we push ourselves out of our comfort zone and learn how to do new things, it’s SO good for our minds. Not only that, new hobbies are great for your emotional health as well. Gaining confidence through growing your own produce is a great payoff and one you won’t even realize has happened until you proudly walk into the kitchen with your colorful bounty.
- Excellent Exercise, Sunshine, and Fresh Air. Having vegetables and herbs in addition to my beloved flower beds has given me more reasons than ever to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. The extra (enjoyable) work of watering, weeding, planting, picking, etc.. has been wonderful exercise, too.
- Get the Kids Involved! My oldest grandbabies (3 and 1) have LOVED watching the veggies grow, watering them, picking them, and even tasting them! It’s a great way to get kids involved in a wonderful and useful hobby AND encourage them to eat more fruit and vegetables.
- Perfect for Those with Restrictive Diets. I have to eat gluten-free and have to say, it’s always extra comforting to KNOW something is completely free from gluten or wheat and hasn’t been cross-contaminated. Anyone who has to avoid gluten, peanuts, soy, wheat, or other problematic ingredients will appreciate the full control growing your own food gives you.
Below is a wonderful infographic about “Edible Landscaping” from an outstanding article titled The 12 Best Edible Landscape Plants. After clicking on the infographic below and seeing the wonderful information, I hope you’ll click through the link above to learn more. If you live in here in the states, more likely than not you’re like me – looking at the end of the gardening season. But, truly, what better time to start planning than now?! Gather your information, arm yourself with facts, accumulate the tools and seeds you’ll need, and map out your garden.
Next year will be here before you know it… so get growing!
