Financially

The great thing about keeping and growing your own is that it not only saves you money, it also frees you from the worry of future fluctuating prices!

The cost of our fresh produce has been steadily rising, and just today it was reported that inflation is above it’s target at well over 3% per annum. It looks set that our fruit and veg is to become even more costly.

You can preserve in one way or another any over production, so you can benefit from it all year round.

Physically

You’ll reduce the chemicals you consume, increase your intake of nutritions (vitamins and minerals) and improve your fitness

You are the one with the quality control and can choose to and afford to eat organic, after all you’ll be in charge of the pesticide. There are plenty of natural alternatives to chemical pesticides, I’ll list the ones I know in a future article.

You’ll be able eat much fresher and riper produce. Store bought produce is often picked before it is ripe so that it has the best chance to end up on the shelf unspoiled and undamaged. It is a well known that picking produce before it is ripe reduces its nutritional value.

You’ll definitely get exercise when growing your own, theres always something that needs doing.

Emotionally

Relaxing satisfying and a sense of achievement

There’s something about being out in the garden, is it some inner sense of communing with nature, or is it just that you’ve left your mobile inside whichever it does feel good.

…and in the end you do get something for your efforts, great value, great tasting food (possible not great looking though!)

What you could plan now for your vegetable garden

Broccoli, French Beans and Runner Beans can be planted now, you may even get away with planting carrots still as it has been colder than usual, up until now that is.

Remember to erect your poles for runners, make sure the ground is well manured, weed free and even now it"s worth protecting seedlings from frost (using fleece if need be)

Your tomatoes can go in your grow bags now – keep them watered, protected from frost and make sure you add feed every now and again

Enjoy