Green thumbs for everyone

There was a time when growing your own veggies was the norm: every bit of available land was planted with staples to help keep the family fed. Only the very wealthy could afford to have ornamental gardens, and lawns were seen as an extravagance.

Over the years the home veggie patch lost its popularity because of changes in the way we work and spend our leisure time, access to cheap produce from markets and supermarkets, and people living on smaller blocks with less garden space.  

More recently we have seen a renewed interest in growing and making food at home.  Particularly when panic buying in 2020 left many supermarket shelves bare and prices began to skyrocket, which meant food security was no longer guaranteed.

As well as this, less travel and staying home to avoid getting sick has meant people are spending more time around the house looking for creative ways to fill the days. Alongside baking, home gardening has taken on a new appeal and it isn’t hard to see why!

What are the benefits of growing your own food?

• Delicious food at your door: plus the added bonus of knowing how it was grown

• Saving money: new research from the University of South Australia has shown that (not counting garden setup costs) 79% of people who established vegetable gardens were estimated to have saved over $250 on their annual grocery bill

• Good for mental health: gardening has been shown to reduce stress and promote mindfulness, is creative and productive, and gives a sense of achievement

• Good for the environment: zero food miles, no plastic packaging and a reduction in landfill if you compost your food scraps

• Improving kids’ eating habits: children who participate in growing and cooking food are better at trying new things and eating more vegies.

Thinking of trying your hand at growing some vegies?

We’d love to hear about how your garden grows! Don’t forget to tag Crunch&Sip in your socials and good luck on your home gardening adventure.