You’re not so sure whether you want a veggie garden or not. You found the perfect spot in your backyard for a veggie patch, but you’re not so sure if it will be worth it. How much effort will it be? Will you even enjoy it, and are there any real benefits to growing veggies compared to just buying them? We’re here to tell you there are. Not only are there limitless things you can grow, but it’s actually better than buying them from the supermarket. Read through with us for 10 great reasons why you should grow your own veggies.

1. No chemicals

It always tastes better when it comes from your own garden, whether that’s because of the satisfaction aspect or because you know you haven’t used any nasty chemicals such as pesticides. Your garden is easily manageable compared to commercially harvested crops, so you won’t need to resort to using chemicals to kill off any pests. There are many efficient and easy ways to get rid of those annoying pests that are wanting to eat your veggies before you.

If you need a quick and easy natural pesticide, look no further than your kitchen. Find a fresh bulb of garlic, and a few onions and blend them together. Add water to your mix, and let it settle for about an hour or so. Next you’ll want to drain out the water into a spray bottle. For a little extra protection, add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to your spray mix. Larger slugs and snails detest the hot taste of cayenne pepper. Spray it on and around your veggies to keep the pests at bay. Garlic and onions contain a natural sulphur odour that will deter insects and pests, essentially making your veggies unappealing to them. You can use the blended onion and garlic paste as a little wall of protection around the veggies that seem to get the most attention from pests.

2. You know the products you use

When you purchase vegetables from the supermarket you have no idea what they used to “help” them grow. A number of large supermarket chains use steroid mixes to enhance and enlarge their vegetables, so they look more appealing. This is partly why when you go to the supermarket everything in produce looks almost perfect, whereas at a farmers market, or with your homegrown vegetables, they may look smaller. Do yourself a favour and grow your own veggies. Trust us when we say this, they taste a million times better than anything you can buy at the grocery store.

3. Tastes better

Trust us when we say this, they taste a million times better than anything you can buy at the grocery store. Nothing is more satisfying than walking through your vegetable garden, after a day at work and reaching down to pluck a sweet little red cherry tomato to snack on. Really, one of the best things about growing veggies is getting to eat them in the end! In addition, your meals are going to taste wonderful. 

4. No reliance upon supermarket stock

You go down to the grocery store because you’re in desperate need of carrots and broccoli. You used them all up a few days ago, and you’ve been scrounging around your kitchen to find something else to use. It can be so irritating being excited about a certain meal, only to find out you can’t have it because you lack the ingredients. Well, if you’re rather clever, you will grow your own veggies and not have to worry about unplanned trips at the grocery store. 

5. You know where the food came from 

Sometimes you can tell that none of the tomatoes, or onions at the supermarket are ripe . Well, you’re probably right, sometimes produce travels a long way on the back of a truck across the country. It’s likely the supermarket won’t tell you on the label, but it can happen. Veggies and fruit that have been sitting in the back of a truck, especially in Australian weather can end up rotten or overripe by the time it gets to the store. A benefit of having a veggie garden is that it only has to travel from your garden to your kitchen. 

6. Less food wastage

It happens unfortunately, you’ll sometimes overstock a certain kind of food, either because it’s on sale or because it went rotten sooner than you hoped. It’s a lot easier to manage your veggie garden and harvest only when you need to. Therefore guaranteeing you’re not going to put more food to waste.

7. Saves money

Yes, maintaining and growing your veggie garden is cheaper than constantly going out and buying the same things each week. Maybe the soil or fertiliser you purchased was a little expensive, but because you can keep producing and growing veggies and fruits, it is totally worth it. 

8. Gardening makes you feel good

We’re not just making it up, studies have shown that walking out into nature makes people feel better. Guess what? This includes working on your veggie garden. It’s believed that getting your hands in contact with soils, plants and everything natural releases serotonin. That’s the chemical in your brain that makes you feel good. 

9. Benefits the local ecosystem 

Creepy crawlies and the local wildlife will love the excess you’re not using in your garden. Insects such as ladybirds, worms, praying mantises and even spiders are all beneficial to your garden. So try to keep them there. 

You can even set up a compost bin, which is full of wonderful creepy crawlies that will benefit your garden even further. It’ll produce wonderfully nutrient-rich soil for your garden and flower bed. 

10. Entices you to be more self-reliant with producing your own food

You’ve done it, you have a little vegetable garden! You did that all on your own, and you should feel good about it. If you’ve gone this far and been self-reliant in producing some of your own food, why not take it a step further? 

Consider making fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, which is a great topper for meals and rather good for your gut health. It’s easy, you just need a good mason jar, some cabbage (hopefully from your veggie garden) and some salt.

If you’re feeling a little thirsty try making some kombucha. It’s a healthy alternative to soft drinks, with a healthy dose of probiotics and vitamin B. It may seem daunting, but it’s quite easy to do, and you can produce an essentially endless supply of it in any flavour you want. Want a simple green tea flavour? Check. Or maybe a raspberry flavour? Easy. It’s all easy to make, just get yourself a kombucha starter kit, and get underway.