Sami Grover
DCL
We all know that growing your own veggies saves you money - Josh even listed it as one of 6 green ways to make money in a recession. But if you are strapped for cash, how can you make sure your gardening is as economically rewarding as possible? Here are a few tips for calibrating your cultivation for a maximum economic harvest:
Grow What You Eat
Look carefully at your diet and what you can grow - and plant accordingly. If you're a big fan of carrots, then grow lots of carrots. It's pretty obvious really - but the more you can offset what you buy with what you grow, the more money you'll save. I'm English, so it goes without saying that I always grow lots of potatoes.
Eat What you Grow
Conversely, try restricting yourself occasionally to eating meals that are solely or predominantly made from garden ingredients. You'll be surprised how good garden only suppers can taste - from a simple dish of a few fried potatoes, onions and cherry tomatoes; to soups; to salads; to baked squash. If it's homegrown and fresh, the simplest of ingredient lists can make a meal in itself.
Grow the Expensive Stuff
Next time you are in a grocery store, take a look at the prices. It's insane how much you'll pay for a few sprigs of rosemary, or a tiny carton of blueberries, cherry tomatoes or raspberries. Garlic is another easy to grow crop that is just way overpriced - leading most of us to use it like a spice, rather than the vegetable it should be. (Roasted garlic pasta sauce anyone?) So plant stuff that's easy to grow and normally expensive - fresh herbs, shiitake mushrooms and fruit are all good places to start.
Think Beyond Vegetables
If you have the room - consider expanding beyond fruits and vegetables. Installing a bee hive will not only net you gallons of valuable honey (which makes great holiday presents!), but it'll pollinate your veggies too - and chickens provide high-protein eggs, compost and bug control. (You have no idea how welcome eggs are if you are trying to stick to a garden-only supper!)
Go Perennial I know, time is money and money is time. How can you possibly grow a garden when you are working 16 jobs to keep the lights on? Perennial herbs, fruit bushes and trees and even perennial vegetables can be a great way to get edible crops with a fraction of the labor. Asparagus beds, for example, are a pain to create - but after a few years they'll be producing crop after crop of valuable spears for decades to come. Share the Harvest How does giving stuff away save you money? It doesn't - but it's nice to do. And if you have too many tomatoes, and your neighbor has a ton of figs, it makes sense to share so you both get a greater abundance. Learn to Preserve No matter how poor or how hungry you are, zucchini gets old in July. From drying and freezing to preserves and chutneys, there are plenty of ways to preserve all kinds of fruits and vegetables so you can keep enjoying the harvest - and slashing your grocery bills - for months to come. For more on going green and saving green, check out our eco-nomics feature Salivating over sustainable eats? Learn how to make your own with help from Emeril Lagasse in Planet Green TV's organic cooking show, Emeril Green.
