Credit: http://stlhandmade.blogspot.ca/

Growing your own veggie garden can be a neat side hobby, to some it is their peaceful meditation moment. Whatever the reason you started your own garden, the end result is the same; having big juicy vegetables. We all know that shopping can take a good chunk of our money especially if you are buying fruits and vegetables, more people each year are beginning to start their own gardens whether indoors or outside and are absolutely loving it! Most of them have actually developed an interest in gardening, while most of them never had their hands in soil since they were children.

Reasons To Start A Garden

People in North America are becoming more concerned about their food, where it comes from and how it has been made. Individuals are now taking matters into their own hands, and gardening is a simple thing that anyone can do. Gardening does take a few hours out of the week but the payoff is exponential, not to mention a fun activity. What are some reasons people choose to garden? This is a broad question so let's look at bullet point answers.

• A fun hobby
• Meditation
• Health benefits from the food
• Participate in community sharing
• Try something new
• Watch the process from seed to harvest
• A challenge
• Full knowledge of how the food is produced
• Bond with nature

So You Think You Can Garden

Now that you have came to this article in hopes to learn a little something about getting your green thumb, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you begin to get dirty. Do you want to start indoors or outdoors? If beginning outdoors here are some questions you need to answer.

Outdoor

• Do you have the right amount of space?
• Do you have the time to look after your garden?
• Will you need to buy additional tools to start your new hobby?
• Has the soil been prepped and filled with nutrients?
• Are you starting from seed or are you going to get starter plants?
• Will your garden flourish in your environment?

These are just some questions you can ask yourself before making the choice to start your garden outdoors, it is important to keep in mind that IT TAKES WORK for you to get the results and is not as easy as watering once a week. Having a garden is a serious commitment, especially one that is outside. When you have an outdoor garden you must inspect for insects, tie up stems when they get to long, weed the garden to prevent smothering, water, and give them love. (Plants respond to human interaction, so if you fill your plants with positivity, they will return the favor)

Indoor

Similar questions can be asked with an indoor garden too, the only difference is you will most likely be growing your veggie garden in pots or pails. From my experience, the bigger the pail, the more opportunity for the plants to grow. When you have plants outside, the opportunity is only limited to the plants ability, however, when growing indoors this is regulated. Obviously if you have a small starter pot that holds 4 liters vs a 19 liter pail you are going to see better results from the bigger pail. Why? Because the roots have more room, therefore the plant can most likely reach its full potential. BUT, you have to know the plants ability too, because if you have small herbs that only require a little ammount of room you are not going to need the big pails. Do some research on how much room your veggies will need and use your best judgement from there.

TIP: When growing in pails it is recommended but not required, to drill a small drain off hole a few inches from the bottom. This way the roots will seek out the water and you prevent yourself from flooding the plant. If you neglect the hole and over fill, you will be in for a wet mucky mess.

What To Plant

You're growing your own veggie garden, so this is 100% up to you. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Kale
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Parsley
• Basil
• Oregano
• Carrots
• Celery

That's just a few to get you started, pick what best suits you.. The advantage of growing your veggie garden indoors vs. outdoors is that everything can be regulated such as temperature, light, water, wind, and even the reduction of harmful insects. Not to mention, you can have a continuous cycle all year long. After getting into the swing of things you no longer have to spend those dollars at the grocery store, When you have an in home garden that provides you better quality food right from your fingertips, you know exactly how that cucumber or kale has been created. No pesticides, chemicals or mishandling, nothing but complete peace of mind.

Getting Started

After you have selected a spot to get your veggie garden going, its time to put everything together. Start by prepping the soil. This can be buying soil from the store or turning the soil that is outside. Remove all debris and weeds from the soil before planting outside to avoid your veggies being suffocated. You can now begin planting your veggies from seed, or a starter package. Be sure to read the instructions that came with your plants, if you are uncertain you can always use the internet. 

This has just been an introductory article and was intended to get your juices flowing in hopes to give you the umph! to start getting your own veggie garden going, if you are seeking further information as previously mentioned Google can be a great resource for uncovering more on this topic. If you are not tech savvy, your local garden center will be able to help you much better. Tell them what you have in mind and they can point you in the right direction. When you are in need of help always ask, we live in a first world country where if you ask for help you're gonna get it. 

Thank you to everyone for your time to read this article, leave a comment about your gardening endeavours. Maybe it's your first time gardening or maybe you are a green thumb veteran, either way I would love to hear what you have to say. If you would like to add something to the article that I have missed or overlooked please let me know.