Planting a family garden is a great bonding activity as well as the opportunity to learn about plants and responsibilities. Let your children have the opportunity to learn responsibility, teamwork and see the results of their labor in the garden. Most children think food comes from the grocery store so this is your chance to learn about actual farming aside from farming education through books, at school or television.

Growing Your Own Food

You could save a lot from planting your garden and you'll save by replacing store bought vegetables with the food you grow. Stacey Murphy, founder of BK Farmyards talked about transforming small spaces in New York City (Brooklyn) into bountiful gardens. She and her team of expert gardeners work with developers, home owners and city planners with underutilized land "… producing local food to reduce the city's reliance on fossil fuels and offer local jobs to boost the economy."

Here is some tips on how to take care of your plants:

• Take a 250 square feet land, or the equivalent of a 12 x 12 ft room.

• Give sunlight to your plants for roughly 6 to 8 hours per day and some shade.

• Learn basic carpentry skills to build raised planting beds to prepare ground with required nutrients.

• Prepare soil and seeds for the fruits and vegetables you want to grow.

• Give time and patience to water and weed your plants while watching them grow.

Benefits of Growing Your Own Food

While you are growing your own food, you get to spend time outdoors and relax doing something different. Here are more benefits for
you and your family.

Healthier, safer food - you definitely know what you are eating because you are the one who planted it. An organic food is healthier because you control what goes into the soil, i.e. no chemicals, no pesticides.

Great taste - Your own home grown food is tastier compared to store bought foods.

Reduce pollution - You save water from chemicals, and the air by burning fewer fossil fuels to transport your food from the farm to
your supermarket, to your home.

Reduce food waste - It's harder to waste food you've worked hard to nurture over many weeks, so you're more likely to eat or preserve it before it goes to waste.

Getting Started

If you are not sure that you're ready to commit to gardening then start small with an indoor herb garden on a windowsill or a few containers on a sunny balcony or patio. If you don't have enough space, look for a community garden near your home. You might grow to love the hobby of gardening from starting small.