Wellness Wednesday - Grow Your Own for Ease and Economy!

Ok, it's no secret I love my veggies, I've been vegan for over 10 years.

But THIS. This is taking eating healthily on a budget to a whole new level!

The last few years have shown us rising prices, impacted supply chains, and foods that aren't always available when we go shopping. For a while, it was actually hard to get lettuce in my local grocery store that wasn't $4 or $5 per head, or half rotten!

When the pandemic first started, I didn't have any gardens, and that was high on my priority list. A friend of mine introduced me to the Tower Garden system and I was hooked. Yes, it was a bit expensive at first (I used their free payment plan as I didn't have the money up front), but it has MORE than paid for itself in less than two years.

I'm not saying you have to invest in a Tower Garden (though if you're interested, let me know, I can give you the lowdown on pro's and con's), but please do consider trying to grow your own in a windowsill, your back yard, your balcony, anywhere you can.

Not only does it save you significant money in the short and long term, you have the incredible satisfaction of seeing something grow from seed and watch as it grows into the food you get to eat.

It creates gratitude for the food you have grown and now eat. 

It creates an almost sacred connection between you and your food.

You have control over how it is grown - if you want to use herbicides/pesticides or not, if you want to use LED lighting or your natural sunlight-infused window, etc.

You have control (mostly!) over when it is harvested - you don't have to harvest it early or late, you can eat it at its peak.

It also connects you with the earth and the stability of the planet we live on. It shows us how fragile and precious our lives are, and that of the food that nourishes us. We see when plants thrive, we see when plants don't flourish. We see the precarious balance we all have on this planet.

Which again, brings us back to gratitude.

Rare is the time I tend to my plants absentmindedly. Rare is the time that I eat a meal that I have grown in complete mindlessness.

Not only does homegrown food taste better, you appreciate it SO much more! It also has anxiety-reducing benefits!

So please, try to grow something this year - on a windowsill, in your basement (that's where my Tower Garden sits!), in your back yard, anywhere you can.

Maybe you have one pot, maybe a huge yard (though I recommend starting small and growing from there!), it all goes towards helping you connect with your food and eating well and living well.

What do you think? Will you try to grow something this year?

Meghann