In the 1940s, near the end of World War II, rationing was a part of everyday life in the United States. Food was in high demand and due to the need to feed the men and women fighting the war, the government encouraged Americans to grow food to feed their families and to prevent a national food shortage.
There were approximately 20 million victory gardens in the US, and these gardens produced 40 percent of the country’s vegetables! Gardeners would can any extra food to last them through winter months.
Now it’s 2020, and victory gardens are back — and they’re calling them Wellness Gardens.
In times of uncertainty, we often fall back on the simplest and most important things in life. Nourishment is one of those essentials, and it can come from our own backyards.
Gardening gives us an opportunity to move our bodies, breathe fresh air and engage with Nature, all while staying home. Since we’re all staying home these days, what better time to start gardening or expand your garden?
Tips on how to grow your Wellness Garden
As spring arrives, it’s time to plan and start planting out our gardens. Here are a few tips for growing a Wellness Garden in your backyard that will feed and nourish your family and bring you many moments of peace and joy.
Plan for a long and bountiful season
Planning out your garden ahead of time allows you to optimize your space. As you plan your garden, consider the whole season – early spring through late fall. Warm season crops are bountiful, delicious, colorful and exciting! Cool-season plants are nutrient-rich, crisp and fresh, and wonderful for filling nooks and crannies.
Grow fast-growing cool season crops like lettuce and radishes in areas where you’ll plant warm season crops later in the season. Extend your season and create a more biodiverse garden space by planting cool season vegetables and quick-growing roots and greens. Plant shade-loving plants under trees and below garden crops that grow tall in the summertime.
Thinking of your garden space as three-dimensional – extending up from the ground into vertical space – adds an exciting depth of opportunity for exploration.
Start with locally grown plants
The plants you buy from your local greenhouse have grown up in your climate. They don’t have to adapt to a new environment after you take them home. Local plants are fresh plants – not tired and stressed from being transported across the state or country.
Local plants are fresh plants, and fresh plants are healthy plants.
Read this: Local Plant Starts for a Thriving Community
Grow what you eat
Think about the vegetables you love to eat most, and grow those! It may seem obvious, but we often forget to consider what it is we actually eat on a regular basis.
Read this: 10 Organic Plants Starts to Grow in Your Grand Valley Garden This Season
Become tomato literate
Ah, tomatoes. These can be some of the most rewarding crops to grow, especially when you have a few tricks up your sleeve!
Planting, pruning, trellising and other techniques go a long way when it comes to growing tomatoes. Not only can you prevent problems like bottom rot and sunburn with various techniques, you can also encourage your plants to produce bigger, more delicious fruits!
Read this: 7 Secrets to Growing Tasty Tomatoes
Remember herbs and flowers
Gardens aren’t just for growing food. In your garden, you can also grow fragrant plants simply for your enjoyment and well-being.
Read this blog post: Growing an Aromatherapy Garden for Your Well-Being
And this one: Planning Your Garden with Fresh Cut Flowers and Edible Herbs
We want to support you in creating the Wellness Garden of your dreams. That’s why we created something new this year: Garden Club!
Our Garden Club members receive exclusive deals on plants, supplies and short courses. Members get to join us for our Pre-Season VIP Day to get first dibs on plant varieties (or email us a plant order and we’ll set every variety aside). What’s more: Garden Club members get to pick out their tomato plants and leave them in our greenhouse to be nurtured until Mother’s Day.