With rising food costs and concerns over sustainability, self-sufficient gardening is gaining momentum. More than just a way to grow your own produce, this method reduces reliance on store-bought food, minimizes waste, and ensures fresh, organic harvests year-round.
When an envelope of chaos surrounds your life, it is important to know that your garden can be a place of refreshment, renewal, and hope. It can be a safe place where you can be still and become one with the natural world around you. This is a good thing. We often trip on our thoughts, on fear, and on the what if’s. In the garden, you can be still, content, and soak in the beauty that surrounds you. When you become a mindful gardener, you have arrived at a place that allows you to escape the chaos of the world and just be.
Many of us rely on our morning cup of coffee to get the day started. The delicious aroma of a warm cup of coffee just sets the tone for the day ahead. What you might not know is that coffee itself, as well as the grounds, are good for so much more.Â
Water is life. Life for humans, animals, and life for plants. Water is also costly, and in many places, scarce. Because of this, collecting and using FREE rainwater is an excellent idea. The practice of rainwater catchment is an ancient practice that has proven effective for thousands of years.Â
Haven’t we all had enough stress for one year? An out of control virus that just won’t go away, civil and political unrest, and now….. An increasing number of food recalls continue to threaten our health and wellbeing. Do you buy produce at Walmart? If you have shopped over the weekend at Walmart and purchased single head romaine lettuce – don’t eat it!Â
A trip to the grocery store is a chore for some, but for fruit and veggie lovers, the produce section is like a candy store. Markets today stock a greater variety of produce than ever before, including out-of-season and exotic items from the other side of the world.
For avid gardeners, this will come as no surprise…Gardening is a major stress reliever. Being outdoors, nurturing new growth, creating something with your hands, being productive; these are all ways that growing plants and maintaining a garden reduces stress and promotes relaxation.Â
In the early pioneering days of America, most people grew their own food, learning how to cultivate and grow it, not for fun but because a home garden was necessary for survival. In the 17th century, those settlers farmed their own fruits and vegetables, often using small, enclosed gardens that sat just outside their front door. Typically these gardens were focused on essential edibles, culinary and medicinal herbs. While food gardening has waxed and waned since then, it will never stop.Â
While growing and preserving food is still a widespread activity in many cultures around the world, it isn’t necessarily popular in America. Many people take food for granted, simply going to the grocery store without much thought as to where the food comes from. We just expect it to be there, right?
Living sustainably is no longer limited to the size of the land you own. Although you might not have enough space in your garden to grow large crops like wheat and corn, you can still grow fruits, vegetables, and trees in a city garden — or even containers. There’s a growing number of urban dwellers looking to become self-sufficient while reconnecting with nature. So, if you’re a big city dweller and dream of becoming a modern-day homesteader one day, why wait? Here’s how to be self-sufficient in the city.
Over one hundred million American adults have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. This is nearly half of all American adults and a staggering statistic for sure. The most common cause of cardiovascular disease-related deaths is high blood pressure, a condition that can be reversed. Two ways that you can lower blood pressure are by reducing stress and engaging in some sort of physical activity daily. If you aren’t much for jogging, why not try gardening your way to lower blood pressure?Â
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