Has anyone figured out if it worth it to keep a garden?

Question

we are just beginning to learn about gardening. I was wondering if it really helps on the winter grocery bill by having canned all summer or not. Is it worth all the time it takes to do it compared to the amount of money saved?

Answer 1

It is absolutely worth it. In addition to having the very best produce, you have all that wonderful time spent out there so close to nature. Each morning, the garden is so different from the night before - we really witness the miracle of life.

Can you buy food cheaper? Maybe, but not like you grow. It was only a few years ago I was finally able to have a garden even though I grew up on a farm; my grandmother had a huge garden and canned and froze for all of us in later years. This morning, I had breakfast in my garden, a couple of tomatoes here, some broccoli and cauliflower there and all very good for me and my health. What my garden has done for me, in addition to the wonderful veggies from it and giving me a real connection to the earth, is help me recover from the sudden death of my son. There is something about being in the garden in the early morning that gives a connection to something much more than ourselves . . . there is no price that can be put on that. Honestly, the gardeners I know these days are not doing it to "save money," they are doing it for the quality of the food and the pleasure the garden provides.

It's rather like sewing . . . I may not save money sewing for myself with all the cheap imports (if I were to buy them!), but I have clothes that fit, look good and last. Is it worth the time and effort? Absolutely.

So, is it worth it to keep a garden? The question is, where does one put worth?

P.S. Now that I think of it, I've not heard of a bank robber, car thief or serial murderer that was a gardener. There must be a thesis to be written based on that.

Answer 2

I think this really depends on the weather year to year. You may try it next year and it will work great, but then the year after the garden is a flop and it doesn't work. Some plants do well in certain environments while others require something different. I have found that many plants do much better in raised garden boxes rather than on the ground (plus it is easier to harvest the food as it is higher off the ground). Gardening also helps you to appreciate the food you eat more often, b/c you are the one that helped it grow into something you can eat. Hopefully, if you so choose to do a garden it will prove to be a profit/savings for you.

Answer 3

Mayhay is wrong. The taste of home grown vegetables is worth the cost and labor. A vine ripened tomato is superior by far to a picked green and let ripen store bought tomato. Give me a tomato patch and a box of saltines and I'll sit between the rows and eat all day. A garden can be expensive and back breaking but is well worth it. EDIT Sorry Mayhey, I misread your answer.

Answer 4

That is going to depend on if you want real flavor and nutrition in foods or not. The cost today for planting a garden is very expensive, but if you enjoy the true tasts of vine rippened tomatoes and beans verses what you get in supermarkets, then go for it. As far as actual saving any money--down the road you will after you have worked the soil for a few years and invested in the canning materials. I grew up on home canned foods and canned for many years. I am all for it.

Answer 5

The benefits of gardening cannot be measured strictly in dollars and cents (or whatever your local currency is.)

Ones knowledge of our world and the interaction of animals and plants is increased when you garden.

The health benefits of stress reduction by having a garden where one can go to escape the pressures of day to day life cannot be measured.

The knowledge that your family's food was, at least in part, produced with a minimum of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with the resulting health benefits, has a great value.

Having a hobby where you can spend time with your family and share the resulting bounty with your friends and family, priceless.

Visit our website for more gardening ideas at-
http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.com/

Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!

Answer 6

If you have enough land to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables; enough to eat and enough to can at the same time and of course the time to plant and cultivate and ha;rvest;
why soit'nly!
Not to mention the appreciation you'll garner for the farmers that grow the fruits and veggies that we so easily go to the market and buy.
And the appreciation you will have for God if you are a believer or Mother Nature if you are not may even bring you to tears when you realize just what it takes for man to be able to cultivate the soil and help something to grow.
You'll be able to look at your hands with pride and admiration and gratitude.
Is it worth it?
You know the answer.

Answer 7

No, it's not worth the time or money you spend on a garden. You water, fertilize, weed it, and then your garden does not do well. All this is down the drain. By the time your garden is ready, you can go to the market and get it cheaper than the time and money you put in a garden.

Answer 8

You can buy a large variety of vegetables at Aldi's for 25 to 50 cents a can. It costs quite a bit to purchase jars , lids, and takes time and energy to can vegetables. My mother was canning for years then she figured out the costs of doing the work and she was about breaking even. You can get cases of veggies at truckload sales at grocery stores and Aldi is cheap.. Tomatoes and Salsa were about the only thing she could save money by canning. They kept raising the price of the lids and that was the expense that killed the savings.

Answer 9

If you prefer fresh and home-grown to the stuff in a tin can from the store, then I'd say it's worth your time, money, and effort. I don't know if you actually save money that way, since big producers can produce so cheaply, but it's certainly better-tasting, and (I have a hunch) better for you. It's all in what you value.

Answer 10

Health-wise, it would totally be worth it. You know all the chemicals(or lack of) that are put on it and have the satisfaction of knowing that it is fresh. All the work, it's obviously easier to just go to the grocery store. Money-wise, it depends on how much you grow. Once you have all the supplies necessary to can, it would be a huge investment.