Many can conjure a provincial image of sprawling raised beds filled with vibrant leafy greens, neat rows of plump tomatoes, ripe cucumbers and squash sprawling across rich soil. With limited space serving as a constraint for many families, very few can picture the same scene as something within the possibilities and potential of their own outdoor areas. The rising popularity of homestead gardening has fostered creative space-saving solutions that make the daydream of harvesting food with your family a more realistic vision. Very few families have enough land or plot space to promote large yields of crops, however, most available information on home food production assumes that your space and resources are relatively limited. With current methods, your backyard, deck or balcony can be transformed into your own family plot.

The underlying uneasiness of the economic climate coupled with supply chain issues and pandemic precautions has encouraged many families to explore creative cultivation to supplement their regular grocery grab. In addition to providing fun and sunshine, gardening can reduce stress and anxiety, build self esteem and creativity, promote sleep, and most importantly, aid in the decline of food instability within communities in need.

Container gardening is an excellent way to plot a full edible garden in a restricted space. Handled buckets offer plant portability to placate changing weather and sunshine needs, and like raised beds, containers offer a way to circumvent hands-and-knees digging into hard or nutrient-deficient earth. The height of the bucket discourages pests from snacking and children and pets from accidentally stumbling into a delicate plant. A five to ten gallon food-grade bucket is capable of housing peppers, tomatoes, melons, onions, beans, squash, eggplant, cucumbers and more- even deep-root plants like carrots, beets and radishes! Most veggies can tolerate one to four plants per bucket before they begin to compete for root space and nutrients. Before you add potting soil, drill some holes in the bottom of the bucket and add a bit of gravel for drainage.

Hardware stores, garden shops and larger retailers often discard adequately sized containers- be sure to also check thrift stores and garage sales. There are also many handled cloth bags designed for container gardening. They are typically sold in bundles of five or more, are high quality and easy to use, but require watering a bit more often.

Vertical gardening has also offered a creative solution to space availability issues. Growing food utilizing all three dimensions tends to promote higher yield, deters pests and fungal growth and exposes a greater surface area of the leaves to sunshine, offering a heartier harvest. Certain plants thrive better with different support structures, but most often used are trellises, arbors, pergolas and wire or wooden arches. Bamboo, willow branches, wooden palettes and old fencing offer a thriftier and upcycled option and work just as well.

When deciding what to plant, focus on what your family enjoys eating. Many vegetables can be grown from the scraps of groceries you already have! Viable seeds can be harvested from nearly all above-ground crops. Sprout them in a moist paper towel, transfer them to soil, and watch them grow. The root end of lettuce, celery and green onions will regrow if left in a shallow bowl of water. Most herbs are able to be water propagated- cut the stem at an angle, dip in honey to encourage rooting, and place it in a glass of water. Roots will appear within a week, and the plant can remain in (clean, regularly changed) water indefinitely, or can be planted in soil and placed on a sunny windowsill to encourage growth.

Homestead gardening is a thrilling and frugal way to feed your family, foster teamwork and cooperation with your children, and boost mood through the power of creation and accomplishment. Whether your family’s diet needs more fruits and veggies or you’re looking for a new way to be outside with your loved ones, get your hands in the dirt and begin to picture you and your garden thriving through the summer.