When we moved into our first house, I had big ambitions about growing my own food.
The 100-mile diet was gaining popularity and finally I had a yard in which to build a garden. We bought blueberry bushes, fruit trees, and all types of seeds. I was imagining a constant feast of delicious foods from my bountiful garden.
Unfortunately, this initial zeal wore off, and I realized that gardening is actually a lot of work. Not only that, but it also requires a fair bit of knowledge and patience.
That year, I got about three blueberries (which I wasn’t supposed to harvest), one cherry and a lot of green tomatoes.
My onions had bulbs the size of a garlic clove and we harvested my husband’s lone watermelon too soon, so it tasted like… water.
The only plants that grew well were my chard, kale and arugula, vegetables that I don’t particularly like to eat. To add insult to injury, I remember going to one of our local farm markets and seeing a 10-pound bag of local onions selling for $3, and I was like, why do I even bother?
There is a growing body of research showing the benefits of gardening. Gardening is a creative outlet, can calm the mind, relieve stress and connect people with nature.
It is also a form of exercise, and can provide you with delicious, healthy food.
Growing food with your children creates great memories with nutritious foods and teaches them about the interconnectedness of a healthy environment and food. However, like anything else, growing food requires practice to improve and starting small can be a helpful strategy for success.
In subsequent years, my gardening skills have improved.
I am more realistic with my expectations and have a better understanding of which aspects of my yard get more sun, better soil for different plants, etc. My daughter does not yet “get” gardening, but she rolls around the ground with her fist in her mouth, and I think she is telling me that she is excited to try the vegetables when they are ready to eat (if we stop getting snow!).
-Serena Caner is a registered dietician who works at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.