In the U.S., during World War I, we called them “War Gardens.” They became “Victory Gardens” in World War II. And they saved this country and others from severe food shortages. It has been estimated that, in WWII, home and community gardens produced more than one-third of all vegetables grown in the United States and provided about 70 percent of the vegetables eaten by Americans at home.
Victory Gardens came in every shape and size. Governments and corporations promoted this call for self-reliance. People in all areas, rural and urban alike, worked the soil to raise food for their families, friends, and neighbors. Victory gardening enabled more supplies to be shipped to our troops around the world.
Nowadays, there are still remnants of these gardens in our backyards. Some are just home vegetable gardens. Others are yards filled with fruit trees, citrus, apricot, apples, avocado, etc. In some cities, they are community urban gardens. But our large farms are so efficient that it’s unlikely we need any victory gardens anymore-or do we?
The barrel price of oil has been rising for years. Not only are we paying more at the pump, we are paying more for anything that must be shipped from one point to another. Food prices have also risen, partly because of shipping costs and partly for other reasons. We may not be starving, or on war rations, but we are certainly paying more for many necessities, and budgets are much tighter.
A home vegetable garden is a good way to save money, in more ways than one. If you like your vegetables really fresh, it’s necessary to shop more often. Unless you live within walking or bicycling distance of a place that sells fresh vegetables, you are using gas to do that shopping. And if that isn’t a good enough argument for ‘growing your own,’ the taste of freshly-picked produce will convince you, if you just try it once! Plucking fresh veggies or fruit from your own garden, just in time for that evening’s meal, will give you a huge sense of pride, not to mention the unbelievable sweet freshness-even better than getting them from your local produce stand. Those of you who already grow your own vegetables can help by giving out a bit of your fresh fruits and vegetables to your neighbors. That alone may convince them to try it!
Many people resist growing food at home-for many reasons.
- They think an attractive garden must be only decorative-and although many decorative flowers are edible (rose petals, for example), most people don’t eat them. But many food plants are also decorative-eggplants have a very pretty flower, many herbs are grown as decorative plants, and pepper plants are often sold as ornamentals. Admittedly, tomato plants are generally unprepossessing-but you aren’t limited to tomatoes!
- Some people are low on space-apartment dwellers, for instance. Well…you’d be surprised what can be grown in a pot on your front patio or on a balcony (or even indoors). Some people even grow tomatoes upside-down as hanging plants. You can grow almost any vegetable in a pot, though okra or corn would probably tip the pots over, and watermelons probably aren’t a great idea. If you are in a large town or city, community gardens are becoming more popular. Find out if there is one-or interest in one-in your area. You could also try garden sharing with someone who has the space but for some reason or other can’t garden. They provide the land, you plant it, and share the vegetables. Get creative. Even if you are in an apartment complex, your landlord might not mind you planting a few herbs around.
- Some think growing their own food is just too much work. About half of the ones I know who say that belong to a health club for exercise…no comment. Gardening is healthy exercise. We highly recommend it.
So, save some money, get some healthy exercise, and enjoy the great taste of freshly picked produce. Plant your own ‘victory garden’ and encourage your friends to do the same!