At first thought, it may seem like too much work for nothing. Is there a point of going through the pains of all that digging and planting when you can very well get your herbs at your local supermarket? Is there a point of getting all that dirt under your nails when you can just tear open a packet and pull out whatever herbs you need?
Apparently, there is.
Over the last few years, millennials have shifted from procuring their herbs from groceries to growing their own at home, in spite of having very busy lives to deal with. Here’s why.
1. It Fosters Better Nutrition
We use color and size as two main parameters to judge the quality of what we buy, but bear in mind, marketers have picked up on this as well. So you can never be too sure if the leaves are naturally big and green or if they’ve been injected with some sort of hormone to make them appear that way. You can never be too sure of the kind of soil they’ve been grown in either, or the quality of fertilizers or pesticides that were used on them. According to studies, even going organic may not guarantee that your produce is a hundred percent pesticide-free.1
On the other hand, growing your own produce puts you more in control of what you eat. You get to be in charge of what kind of fertilizer or pesticide you want to use to grow your food, and when to harvest your produce. Picking herbs that grow in your own garden is a sure-shot way of making the best of the nutrition they have to offer, as compared to using herbs that were probably picked a week ago and were slathered in some sort of chemical to keep them looking fresh!
2. It’s Cost Efficient
Given the fact that the world economy is under such a severe crunch right now, growing your own herb garden is literally a blessing.
Think about it – a single container of fresh herbs that you pick from the store could easily set you back by about three or five dollars each time. Having herbs planted and picked and sold to you may seem very convenient, but in exchange, you’re being charged an exorbitant amount.
Also, you know you can’t store fresh herbs indefinitely, so you’d either have to use it all up at one time, or compromise on the freshness of taste and nutrition if you make it last for a few more days.
On the other hand, for just a dollar, you can buy millions of seeds that will give you an entire crop which will keep producing for a long time. Every time you need to jazz up your cooking, you can head over the to pot and snip away the amount you need without worrying about having to waste anything.
Tools, fertilizers, and other garden expenses may seem very expensive in the beginning. But when compared to spending close to five dollars each time you cook with herbs, a one time cost like this will be totally worth it in the long run.
3. It’s Great For The Environment
By choosing organic gardening, you also pursue the end goal of sustainability which not only conserves resources but also benefits the environment. Gardening is one of the main elements of “green living” that so many people are starting to believe in.
By consciously incorporating acts such as recycling biodegradable waste for compost and manure and encouraging the growth of new plants, you not only end up contributing to less waste produce but also in reducing the levels of air pollution around you and conserving the natural ecosystem. This way, you help ensure a much more sustainable world for yourself and for your future generations.
4. It’s Not Space Dependent
City living doesn’t leave a lot of room for gardening. But you don’t need to have a huge backyard to grow your own herbs. Herbs can grow just fine in your garden.
Don’t have a garden? Set them to grow on your balcony or on your windowsills instead! Most landscape designers today make use of herbs as ornamental plants because of how they can pretty up just about any place. This is because herbal plants are incredibly attractive to look at and make for ideal additions to walkways, steps, porches, or any other place that you feel may be in need of an accent.
Growing herbs is also a great way to recycle your old buckets, tubs, or leftover mason jars that are lying around in your cabinet. You could even start growing tiny saplings in eggshells and transfer them into old containers later on when they get bigger.
5. It’s Very Easy To Grow
If you think you need to be an expert gardener when it comes to growing your own herbs, think again. Herbs make for great subjects for those who are new to gardening. They don’t require heavy fertilizing and as long as you stick to the types that thrive in your climate, you’re well in the clear.
As mentioned earlier, herbs can also be grown just about anywhere with very little maintenance. For this reason, herb gardening is essentially a very gratifying experience that can even help take some edge off a tough day at work.
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