Whether it is because of the pandemic or it is a regular family tradition, the decision to grow a garden is a good one. And while there certainly are many families who have decided to take a shot at being backyard farmers because they are home more and will not be traveling, there are also a number of families who have had their own fresh produce for years on end.
And whether you are a gardener who focuses on one or two crops like corn and tomatoes, or you are willing to dedicate many different individual spaces in your garden to a wide range of crops, few things are tastier than harvesting your own vegetables. Early season radishes and lettuces eventually have to share the stage with sweet peas and then tomatoes and cucumbers, but families who plant their own garden often find that this is an activity the whole family can enjoy.
With even one or two small tomatoes from some free plants you picked up at the end of the planting season at the local nursery or you dedicated weeks to starting many kinds of plants from seed, the first pick of the harvest is also a time to celebrate.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
When you make the decision to grow a family garden you are providing a way to add many benefits to your family routine. Learning to work together, following a daily routine, and conversations about healthy eating are just a few of the benefits of making the decision to be a family gardener.
First of all, a garden requires a lot of cooperation. From the initial decision to plan the space, the beginning of a garden requires thoughtful preparation and the help of nearly everyone in the family. For instance, if you are going to have a couple of raised bed gardens in your backyard, the work on these spaces will need to begin early. And even if you are going to plant new plants in a space that is already dedicated to this purpose, you will need to make sure that the old plants have all been removed and that the soil has been properly turned and groomed. With the help of everyone in the family, of course, these are all manageable tasks.
Secondly, the decision to invest time in a home garden means that parents can teach children the importance of a structured daily routine. The weeding that needs to take place on a regular basis is as important as making sure that the plants are watered as needed. Finding chores for city kids is not always easy, but if you have a garden in the backyard you can add the morning watering and harvesting to a list of worthwhile tasks for kids of almost any age.
Finally, a backyard garden can pave the way to making sure that your children eat a healthier diet of vegetables. Just as helping prepare a meal can encourage some of the pickiest of eaters to enjoy a wider range of foods, so, too, can gardening expand the palette of many children. Eating snap peas fresh from the garden or helping to slice tomatoes and cucumbers that were just picked this week adds a new dimension to the meal planning of many families who have too often relied on fast foods and processed meals.
Healthy Indoor Air Matters Even More
Even if you are doing everything you can to make sure that your family is getting the right kind of nutrients and enjoying plenty of fresh air, there is still a problem of kind of air that you are breathing when you are in your home. Knowing, for example, what is radon and how it can negatively effect your family is also important. In answer to the question what is radon, it is important to note that this is a colorless and odorless gas. And even though many people may not have even considered the question what is radon, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today. Fortunately, with the help of the best radon mitigation companies and the latest sump pump installation, the question of what is radon can become a mute point.