Find your inner peas!

I have a lot of friends who express a desire to have a garden, become more self-sufficient, or just grow some fresh herbs. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, the majority of these friends don't have a garden of any kind. The biggest reason is usually lack of space, with busy schedules coming in a close second. When you factor in a short growing season here in MN/ND and also consider that many people in our generation have never been taught how to garden, it's no surprise more people don't grow their own produce! Compared to picking up a few items at the grocery store, gardening can seem overwhelming.

But did you know that you can garden literally anywhere? Whether you own 10 acres, a small backyard, a tiny patio, or no outdoor space at all, you can be supplementing your diet (and wallet!) with fresh, healthy produce! And, it doesn't have to be a ton of work-check out some ideas:

1. Beginner friendly ready-to-go hydroponic systems!

If you haven't heard of hydroponic gardening yet, it's a hot new trend that grows plants without soil. The plants' roots sit directly in water and all you have to do is occasionally add nurtrients. Hydroponic methods can be used to grow a huge variety of plants, and it's incredibly efficient compared to traditional gardening, plus it lends itself to easily growing plants indoors!

For those of us who live in northern climates, the ability to easily grow plants indoors year round is a game changer. If you're a DIYer, you can even create your own system quite cheaply. Or, if that sounds intimidating, try an all-in-one system that includes a planter, grow lights, nutrients, and even the seed pods! There are a several different brands and size of systems, so you can definitely find one that fits your needs. When we were looking, we opted to go with an Aerogarden system (also available at local stores like Walmart, Home Depot, Menards, etc). We weren’t convinced that hydroponic gardening was going to be a good fit for us, so we started conservatively with a smaller system. It could not have been easier--take it out of the box, plug it in, add water and nutrients, then pop the seed pods in! Within 2 days we already had sprouts, and I was completely hooked. Just a couple weeks later we were making full salads! This little machine really produces well! We mostly grow a few varieties of lettuce and cherry tomatoes, but there are dozens of options to choose from, especially if you opt for a larger system, like one of these Gardyn tower systems that can grow 30 plants and won TIME Best Invention of the Year!

2. Container gardens for patios, balconies, small yards, etc.

Back when we lived in an apartment with only a small balcony for outdoor space, one of the first things

we did was buy some supplies, build a few planter boxes, add some potting soil, and plant some veggies! There wasn't very much room, but those couple small boxes provided us with lettuce, spinach, radishes, and some herbs throughout the summer. Container gardens work great even if you have an actual yard--you can move the containers around if needed, put them in storage for the winter, etc. There's some really cool ideas for growing potatoes, tomatoes, even fruit trees!

3. Raised garden beds

Raised beds add a small amount of work upfront, but can make your life much easier in the long run! Beds can be purchased pre-made, as kits, or you build your own! The fun part of raised beds is there's a lot of different design styles and ideas, so you can find ones that fit your style and needs. You can build them tall so you don't have to bend over to tend your garden, install drip irrigation for easy, effective watering, even make them semi mobile if you ever move and want to take them with for your next home! Raised beds also give you better options for weed control, and does anybody actually enjoy weeding? Yeah, I didn't really think so.

4. Traditional gardening

If you have a little more space, gardening right in the ground might be the way to go! You don't need 10 acres--even an average sized backyard will provide a good amount of space to grow a lot of produce. More traditional gardening is sometimes the best option for plants like corn, pumpkins, squash, etc, though virtually anything can be grown right in the ground.

If you want to go all in, it can be a good idea to take a small sample of your soil and have it tested (there are also home testing kits you can buy on amazon). It can be helpful to know the acidity level of your soil or if there are any potential contaminants or nutrients missing. Most people don't go this far, but it can be helpful if you have previously struggled with growing things or just want to make sure you're as prepared as possible. If your soil is lacking in any way, there are lots of ways to amend it.

No tiller? No problem! Although tilling can be a useful technique, if you don't own one or aren't interested in tilling, check out the increasingly popular no-till gardening method. Not only does it eliminate the need for an expensive, heavy tiller, but it can be better for your garden! Tenth Acre Farm has some great insights and advice on how to approach this method.

5. Permaculture/food forests

The idea of permaculture is another newer trend that focuses on using plants that naturally help each other. Instead of having to artificially supplement your soil with man-made nutrients or apply a variety of pesticides, fungicides, etc., use plants as your defense! There are a few ways to approach this technique, but start by focusing on what you want to grow. For instance, maybe you've always wanted your own apple tree (or two--they typically need a friend for pollination!). Apple trees are great, but they need lots of nitrogen. Your trees may do perfectly fine on their own with what the soil can provide, and it's also possible to plant "nitrogen fixers" like a variety of legumes (peas, beans, peanuts, etc), and place them around the trees so the plants can help each other. If that seems intriguing, I highly recommend doing a little more research on it-there are some really cool techniques out there.

Feeling overwhelmed?

Some of those ideas go pretty deep, but if you are not currently gardening, start small! Even one plant in a pot can go a long way, and from there you can grow if you like it. Growing your own food can be healthier, cheaper, more eco-friendly, and just plain fun! I'll be the first to admit that I did not start with a green thumb. I've always been more of an animal person. But after a few hesitant years, I've jumped all the way in and couldn't imagine living any other way!