Why grow a vegetable garden when I can just go to the store?

I can go on all day about the benefits of growing your own produce.

For now, I'll highlight the most important reasons for a vegetable garden and go into more detail in the next few days.

"Earth laughs in flower."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nutrition.
Food grown in your own garden is far healthier than store bought produce. As the gardener, I have complete control over my veggies. They are not irradiated and have not been sprayed with chemicals.

Money.
A packet of seeds from Mary's Heirloom Seeds costs $4. With that one seeds pack I might be able to grow 20 pounds or even 50 pounds of food. Seed saving is free.

Survival.
Food prices are on the rise and the world has been plagued by natural disasters. Flooding in Australia, China and parts of the United States as well as earthquakes in Japan have pose a serious threat to food sources around the world. Fuel costs are also on the rise which means even higher food prices in the future.

Stress Relief.
Working in the garden allows me to let off a little steam or let my mind wander. I hear the bird chirping and the lizards in the yard scurry away as I approach and I feel good.

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden."-- Thomas Jefferson

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” --Marcus Tullius Cicero

Today my additions to the garden are Black Beauty Eggplant, National Pickling Cucumber, Jack B Little Pumpkin and Cal Wonder Bell Pepper . I'm starting them from seeds so they aren't "in" yet but they are on their way.

I started by first soaking the seeds overnight. After 24 hours they are placed into prepared growing flats and labeled. In a few weeks the seedling will be ready to be hardened and placed in the ground.