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In difficult economic times, it makes great sense for anyone who has the space to turn some of that space into a vegetable garden. Purchasing produce is probably one of the most expensive things we buy in the grocery store, and how fresh is it anyway? In addition, if you go to a Farmer’s Market to buy your veggies keep in mind that they are also making a profit from your purchase, so by growing it yourself; you will eliminate the middleman and save substantial amounts of money.
One thing that you should consider is your soil. What kind of soil do you have and does it need to be amended? An excellent and inexpensive way to amend your soil is to create a compost area and use the compost you have created in that heap where you throw food scraps. Once it has had the chance to get sufficiently hot so the food scraps and other materials can degrade, you will have some rich and organic compost. The next thing you will need to determine is the zone you live in as this will determine the length of your growing season and when you can sow seeds directly into the ground or when you can plant your actual plants in the ground. If you live anywhere where there is frost potential, you will have to wait until the danger of frost is past. You can find a zone map here. Although you may have to wait until anytime from March to May to plant your veggies in the ground, you do not have to wait to get started. If you want to grow things from seed, you should plan to start your seeds at least ten weeks before you will plant the plants in the ground. When to Plant Vegetable Seeds
Whenever I’m deciding what to plant in my vegetable garden, I consider what things I really love and couldn’t afford unless I grew them myself. Those things receive top priority. Snow peas, sugar snap peas, leeks, red, yellow and orange peppers, and Brussels sprouts always make my list. I also put tomatoes, lettuce and herbs on that list
To save space, I would try to train all of my crops that grow on vines to grow straight up.
Canning and freezing are another way to extend your harvest and they will keep you in vegetables during the winter months. I like to make my own pasta sauces, and because I am not an experienced canner, I freeze them. Ideally, I’d rather can as much as I can. Canning frees up freezer space for other things.
I use companion planting as a way to repel pests and attract beneficial insects. Tomatoes benefit greatly from being planted around or near basil, nasturtiums and marigolds. I use the basil for pasta sauce, but I also make pesto from it.
Squash is another great thing to grow. I love acorn squash and it is a wonderful high fiber and highly nutritious vegetable to eat in the winter months. It also keeps quite well. Butternut squash makes great soup. Zucchini is great for bread and cookies, but it also makes a great substitute for lasagna noodles in vegetarian lasagna.
The more vegetables you can grow for yourself, the more money you will save. If you grow them from seed and can start them in a warm and bright place at least ten weeks before you plan to plant them outside, you will save greatly by not having to buy plants. Now that our economy seems so volatile and uncertain, one thing that can assure homeowners that their food source is secure is growing as much of their own vegetables as possible. Although it will be a lot of blood, sweat, tears and just plain hard work, the rewards will be worth everything, and you will feel the most amazing sense of satisfaction and accomplishment

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