why grow your own

[Sarico]

hi everyone... while i was reading a post about mangetout vs peas i thought to open a new post and ask to all of you why you grow your own?
this is my answer: i grow my own veg for the taste of fresh food that you can't buy anywere and appreciate the dish that you made because is made 100% from seed to plate from you...plus i found that it relax me and have a better life working in a busy restaurant where you get push is quite difficult and i used to have a very bad temper...not anymore

[veggiechicken]

My choice has to be for freshness and the satisfaction of knowing that its all my own work.
Nobody pushes me around and I'm too laidback to have a temper, but it is very relaxing and a great escape from anything else that might be on my mind!

[Sarico]

it is very relaxing and a great escape from anything else that might be on my mind!

that are the exactly words i was looking for...thanks...

[VirginVegGrower]

Freshness without chemicals, but with taste. Escapism from the mad world.

[Florence Fennel]

It's my hobby and I take a great deal of pleasure from the relaxation it provides and the tastiness of the harvest. There's a sign in my garden saying "How lovely is the silence of growing things".

[Aberdeenplotter]

I earn my living from gardening and it's also where I seek to relax. I've grown veg for the table from the time I was a wee boy and have never lost my enthusiasm. There is no comparison with the mass produced inferior veg sold in supermarkets.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Whoops,meant to say. I don't see the recent weather as a problem. It's just a challenge

[ladylottie]

I grow my own fruit and veg because nothing beats the taste of fresh produce eaten (almost) straight from the ground - no air miles here! I know exactly what has gone into them and I try to grow as organically as possible. And on top of that I love growing stuff and I find it very relaxing working at my lottie, getting in tune with the seasons, listening to the birds singing, it's so peaceful.

[Bren In Pots]

I grow in my back garden and I think of it as an extension of my pantry, you can't beat eating veg that fresh.

[CaroltheCarrot]

Eating something you have grown from a toatie seed always puts a smile on my face.
As AP^ says the weather is merely a challenge (a big one this year!)

[Farmer_Gyles]

1 - sooooo much cheaper than buying it ... would love to get to self-sufficiency stage
2 - tastes better than supermarket veggies
3 - don't need to go shopping for it, just pop out in the garden and pick it
4 - fresh air, exercise
5 - because i can

[dominic10]

Fresh air and exercise. Due to varying energy levels it is something I can do when I choose and the bonus is having fresh fruit and vegetables to eat, absolutely wonderful.

[RedThorn]

So my kids know where their food comes from and it get's them to eat more variety(they helped to grow and pick it) It teaches my kids patience and that it's ok to make mistakes and not give up.

I'm also tight and like knowing what went into my food and and and

Most importantly, I enjoy it and the quality time I spend with my kids doing it

[Mikey]

We get seriously short changed in this country. I was in Spain a few weeks ago and buying fresh veg from a market stall, The size, variety, taste, colour, and freshness far surpass anything on our supermarket shelves.

Our supermarkets seem to think that we desire fruit to be waxed, and out veg to be perfect in shape and colour. Personally I just want it to taste fantastic.

[Tomato Head]

A combination of reasons for me - partly the end product - I like the idea of home grown veg as I think it tastes better, I know what's in it and I can grow varieties not available in shops (the dwarf varieties that tend to be suitable for growing in containers are the very ones that cost a fortune in the supermarket, if you can even find them there).

It's also the satisfaction in growing something myself from seed - seeing it germinate, grow up with real leaves, turn into a plant and then bear fruit/veg or whatever. It makes me feel more in touch with nature and aware of the seasonality (is that a word?!) of food. The very process of growing stuff is relaxing - I love running my fingers through a bag of compost

There's also the visual aspect. Fruit and veg can be ornamental as well as edible. I like to see lots of leafy greens and herbs on my windowsill. It's both relaxing and comforting to see my veg sprouting up and know that they look good but will also feed me.