May 19, 2009 8:18 pm US/Eastern
Cutting Corners: Home Vegetable Gardens
Home Veggie Gardens Can Save A Family $600 A Year
DAVIE (CBS4) ―
As prices at the supermarket continue to climb many families have been forced to stretch their dollars and come up with some creative ways to put food of the table.
Trying to find ways to cut their food bill, Peggy Pace of Davie started a vegetable garden at home.
"My husband's hours have been cut," Pace told
4 Your Money reporter Gwen Belton.
Pace did her research and got some help from a local nursery. Since she lives in an apartment, she grows her vegetables in containers in her atrium.
"I have carrots, I have yard long beans, squash, and tomatoes," she said.
Being vegetarian, Pace is looking forward to the harvest and the savings.
"We're probably going to cut, my guess is when everything comes up and I can harvest any of it, all of it, probably about sixty dollars a week," she said.
It's an idea that's catching on with more and more people including 11-year-old Emma Cuba and her little brother Jens who started their garden as a hobby. Now watching their tomato, strawberry and carrot plants grown has become a passion.
"Everyday we go to the garden and see new things grow," said Cuba.
It's a passion that has paid off for their parents who now save on the grocery bill.
According to the National Gardening Association a small investment into a garden can yield, on average, about a six hundred dollar return. Expert gardener Anne Foss of Eden Organic Nursery Services in Davie says she is selling a lot more seed these days.
"People want to be safe, want to save money and enjoy food and not be afraid of everything they eat," said Foss.
Foss points out that just about any space can be used to start a garden as long as it has access to good ventilation and sunlight. She suggests starting with something simple.
"Lettuce is easy, most greens are easy," she said.
Pace, Emma and Jens say it took some work but now that they've got the hang of it their hoping all their hard work will pay off.
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