Back in

World War I

, Europe had a huge food shortage, which prompted the creation of the National War Garden Commission. What resulted was American civilians growing fruits and vegetables to feed themselves so commercial agriculture could export to the European allies. They were called “victory gardens”. While we’re not currently in a physical war, it’s certainly a good idea to start victory gardens again. In our war against the novel coronavirus, picking up gardening as a hobby to bring homegrown food to the table can certainly be a fulfilling achievement!

Considering it’s summer, it’s the perfect time to start a victory garden if you don’t already have one. Here’s a quick guide to starting one!

Victory Garden Basics

You want to maximize the gardening space and time you have. Certain fruits and vegetables will grow within a specific timeframe. So you want to do your basic planning and ensure you stagger your plants in the most optimal fashion possible.

Traditionally, people would grow things like carrots, cabbage, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, beans, squashes, turnips, peas, and beets in their victory gardens. So those are great ones to start with.

No matter what you choose to grow, stagger them out so you get a good rhythm going where you can harvest your plants, eat your harvest in a short time, and have another harvest ready by the time you’re done consuming all your fruits and/or veggies. For example, plant 5 heads of lettuce at a time instead of 20 to reduce food waste.

Seasons for Crops

As we mentioned above, there are different seasons for various crops. If you want carrots, peas, lettuce, or kale, then it may be too late to plant them, as those are best planted during early spring.

The best crops to plant for summer include beans, corn, eggplants, peppers, squashes, tomatoes, basils and other herb plants. For the fall and even winter, think about planting lettuce, arugula, carrots, broccoli, beets, spinach, and parsley.

Come up With a List of Your Favored Plants

Not everyone will like every single fruit or vegetable, and that’s ok. Sit down with your family and determine which ones most of you like.

Then, with that list, determine how many of each you want to plant in your victory garden. If you want to try your hand at pickling anything, make sure to grow extra to account for that. For those just starting out or those with limited space; herbs are a great choice to grow. Herbs enhance flavor in all foods, from salads to steaks. Adding fresh herbs make food taste better! Herbs are versatile; each has its own growth habits and environmental needs. Select the herbs you will use; then find a spot where they can thrive and remain hardy when a few clippings are needed.

Plant a Victory Garden for Fun With Your Family

As you can see, creating a victory garden serves many purposes. Not only can you get the satisfaction of growing your own fruits and veggies, but it can also be a fun pastime to do with your family members.

So get to researching potential crops to grow, order the seeds and any equipment you need, and have a blast for the foreseeable future!

Are you ready to start your victory garden? Then browse our selection of herb plants now!