Growing a successful edible garden in Los Angeles means potentially taking on a new family project. Kids love projects, teachers love projects, mothers? It depends…
Projects are fun but what about the time, expense and upkeep they require? These seem to often fall on the shoulders of parents who have enough on their plates already.
Can planting an edible family garden be any different? Yes and all you need to do is keep these 3 things in mind:
1. Be intentional with your garden projects
Planning to visit a local nursery? Consider purchasing only one or two specialty plants that will bring excitement to young kids while keeping your time investment and cost lower.
Here are some examples of one-plant garden projects:
Strawberry project supplies: strawberry tower, strawberry plants, potting soil and fertilizer Carrot patch supplies: carrot seeds, 15 gal SmartPot, potting soil and fertilizer Butterfly garden supplies: native milkweed seeds, 15 gal SmartPots and potting soil
Want more information about single-plant garden project? visit Edible Garden in Los Angeles: Family Project Ideas for a list of tutorials and supplies.
2. Plant with the End in Mind
Next, consider that is the purpose of this garden.
In his world famous book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Stephen R. Covey advocated for beginning each task or project with a clear direction and vision and an edible garden is no different.
Plant your garden with your end result in mind. Make it work for your family rather than becoming another thing on your to do list.
Love using fresh herbs in cooking, enjoy the relaxing scent of lavender, or just like having fresh flowers in the house? Plant what you love and use what you grow.
Want a fun example of this concept? Try planting a Pizza Garden.
All kids love pizza, right? Start a small pizza garden by planting any combination of tomato onions, bell peppers and herbs. Help kids get excited about vegetables by planting their own pizza toppings.
Click this video for a tutorial on how to start your backyard pizza garden:
Don’t have room for one large bed to plant all these crops? Just grow each crop in a separate container!
Pizza garden supplies: herbs, tomato and bell pepper plants, three 15 gal Smart Pots (1-tomato, 1- peppers, 1- herbs), tomato cage, potting soil, and fertilizer.
3. Connect Gardens to Your Family Traditions
Lastly, ask yourself “How is the garden going to support what my family is already doing?”
In his book “Atomic Habits:An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” James Clear promotes the concept of Habit Stacking – the idea that the best way to add a new habit is to build it into an existing one. This concept can easily be applied to the garden world. Here are some examples:
- Planning an Easter egg hunt? Plants some wooden Easter eggs in an old pot filled with soil to make this year’s hunt more challenging.
- Want to bring something to a friend or neighbor’s house but don’t want to spend any money ? Make it a habit of harvesting some fresh herbs or flowers from the garden to take with you instead.
- Expecting a challenging day? Clip some lavender or mint on your way out the door to smell when you need it.
In other words, by making it a habit to use the garden to support things you are doing anyway you can make your existing routine, habits or traditions even more enjoyable without adding any extra work for yourself.
At the end of the day, the key to growing an easy edible garden in LA is to remember that a garden project should be of service to you and your family. By being intentional with plant selection, having an end in mind and connecting your garden to your family traditions you can do just that.
Spring is not only an ideal time for gardening but for camping as well. If you’d like to reserve a site and spend more outdoor time with your family read 3 Ways to Book Last Minute Campsites Near LA to find a campsite near you.