TRAVEL TIME Small Gardens Big Rewards

With the recent surge in grocery prices we have all contemplated buying an acreage on a hillside somewhere, with an Instagram worthy greenhouse, an a-frame chicken coop and fenced in garden where we can cultivate our own crops. Ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration but what if I told you the last part isn’t as farfetched as you might think? You don’t need an enormous backyard or a greenhouse to grow your own fruits, vegetables and herbs. It’s even possible to grow them inside your home, in your very own kitchen, without soil or natural sunlight.

Experience the peaceful High Sierra as you take in the wonders of nature amongst the granite, glacial formations, and abundance of wildlife.

Yosemite National Park has been protected since 1864. The park is well known for waterfalls, but, you can also find deep valleys, vast meadows, ancient giant sequoias, an incredible wilderness, and more within over 1,000 square miles of this amazing National Park.

Source: nps.gov/yose/index.htm

If it’s fresh herbs you desire and you don’t have much space to work with or an outdoor area, you may want to consider a garden kit. These are small enough to fit on your typical window sill and most come with their own full-spectrum grow lighting system. There are several reasonably priced kits for herbs available on Amazon, including the IDOO which is only $90.

If you have a little more counter space and you were hoping for some fresh veggie options, there are several indoor gardens specific to your needs.

The Veritable is user friendly with automatic water and lighting options controlled through an app on your phone. This model can grow four plants at a time. It is on the pricier end, available on Amazon at $250 but consider the savings when you are growing your own herbs along with lettuce, squash, cucumber, jalapenos, strawberries and more!

These can all fit easily on your countertop and don’t need to be in direct sunlight in order to thrive. Most of the brands do require the purchase of their own pods or they offer empty pods and you can use your own seeds.

One last model worth mentioning is the MiracleGro Twelve Indoor Growing System. This system is aesthetically pleasing and functions as a modern styled side table. It has the LED lighting system and connects to Bluetooth so you can control everything remotely.

There are so many options for indoor grow systems. Deciding on the best one for your home really depends on the space you have available. From a windowsill to an area the size of a toaster or even an end table in your living room, you could be growing your own herbs, fruits and vegetables in just a few days from an app on your phone, no greenhouse or hillside acreage necessary.