With so many families looking for ways to cut costs and save money thanks to the recession, seed companies have seen an explosion in business. Starting a home kitchen garden can be a great way to save money on grocery bills. A recent study by the National Gardening Association found that the average family with a vegetable garden spends only about $70 per year on the garden and grows $600 worth of vegetables. Individual types of vegetables may offer even better return on the investment. For example, $1 worth of green bean seeds will produce as much as $75 worth of vegetables. Perennial fruits such as raspberries and strawberries may cost more money upfront, but will continue producing good crops for years.

That said, it is easy to pour far too much money into a vegetable garden, as William Alexander humorously demonstrated in his book, The $64 Tomato.

The key to cost-effective vegetable gardening is to minimize up-front costs. The simplest vegetable garden will require only a shovel, a patch of decent soil with enough sun and a steady supply of water, and some seeds or transplants. Here are some more money-saving tips for your home kitchen garden:

The best vegetable gardening book for beginners (and experienced gardeners too!)

• Organic kitchen gardens save money on fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. If you are new to organic vegetable gardening, I highly recommend the book shown on the right. It explains organic techniques in simple, easy to understand language with lots of pictures, while at the same time containing enough information to be helpful to even the most experienced gardeners.
• Planting seeds or transplants slightly closer together than recommended not only reduces the need for weeding, it also shades the soil, keeping it cooler and reducing the need for water.
• Mulching transplants or young seedlings with straw also reduces weeding chores and conserves water, saving money on water bills.
• Composting weeds, vegetable peelings, and other plant matter is a great way to improve the soil without expensive fertilizers or soil additions.
• Although many vegetables species are hybrids that will not breed true if started from seed, some types of seeds can be saved from year to year and used to save money on seeds the next year.

Vegetable gardening also has hidden financial benefits in the form of better health thanks to the extra fresh air and exercise. In addition, even the pickiest of eaters are more likely to eat a vegetable they’ve helped grow themselves, so many families can also expect improved health after starting a home kitchen garden thanks to eating more fresh, homegrown vegetables.

Among the vegetables that can be grown most easily in the Midwest are:

• tomatoes
• sweet peppers
• onions
• bush beans
• snow peas
• carrots
• garlic lettuce
• sweet corn

More a list of more of the easiest vegetables to grow in the Midwest, visit The Best Crops for Your Garden, a national survey of readers conducted by Mother Earth News.

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