When I started gardening in 2016, I set out to create a big, fenced garden in our sunny backyard with rows of my favorite vegetables. Heirloom tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, green beans, salad greens, garlic, onions… I couldn’t wait to replace store bought items with homegrown varieties.
Searches for “how to start a garden” led me to resources that supported this vision: Order annual vegetable seeds in winter. Nurse the seedlings in spring. Plant, water, weed, and harvest produce throughout summer and fall. Rinse and repeat.
It was a commitment – but one I was all too happy to experience as an optimistic and motivated new gardener.
The problem with traditional vegetable gardening
The problem? I never considered our lifestyle before getting started. Leaving for a weekend or longer vacation was stressful and meant recruiting help or hoping all my efforts didn’t go to waste.
Over the years I planned improvements to counter the failures, and experimented with raised log garden beds on our new property, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with our increasingly on-the-move lifestyle – especially when chickens were added to the mix.
The hard truth: It simply wasn’t working.
So: How can we reap the physical and mental benefits of harvesting food from the earth while still feeling free to travel?
Here are four ways I’m thinking differently about gardening given where we are in life today.
1. Replace annuals with perennials
Back in those early days, I was so eager to taste the homegrown versions of my favorite grocery store produce that it never occurred to me there could be another way to grow plants with similar flavors. A way that didn’t involve starting from scratch each spring and fighting back weeds in a garden bed that desperately wanted to return to a field of wildflowers.
A simple way to say this is to trade popular annuals for lesser-known perennials that thrive in your environment.
Dig deeper and you’ll discover a whole new world of permaculture, food forests, and other alternative approaches to traditional gardening that have more than a goal of producing more food with less work – it’s about creating sustainable, ethical models that work with nature instead of against it.
Less ongoing work might be a better way to put it – for it will require research, planning, and patience to get such systems in place and for perennials to start producing.
Benefits of planting perennials
- Long-term harvest: Perennials provide harvests for multiple years, ensuring a continuous food source.
- Lower maintenance: Perennials often require less care and effort once established.
- Sustainability: Perennials require less replanting, reducing soil disturbance and resource consumption.
- Ecosystem benefits: Perennials can improve soil health and attract beneficial wildlife.
Drawbacks of planting perennials
- Slower growth: Perennials may take longer to establish and produce compared to annuals. It may not be feasible if you rent or plan to move within a few years.
- Limited variety: Perennials offer fewer options compared to the vast range of annual vegetables.
- Space considerations: Perennials can be space-intensive, limiting diversity in smaller gardens.
- Initial investment: Establishing perennial beds may require more upfront effort and investment.
Getting started with perennials
As a starting place, I posted a question on a Wisconsin Gardening Facebook group and came away with some great beginner resources, including a list of edible perennials that thrive in our climate and links to permaculture garden examples and a guide to starting a food forest. My plan is to start small with one or two plants and increase from there.
2. Try an indoor hydroponic system
Another alternative to a traditional vegetable garden is hydroponics – growing plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil.
Hydroponic farms have gained in popularity and have been called the “farming of the future.” While on a tour of a local hydroponic farm I was struck by how a fluorescently-lit warehouse could have the same name as the pastoral setting I imagine when hearing the word ‘farm.’ Yet the process yields efficient, clean, flavorful bounty.
Indoor hydroponic garden systems are available for the at-home gardener, ranging in size and budget for different needs.
I can only speak to the AeroGarden, a thoughtful Christmas gift from my mother-in-law that allowed us to grow fresh herbs before the ground thawed in spring. Nutrients needed to be added bi-weekly and the water tank could go nearly a week without refilling, allowing us to leave for multiple days without worry.
I could also see it being possible to take it on the road in an RV, house sitting, or renting a place for an extended length of time — so long as you have the space and access to electricity.
Benefits of a hydroponic system
- Year-round cultivation: Hydroponics enables year-round growth, eliminating seasonal limitations.
- Water efficiency: Hydroponic systems use less water compared to traditional soil gardening.
- Space efficient: Hydroponic setups can be compact, making them suitable for small spaces.
- Controlled environment: You have precise control over factors like light, temperature, and nutrient levels. Best of all, no weeds!
Drawbacks of a hydroponic system
- Initial cost: Setting up a hydroponic system can be expensive due to equipment and infrastructure.
- Energy consumption: Indoor hydroponics may require additional electricity for lighting and possible climate control.
- Learning curve: It can take time to master the intricacies of hydroponic gardening.
- Space limitations: Depending on its size, your system may not allow for growing large produce.
Getting started with hydroponics
A search for “at home hydroponic systems” will yield many options. Consider making a list of your wants, needs, and and budget to help narrow the choices.
3. Supplement with foraging
Unlike traditional gardening, foraging involves gathering wild plants, fungi, and other edible natural resources growing freely in the environment. Or, as I like to think of it, hiking with a purpose!
I love that foraging is something that can be done on your own property, in a nearby forest, or on a mountainside in a different country.
Beyond providing an array of nutritious food – as long as you know how to identify, harvest, and prepare them safely and ethically – foraging provides a deeper connection with our natural surroundings.
I first became interested in foraging upon moving to our new property with over 12 acres of mostly wooded land. Surely, some of this must be edible, I thought, as unfamiliar plants appeared from the ground throughout the seasons. It prompted me to attend a workshop with Sam Thayer, a world renowned forager from Wisconsin.
Benefits of foraging
- Diverse foods: Foraging can provide access to a wide variety of wild, nutritious foods.
- Connection with nature: Foraging fosters a deeper appreciation of the natural environment.
- Cost savings: Foraged foods are free, reducing grocery bills.
- Reduced environmental impact: Foraging relies on existing ecosystems, reducing the need for resource-intensive agriculture.
Drawbacks of foraging
- Seasonal limitations: Foraging opportunities vary with the seasons and geographic location.
- Ecological impact: Over-harvesting or irresponsible foraging can harm local ecosystems.
- Time consuming: Foraging can be time-intensive, requiring research and exploration
- Safety risks: Misidentification of plants or mushrooms can be dangerous or even fatal.
Getting started with foraging
My biggest takeaway from the workshop with Sam Thayer was to focus on one wild edible at a time until it becomes as familiar as a banana. His books are known for this approach of going deep before going wide. I’m slowly working my way through things I find on our property as seasons change. It has also helped joining a local foraging Facebook group.
4. Lend a hand with someone else’s garden (and reap the rewards)
Foraging wasn’t the only thing running through my mind as we were living in our camper and preparing to build our house. Starting a new garden from scratch was not going to happen right away. Yet I knew there had to be people growing food in our area – and beyond – that could use help and be happy to share the bounty. If only there was a way to find them…
Fate… or Google… led me to the website for WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), a movement that connects individuals to organic farmers in need of helping hands. In exchange for about a half day’s work, WWOOFers are provided meals and a place to stay at the family farm or homestead.
What an incredible way to feel a deeper connection with people and places near and far. A chance to learn, grow, and become part of a community while traveling.
I immediately got lost in a happy place searching for hosts in our area and then expanding throughout the world. The opportunities go far beyond vegetable gardens. Sheep shearing. Flower farming. Bee keeping. Cheese making. Aquaponics. My mind was racing with opportunities.
Of course, WWOOFing isn’t the only option. Maybe you talk to a neighbor or hear about a friend of a friend that could use assistance in a less formal capacity. This is how we experienced maple syrup making with a family in our area. Ask and you shall receive!
Benefits of helping another gardener or farmer
- Learning opportunity: You can gain valuable gardening/farming experience and knowledge.
- Community building: Working with others fosters community bonds and cooperation.
- Access to fresh produce: You will likely receive a share of the harvest.
- Low commitment: No need to invest in your garden space or equipment.
Drawbacks of helping another gardener or farmer
- Limited control: You have less control over garden decisions, design, and output.
- Schedule coordination: Collaborating with others may require aligning schedules and commitments.
- Potential conflicts: Differences in gardening philosophies or practices could lead to disagreements.
- Dependence on others: Your access to the garden depends on the owner’s willingness and availability.
Getting started helping on someone else’s garden or farm
If WWOOFing interests you, start by exploring hosts using the search filters by location, date, lodging, activity, and more. They also hold regular webinars to talk about the experience and answer questions. Not everyone who needs help is a WWOOF host, so you could also contact people or organizations directly to see if it could be a good fit.
Experiment with what works for you
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned in gardening, it’s that there’s no one ‘right’ way to do things. And something that worked in the past is not guaranteed to be successful in the future. The environment changes. Your life changes. The best way to look at all of this is as an experiment.
If you find yourself in a place where traditional gardening doesn’t fit your lifestyle, I hope this article sparked some new ideas about how to approach homegrown food in a new way. Try something new. See how it goes. Recalibrate and try again.
I’m not an expert in any of these areas (yet!), but exploring them further brings hope and excitement that it’s possible to have a life filled with my favorite things: fresh air, whole foods, growth, and deep connections with people and places near and far.
Allow your own values to guide you to what feels right for you at this moment in time.
What will you experiment with when it comes to gardening and travel? What has or hasn’t worked for you so far? Let us know in the comments below.
I love this post! It can be hard to not “want it all”, including a full garden and life outside of your home. Your ideas are so thoughtful. Thanks Carrie!
Kim! Thank you so much. Yes — all we want is everything, is that so much to ask?😄 Definitely a balancing act.