Veggies ain't my thing (gardening wise). The markets are all full of perfectly good produce, so I spend my gardening time on the plants that make the garden look nice, cause the neighbors mostly have grass, which is full of weeds (except for one yard), and they bore me to death.

I do have a Meyer lemon, but that's the only "food" plant in the garden.

It is a good way to be sure of what you're eating.
Besides, have you seen the cost of red or yellow bell peppers?!?
I have to grow them myself!

My granny had a victory garden and I don't think ours would be the same as what theirs was. They did it out of not being able to afford food. There was a time when they had to go on welfare and my dad tells me that it killed my grandpa to ask for help. Which all men back then felt they'd rather die than to ask of a hand out. They felt shame for something that wasn't under their control, we were at war. People that didn't even have anything gave whatever they could to help out in the war to many it meant giving up the only outside contact to keep up with what was going on with the war their beloved radio only to find out that the radio's were not worth the time it took to break them down for the small amount of metal they would get from them. They used honey to sweeten coffee because the goverment hoarded sugar and once the war was over they dumped it into the ocean, along with dumping new jeeps and what have you into the ocean because it wasn't worth bring home? My father also told me that for food he and his friends would go into the woods with a potato in their back pocket and a sling shot, they would use the sling shot to kill a pegion or other small birds, when they got their pegion they would build a fire and cook the potato and bird right there in the woods.
To answer your question I don't think a vegetable garden now would be considered a victory garden today.

I've been thinking about this more and more, lately. No, it wouldn't be a Victory Garden in the same sense as before, but I think the time is ripe for a new Victory Garden movement. So much of what is being done to our food these days, from genetic engineering to monoculture farming of only one or two types of tomatoe, or maybe 3 or 4 types of lettuce, or one type of zucchini - it's up to us home gardeners to preserve the diversity of vegetables, and to grow our food in a way that sustains the environment rather than destroying it the way that mass farming does. Vegetable gardens can be beautiful, especially in the winter, with the colorful leafy veggies that can grow during the cool season. I'll grant you that tomatoes aren't exactly the prettiest plants to grow, neither are potatoes, but eggplants are quite ornamental, and so are squash and okra.

These days, though, one can certainly spend more growing their own veggies than buying them at the store, but, Jac said, at least you know what you're getting.

Sally

I'm a closet homesteader. Maybe that's why this appeals to me so much. My grandparents had Victory Gardens on both parent's sides. I believe those gardens were the start the love of something that got passed down to me. I know my mom and paternal aunts both gardened very well. They learned a lot of it from the Victory Garden.
I really enjoyed the mix of native flowers and vegies. What a companion planting! I would never keep an interest in neat rows.
Fresh produce tastes totally different than store bought to me. Sweeter and tender like nothing at the store. The cost of growing it is offset by unbeliveably fresh,super-premium organic produce.
I'm glad that I'm keeping diversity around too! PJ

Sorry, I also have no real interest in vegetable gardening. My husband is dying for a veggie garden, but our current yard is mostly shady so it's a pipe dream for now. He wants an acre anyway...yeah right! AND he wants to plant corn! haha! If I were going to plant veggies, I'd plant squash/zucchini and tomatoes...which my DH avoids eating...so it's just easier to buy stuff at HEB when I want it. :-)

My DH has asked me to plant some edible veggies HAHAHA he doesn't even eat veggies, that didn't makes scene to me why he'd want one. Besides with it just being the two of us I don't think it would justify growing a veggie garden with the cost.
I have grown veggie gardens before only to lose thing's to ant's and weather related damage,heat,storm's, hail, wind. I like going to the markets for fresh veggies and I might find a plant that just has to come home with me to boot, that's where I found my passion vine last year and a rosemary for my son around Christmas time for a buck.

I love the taste of truly fresh veggies right out of the garden- and the fact that they haven't been in commercial fertilized soil.

I read that spinach loses majority of it's vitamins within the first 24 hours after picking & that cemented my dedication to f-r-e-s-h. What stores term "Fresh" has been picked, shipped, warehoused & distributed before it's displayed- how fresh it that?

Cost? I spend less than $20. for tomatoes, bell peppers, onions & potatoes which produce enough for DH & I to pig-out, share with friends and have several bags for freezer. Everything else is grown from seeds bought at farm supply in any quanity I want (our garden spot is quite small.) Last year 4 grape tomato plants gave us nearly 10 gallons of sweet delicious fruit- at $5. for 2 half pints at grocery. $1.69 a pound for a veggie that multiplies like mice such as squash just burns my buns & I'll do without before paying it.

A retirees on fixed income every little bit helps & we like knowing exactly what we're eating when it comes to veggies.

Guess 'Frugal' shoulda' been my middle name.

Suzi

Sally said what I meant!
A victory for ourselves and those we care about if nothing else.

Six years ago while my dad was going through his first round of chemo, his doctor said to buy only the purest, minimally processed foods as possible. That was because his body can't/shouldn't fight the additional strain of chemicals. Even now, when he is in the final stages of liver cancer, the doctors still say to consume only organic foods. (I'm sure there is a better way to phrase that but it isn't coming to me. Sorry!)

Mom was complaining about how hard it was to find good, organic foods. Milk, meats, grains and produce.
Well, not only hard but very expensive. It changed my perspective.
When I learned the facts about toxins/chemicals and how they stay in our bodies and affect us, I did a 180.

Not preaching here, truly! I KNOW the problems with the dang bugs eating all my beautiful bell peppers and that blasted horse pulling a Houdini to munch the melons! But my mom planted two tomatos in her Plumeria bed and had enough fruit to last them for most of the year. It can be done on a small scale and without much effort.

I love my veggie garden, and it is the only thing DH likes to do outside. One of these years (maybe this one), we plan on building raised beds (it's getting harder and harder to bend down to pick the green beans (grin) -). But if it doesn't happen this year, I will continue to grow in the donkey manure, fall leaves amendend soil, and enjoy all those FRESH veggies ---ummmmmmmm!

"It can be done on a small scale and without much effort."

Amen! It floors me how little time and effort it can really be. I just came in from outside, putting in onion sets where they will be accompanied by flowers and ornamentals later in the year. Intermingling veggies and flower gardens is so easy. I am planting onions and lettuce (sweet mesclun mix) in intervals, waiting a week between each planting. Last year I didn't plant as many onions as I am going to this year. This year I am planting 18 onions a week (3 varieties). Even though I didn't plant as many last year (I planted all of them at one time as well), I still have a few hanging in the garage from last years crop. The only things that I am not interplanting this year are things that the bunnies like. They will stay in a protected area. I still have lots and lots of bell and jalapeno peppers in the freezer as well as some AWESOME fresh tomato sauce from my bumper crop last year :).

For me anyway, there are several reasons that make veggies a joy. I enjoy the flavor and diversity you can achieve growing your own. I enjoy the time spent and the results obtained. As stated before....store bought doesn't hold a candle. I also get immense pleasure from sharing the bounty with friends and family. I didn't "put anything up" until last year. I won't can things....canning scares me :), everything is sooooo HOT!! LOL, hot pans, hot glass, being scared of not doing it right and poisoning myself and hubby :). BUT I also learned last year, how many things you can freeze and keep that way. It's a very satisfying feeling putting that stuff in the freezer and knowing that I won't have to pick it up at the grocery store this week. Some of the lovely colored lettuces make a really pretty addition to flower gardens as well. It's also very satisfying knowing that we have not had to buy an onion since early last year. My goal with onions is to never have to buy them again.....Awwww, I don't know how to explain it.....it just makes me feel good all the way 'round!

Kristi

I think your last sentence says it all, Kristi.

I like planting veggies and flowers together.
I think I will start keeping track of what I pay at the store, for the next month or so.
I am going to the valley Monday. Daddy has a friend that grows navel oranges and tangerines. I plan to bring a suitcase of fruit back.

Jac, I think I left an important little word out of what I wrote. I meant to say, "as Jac said" not just "Jac said." sorry. I was trying to agree with you. If you compare the cost of organically grown veggies grown at home to those you buy at the store, I agree that it's way cheaper to grow them yourself.

Sally