I Grew This! The Joy of Harvesting Your Own Food

A quiet revolution is underway: more gardeners are dedicating space to edibles—herbs, tomatoes, peas, potatoes. The desire for healthier, transparent food and the deep satisfaction of growing it yourself are driving this return to kitchen gardening.

Living in the UK, nearly every gardener I knew grew food; tomatoes were the staple. My plot yielded courgettes, pumpkins, peas, beans, turnips, carrots, strawberries, and a full herb garden. I rarely bought produce. In Arizona, the seasons shift but the principle remains. I’m still mastering the art of a second tomato crop in autumn.

What sparked this article? A watermelon. I harvested a perfect, heavy melon yesterday, chilled it, and today we cut it open. The juiciest, sweetest melon I’ve ever tasted—grown by my own hands. I carried on like it was a world‑first achievement.

It is a big deal. Most of us don’t grow our own food anymore, and that’s a loss. So I ask: Are you growing fruit or vegetables? If not, why not start? Pick a spot, call it your kitchen garden, read the vegetable forums here (especially the Beginner Vegetables Discussion), and plant something. No matter where you live, you can grow food. The flavor and pride of a hand‑grown harvest are unmatched.

P.S. If you have space, a three‑month warm season, and want to try watermelon, I’ll share seeds from this melon (small, round, intensely flavorful). Just D‑mail me.

(Editor’s Note: Originally published August 3, 2008.)