City living is no barrier to growing your own food

According to Pinterest – the social media app where users can find and save images and inspiration – searches for ‘microgreens’ are up by 223% going into 2020. So, prepare for your Instagram feed to be populated by thriving parsley and watercress pots in the coming new year…

Choosing to live in London comes at a cost, and you often don’t get that much (if any) outdoor space for your money.

That is part of the reason why growing and nurturing plants indoors has become something of a trend in recent years – with many giving up their windowsills, kitchen countertops and balconies to grow their own vegetables, herbs and fruits. You can have all the health benefits, without any lawns to mow or garden beds to weed. 

A quick Google search for ‘microgreens’ might return images and trending hashtags of tiny herbs and salad pots, used as cooking ingredients in the home. But, official definitions of microgreens describe them as young vegetable greens, approximately 1-3 inches tall, a size which makes them perfect for growing on windowsills.

With approximately 60 different varieties to choose from, at least one of the available vegetables or herbs should spark an interest for you to begin growing your own food.

Participants in the trend assert the health benefits of microgreens, including higher antioxidant content and more concentrated nutrients, making their health value of potentially much greater value than their store-bought counterparts.

‘Gardening allows us to connect to nature, and regular gardening has been proven to reduce levels of depression and anxiety, stress and combat high blood pressure’

Affectionately nicknamed ‘baby vegetables’ and ‘vegetable confetti’, their size makes them perfect for incorporating into a variety of dishes since you can blend them to put into oatmeal and smoothies, or to fold into baked goods. 

You can cross those expensive bottles and bags of herbs, such as basil, rosemary, mint, ginger, cilantro and parsley, and the vegetables due to expire in a few days, off of your grocery list – another reason why this is sustainably cost-effective. Plus, as soon as you cut what you need from the vegetable or herb stalk, it will instantly begin to regrow – meaning you should never need to purchase these again. 

There’s no need to go out and buy expensive planter pots and watering cans. The tools you need to begin growing your food are already in your cupboards, fridges and recycling bins. Your empty plastic kombucha bottle, those luxurious glass jars of Gü chocolate puddings and that empty tin of shortcake biscuits that you’ve had hoarded away on your top cupboard for two years, are all perfect for your journey to acquiring green fingers.

A large plastic container is the first step to growing a range of foods such as cauliflower, lettuce, bush tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli. So, start saving your empty yogurt pots for when the spring season comes back around, which is the best time to start growing vegetables. 

Not only is it more cost-effective to grow your own food, many also state its therapeutic, offering mental and physical health benefits as they find the process of successfully completing a task satisfying, and the aesthetic display of plants to have a calming effect.

In a 2014 report by UK outdoor furniture company Alfresia, gardening is the fifth most enjoyed leisure activity, and that trend doesn’t seem to be losing momentum anytime soon. Gardening gives people a responsibility and a purpose to see their efforts, quite literally, come to fruition.

According to the American National Gardening Association (NGA), nearly a third of households grow their own food, either at home or in their local community garden (known as an allotment in the UK). Gardening allows us to connect to nature, and regular gardening has been proven to reduce levels of depression and anxiety, stress and combat high blood pressure. 

One majorly ignored benefit that indoor gardening has is when you move, you can just pack up your vegetables in their containers and take them with you. So, you can continue tending to your already blossoming plants in the comfort of your new 5^th floor apartment.

And, as for those cast-offs that cause a weird smelling odour to permeate through the walls of your apartment, or if your garbage chute does so happen to be inconveniently placed on another floor in your apartment building, you can just replant them.

Scallions, for example, are one of the easiest vegetables to grow from its leavings; the white end just needs to be submerged in water, which should then be changed regularly. Once it sprouts, the ends can be cut off using a pair of scissions and added to your meal, and you’ll never have to purchase scallion again. 

So, hold onto that empty two litre water bottle and that funny looking garlic clove you’re about to throw out, clear a space near your window and start reaping the benefits of growing your own food.