Grow your Own Herbs and Vegetables and Save Lots of Money!

Today's hot deal has an environmental focus. Recently, I wanted to do more in my household and also help heal this planet. I wanted to reduce household waste and also reduce my Greenhouse gas emissions.

I tried different things in my house and discovered the fun of growing some of my own vegetables and herbs. I realized that if I could grow even a small fraction of the vegetables and herbs that I eat, I could save a lot of money on my grocery bills.

I started small. I found that some of the vegetables that I buy at the supermarket still contain roots that can be replanted. For example, when you buy green onions, spinach, leeks, butter lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, radishes, parsley, or cilantro at the grocery store, you'll find that they will still have roots attached to them. These vegetables are still living plants. So you can simply cut off the root part of these plants and replant them in a pot filled with potting soil.

By replanting the roots of vegetables that I bought from the store, I have accumulated green onions, alfalfa sprouts, and spinach plants growing in planters at home. My next step is to buy some seeds of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and celery and plant them outdoors. Spring has finally arrived and it is finally time to grow some vegetables outdoors.

Some benefits of growing your own vegetables and herbs include:
· Reducing carbon emissions used to transport vegetables that you normally buy at the supermarket
· Saving lots of money by growing part of your own food supply
· Healthier to eat vegetables that you grow yourself (fewer pesticides and chemicals used)
· Growing your own food is a fun and stimulating hobby. And you'll also get some exercise.

Tips on growing your own vegetables:
· Start a compost as a complement to your vegetables. The compost can be used as a rich natural fertilizer for your vegetable and herbs and it will also reduce your household's waste going to landfills. Compost used as fertilizer will also save you lots of money!
· Use as little commercial fertilizer as possible. The production of Nitrogen-based fertilizers contribute to global warming. Again, organic fertilizer from compost is recommended over commercial fertilizer.
· You can grow vegetables all year-round by planting them in small pots indoors (close to a light source). During the spring and summer, you can also plant more vegetables and herbs in your backyard.
· To read more tips about growing different vegetables, check out these resources:

Vegetable Growing Book by Renowned Vegetable Gardening Expert John Jeavons:
How to Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops): Than You Ever Thought Possible

Richard Langar and Susan McNeill's Book on Growing your own store-bought vegetables:
The After-Dinner Gardening Book

BBC's gardening basics page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_index.shtml