Yesterday I was listening to James Wong (@Botanygeek) on Five Live talking through the merits of growing your own fruit and vegetables. For those of you that missed it James was questioning why we are still growing the same basic fruit and veg on our allotments that we grew in 1940. It was his suggestion that buying all the kit to grow your own basics might end up costing you more than buying the actual veg from your local supermarket. I thought I’d do some digging to see if anyone had actually worked this out. Gold medal for accuracy goes to Tiger Sheds who have created this infographic breaking down all the costs. Pleasingly it’s still cheaper, healthier and more rewarding to grow your own !
Now, what James went on to say has merit, his suggestion is to look further than basic crops that are widely available. Instead look to grow more expensive options like saffron. Not only does this autumn flowering bulb look great but it produces a harvest which is more valuable in weight than gold. On top of this it will continue to deliver the world’s most expensive spice every Autumn for the next 15 years. You can’t argue with the logic. Naturally you’ll need to buy his new book ’Homegrown Revolution’ for further inspiration and tips. I might even order a copy myself.
© Daniel Carruthers
