I recently joined the 2025 Survival Garden Seeds Victory Garden Challenge. Obviously I’m gardening anyway, but it got me thinking about why the Victory Garden concept resonates right now.
Here in New England, it’s still winter, there are still many inches of snow covering the landscape, and it’s still below freezing at night. Which is exactly why gardeners here are chomping at the bit for the 2025 garden season. So when Gardener Scott, one of my favorite gardening YouTube channels, mentioned the Victory Garden Challenge, well… he had me at hello.
I’m familiar with the historical context of a Victory Garden, and the fact that it was more of a necessity back then during war times than it is now. Or was it? It got me thinking about why it’s never been a better time for people to do some gardening. Especially if you never have before. Here are a few reasons why.
Food Miles Problem. When you grow it yourself, there’s no trucking in from another state, sitting in a warehouse, and finally being placed in a bin at your local market’s produce section. That requires fuel output to bring it to you, but also a cost in time. The moment a tomato, green bean, or jalapeno is picked, the clock on freshness starts ticking. Both those problems go away when you harvest a pile of green beans from the garden, mere FEET away, and steam them that night.
The Mental Strain of Uncertainty. Times of great change take a mental toll, whether we’re talking good change or bad change. Human beings don’t like change and uncertainty. Period. So being able to take some form of control over our future, even if it’s something as small as a grow bag of potatoes, does a lot for your mental state.
Back to Nature. It’s hard to explain this part, but if you go out there, and have those moments where you’re walking through the woods just smelling the pine trees, or watching the swirling water patterns of a river, you know. During covid, being able to go out in my garden and just exist around the plants, watch a bee gathering pollen, or hear birds, matters. Not to mention various studies about the value of getting your hands in contact with soil. As much as we separate ourselves in cars and sealed up houses, we are part of this world, and we need to exist in it from time to time.
Taste and Quality. A grocery store tomato, even a $5 heirloom grocery store tomato, can’t touch the quality and depth of flavor of a homegrown heirloom. Once you know, you know. This applies to anything and everything you grow in the garden. Garlic, herbs, potatoes… it all tastes better when you grow your own. It’s kind of like going through life drinking box wine, and then discovering the complexities and nuances of well-aged Barolo. The downside, it’s very hard to go back.
Gardening doesn’t have to be this trendy idea of a “homestead”, or even a few raised beds. I grow almost ALL my peppers in containers, because they just love being in containers. Anyone who’s intimidated by the idea of needing a lot of space and beds to garden, know that it’s not required. You will benefit from having just a pot with a little something. Just be attentive and keep it watered properly. It’s like a tamagotchi that actually gives back.
There are so many reasons why it’s physically and mentally healthy to do a little gardening right now. If that just means a container on the porch with a cherry tomato plant or a window box with some herbs, that is still meaningful and relevant, and you should do it. If it gets you outside, away from a screen, touching actual dirt and alone with your thoughts… that’ll do wonders for your mood, and your overall health.
Some small-scale ideas that could get you started:
- When I was a kid, I planted a bean seed from a bag of dried beans, and kept it in my room by the window. That thing grew. And produced green beans.
- Patio containers. Hot with lots of sun? Try peppers or a cherry tomato. If it’s mostly shaded, try lettuce.
- If there’s counter space next to a kitchen window for a cilantro, thyme, parsley, or basil plant, maybe with a grow light, go for it.
You don’t have to feed yourself. If we had to rely on my garden to live, we’d be screwed, but that’s not what gardening is about. The smallest addition of some fresh chopped cilantro on your Mexican take-out will feel good. One side dish of green beans, ONE night, is fulfilling. Trust me. ANY gardening, any growing, is a victory.