The Victory Garden is the gift that, since it’s wartime inception, keeps on giving. So it’s no surprise that Victory Gardens are making a comeback now. As we head into the holiday season, I’m reminded that gardening and giving go hand in hand.
Gardening plays an important role in bringing people together, helping the less fortunate, and leaving a legacy for the next generation. Whether you’re gardening in a spacious yard, a community garden plot, or some containers on the balcony, you’ll always be able to give with a garden!
Why give?
Psychological experts, religious leaders, and kindergarten teachers agree: sharing is good for you! Not only can giving to others reduce your blood pressure and depression levels, but according to a study by the University of California, Berkeley, it can even help you live longer .1 We know that gardening itself can already tackle some of these issues, so imagine the benefits if you give what you grow!
Giving is also a great way to practice gratitude. After all, someone (whether it was your grandma, a neighbor or the Victory Garden Gal!) had to teach you to garden. Giving begins to repay that gift. Also, at some level, we all realize that these gardens we tend to so carefully were the first to give to us. Every pale green shoot and ripe red tomato is a little miracle in itself, and sharing those gifts with others keeps the miracles going.
Give away your extras
The first and most obvious way to spread your garden’s wealth is to give from your excess. Did you get a bumper crop of tomatoes? Have zucchini coming out of your ears? Maybe you didn’t plant beans, but somehow you have a ton of them anyways. Whatever the case, instead of spending the entire month of July canning in the hot weather, you can choose to share!
Do make sure you share with a willing family, however. I although I’m all for celebrating “National Sneak Some Zucchini onto your Neighbor’s Porch²” day ( it’s Aug 8th, if you want to watch out-or participate!).
Family and friends are a perfect first stop for handing off bags of produce, but don’t forget to look a bit further than your inner circle. Offer some to the neighbor who seems to always look longingly over your fence on his morning walk. Put up a little stand by the road that says “Take what you need.” (I’ve even seen flower bouquets set up like this)
Give to your local pantry
Especially in these times when money is tight for families across America, food pantries are getting hit harder than ever before. While canned goods, pastas, and peanut butter are usually in stock, it’s rare for most food pantries to offer fresh produce. You should check with the rules and regulations of your local pantry in advance, of course. Some don’t have much storage or any access to refrigeration, but many are delighted to offer common fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes, potatoes, and fruits are some safe bets.
While some people donate only their extras to the local pantry, there are other options. Why not plant things in your garden with the specific intention of giving the produce away? In many areas, the local Extension Office hosts programs to fight food insecurity under names like “Plant a Row for the Hungry,” “Harvest for Hunger,” or something similar. These programs can provide resources to support those who want to help the less fortunate through gardening.
I started looking in the county where I live and I found the food bank A Touch of The Father’s Love. Their website highlights that 1 out of every 7 people in North Carolina struggle with hunger, and 1 out of 5 are children.
I had the pleasure of talking with April Baker, Founder and Executive Director for the local food Pantry in Spring Hope, North Carolina, where I live. April stated that A Touch of the Father’s Love food pantry will “gladly” take surplus from gardens. They accept (fresh and nonperishable) food donations, volunteers and monetary donations are always welcome!
April also said that the elderly have been given a double whammy during this epidemic. The ones who are seeking food help are not only having food insecurity issues, but they are lonely as well. (You can help A Touch of The Father’s Love by contacting April via email April.godsgirl@gmail.com or on their website www.atouchofthefatherslove.org)
Give seeds/plants
Some of my most treasured plants are the ones that started as a gift from a friend or relative. If you’d like to try your hand at giving plants or seeds to others, go for it! (Just make sure before you do that the plant isn’t considered invasive in its new home.)
1) If you want to share seeds, you’ll either need to split a packet with a friend, or collect seeds from your heirloom plant. Heirloom plants produce seeds which will sprout identical plants to their parents. Conventional seeds are likely hybrids and might grow a completely different variety of plant from the parent, if it even grows at all. Some of the easiest plants to gather heirloom seeds from are ones with large seeds, like beans or peas.
2) Dividing plants is an easy method of sharing perennial plants, especially those that eventually grow into thick clumps and need to be thinned. All you need is a clean trowel or garden fork to gently lift the plant, then shake or rinse out the soil to see the roots better. Pull apart small sections of the perennial and replant!
Give knowledge
Lastly, knowledge is the gift anyone can give, anytime. You don’t have to be a master gardener to offer tips and tricks either. After all, you know your own garden better than anyone! Consider showing a child how a bean sprouts, or how bees collect pollen on their legs.
If you’ve been gardening for a while, you can teach a whole class. Make a post on your town’s social media page, contact a local gardening club, or check in with a nearby senior center to find students. Then host question and answer sessions, poll students for class topics, or simply bring them in and give a tour of your garden, explaining as you go.
If teaching doesn’t seem like your thing (or the social distancing is an issue), don’t worry. You’ll come across someone who needs your knowledge when the time is right. Keep an open mind, be willing to spend a few minutes, and remember you’re giving a gift, not an expert lecture. Maybe the person who needed knowledge from you also has some of his or her own to share!
Be willing to receive
The wonderful/terrible thing about gardening is that you’ll never know or be able to control everything. Once you feel you’ve got a handle on it, a new pest or weed shows up, the weather changes, or your plant mutates in a way you didn’t expect. Rejoice! This just means now you’re in a place to receive. Sowing into our community, growing in our experiences, and receiving and harvesting friendship and produce. Victory Gardeners keep the circle of giving and receiving in motion!
Happy Planting!
DeeAnn
The Victory Garden Gal
1 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-giving-is-good-for-your-health/
2 https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-sneak-some-zucchini-into-your-neighbors-porch-day-august-8/