Anonymous wrote:Vegetables, no. But I think you can save money growing herbs, especially if you just set up a few containers. I find mint, basil, rosemary and chives especially useful to have. Recipes often call for a small amount so it's nice not to be wasteful and just use what you need.

You are right about herbs. If you don't want to go through a lot of effort, that's the best bang for your buck.
But I like working in the garden and have great luck with bell peppers, cucumbers, and tomato plants. A few 3$ plants produce enough to make it worth it all summer. Green beans I do from seed, super cheap and easy. I've given up on zucchini after 3 failed years.

It varies- in good years I think I have, but other years the conditions and pests turned everything to sh-t. I grow a lot from seed (either directly sewing for things like greens and beans or start indoors for tomatoes/peppers). I actually think my best years were when I was part of community garden- the fee was low and we banded together to get a bulk compost delivery. There was also a good fencing system that kept out things like deer,rabbits and rodents (although certain insect pests could be a problem- once one plot got something everyone got it). Whereas once we had a house there was a lot of upfront investment and I am constantly battling the damn squirrels and rabbits. Last year the tomato plants went bonkers with all the rain but something was constantly stealing them while still green.

I don't know if we save money, but I enjoy gardening so it's worth it for me.
I grow blueberries, figs, currants, gooseberries, all kinds of herbs, peppers, beans, okra, eggplant and tomatoes. I gave up on squash since we have vine borers. I have containers of bay laurel, kaffir lime and curry leaf that I overwinter indoors. That saves me a fair amount of money.

Growing herbs, yes. Basil is so easy to grow here, can make pesto and freeze for year round use.
Also rhubarb--plant once, harvest for years, no animal eats it, can be chopped and frozen.
Lettuce/spinach/arugula, we don't buy during the summer, and the seeds are cheap, so yes we save there.
Blueberry bushes, yes. It takes a few years for the plant to get big enough to have a lot though.
I've never had trouble getting crazy amounts of tomatoes either--I net them off so the deer can't eat them (same with lettuce bed).

My only success stories in NOVA:

1--Growing romaine lettuce/any easy lettuce (no spinach) in containers requires minimum effort....mix with dill and other herbs.
2--Growing pumpkins is waaaay cheaper than buying them and it's fun for the kids. 4-6 plants can produce 20-30 large pumpkins to decorate and to make stuff.
3--zuccini, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
4--Our two sour cherry trees produce wonderful cherries to make jam (about 20-30 20oz containers)
5--We have four (mixed) blackberry and raspberry bushes produce tons of fruit for jam and to throw into yoghurt.

Everything else I failed at!!!!

My garden was in such terrible shape the first year I started; I can definitely relate to the $64 tomato.

Now that have a seed starting tray ($30), amended soil ($hundreds), and various containers and tools, my marginal cost isn’t so bad. It still doesn’t count the value of my time. But, joining a CSA and freezing and canning is probably the most economical way to get one’s produce.