Why I Always Go Back to My Faithful Contender Bush Beans There’s something wonderfully simple about growing beans. They’re quick to germinate, rewarding to harvest, and they somehow make the veggie garden feel instantly productive. But not all beans are created equal...
If you’re like me, you hate wasting good kitchen scraps and you’re always wondering, “Can I use this in the garden?” Lately, banana water — or banana peel tea — has been popping up all over social media. Some call it the ultimate natural fertilizer. Others (especially...
People are always asking me, “Tash, is it cheaper to grow your own food?”And my honest answer?No — not always. When we started growing our own food, it wasn’t because it was cheaper. It was because of a diagnosis that changed everything about how we saw food, health,...
What Really Happens When You Plant the Same Veggies Together in One Bed One of the most common questions I get from our VanZylStead community is: “If I plant two different varieties of the same veggie in one bed, will they cross-pollinate? Will my harvest turn out...
Growing Food in Small Spaces: My Love for Container Gardening When I first started gardening, I thought I needed a big patch of land, raised beds, and endless rows of veggies to really make it work. But here’s the truth I discovered along the way: you don’t need much...
How You Can Grow More Veggies in Just a Few Squares When we first started growing food at VanZylStead, I always thought a big garden meant long rows and a lot of space. But over time, I’ve seen just how clever square gardening can be — especially if you’re short on...
If you've ever planted up a container with high hopes—only to be met with sad lettuce, yellowing leaves, or a tomato plant that just gives up—you are not alone. Trust me, I've been there. In fact, some of my early container gardens were more like sad experiments than...
There was a time when we did what most people do—filled our shopping trolley with whatever was cheapest, quickest, and had the longest shelf life. We didn’t question the system. It was easy, convenient, and “good enough”… until it wasn’t. Our turning point came...
Why I Grow My Own: A Look at the Recent Tomato Recall in the U.S. Every now and then, something in the news reminds me exactly why I plant, water, weed, and harvest my own food — even if it’s just a few beds in the backyard. This week, it was the tomato recall in the...
One of the most common questions I receive from our followers is about ensuring that garden beds receive adequate water during the growing season. Plants like tomatoes and cucumbers thrive on consistent moisture levels, which are essential for achieving a high yield....
