5 Reasons to Start a Garden in a Rental Home

You may dream of having a garden or a farm one day, but your current housing situation is temporary.

However, living in a rental house shouldn't deter you from starting your garden NOW. This is a powerful step towards your dream, a testament to your ability to create and nurture life, regardless of the temporary nature of your home. 

Believe me, I know. My current home is temporary. My husband and I are deep in a remodel of another house that will be our new home, but the temporariness of our current house didn’t stop me from establishing a small garden in our backyard.

Vego makes this easy—I have three Vego containers full of fruits and vegetables. Right now, my containers nurture tomato plants, basil, Bok choy, cucumbers, watermelon, summer squash, and many different herbs and flowers.

I believe in living in the present moment, and I want my present moment filled with the flowers and veggies that I grew! I want my early mornings to be spent outside, examining the day's new blooms with a coffee mug in hand. Even if this garden is ephemeral, it’s worth it. Here are my five top reasons why: 

1. Rental house gardens are not just gardens; they are your canvas for experimentation. If you have a rental home, this will be a temporary garden, and your work will be all about exploring what you can grow. This is your freshman class, your opportunity to start without judgment. So, put down your phone and close out your Instagram with all the photos of beautiful, perfect, and high-maintenance gardens. This is your space to be free, messy, and creative.
2. Vego Garden containers make it easy. The beauty of the Vego container is its mobility. It can move with you, ensuring your garden can continue to thrive in your new residence. So, there is no need to invest in building raised beds out of wood. I particularly like these small round ones for a rental home garden. They are easy to move. I keep other plants in pots and my lemon tree in a pot, too. My garden is much like a patio garden, and one that I will pack up and move with me. For the plants that are in my bigger Vego beds, I have stashed away lots of plastic garden pots. When I do move, I can pot many of my plants and take them with me. With Vego, your garden can be a constant in your ever-changing life. 
3. You continue to lean into nature’s rhythms. Even with a small garden, you can lean into the cycles of nature. For instance, you can let your plants go to seed at the end of their growing season. You can save your seeds. Getting in the habit of seed-saving each crop teaches one to be a great farmer. Try a few each year and see what works. This year, I left my oregano go to bloom and watched as the bees fell for it. As the blooms made way for the seeds, I collected a few and tucked them away. 
4. Gardening helps regulate our nervous systems. Engaging in gardening activities like digging, planting, and weeding can reduce stress by promoting mindfulness and relaxation. Being in nature and getting physical exercise also release endorphins, which can help regulate the nervous system and improve mood. Additionally, exposure to sunlight while gardening can increase vitamin D levels, which may positively impact the nervous system. Overall, gardening provides a holistic approach to managing stress and promoting well-being.
5. Life is too short to wait on your dreams. If you have been dreaming of a garden, get started! What are you waiting on? Life will never offer a more perfect moment than the present. Remember this: there are no guarantees for tomorrow; start your garden now!

Our remodeled house will be done at the end of the summer growing season, and I will move out of the rental. Before I leave, I will harvest the last of my summer veggies and repot all my perennial herbs for the move.

With Vego’s convenient containers, my garden will come with me wherever I go. I’ll simply empty the raised beds and move them to the new location.

For now, though, I’m enjoying my garden—checking for new blooms each morning and gathering tomatoes. I’m glad I didn’t wait to start living my dreams!