In Defense of the Urban Vegetable Gardener

I have been an urban vegetable gardener for eight growing seasons. 

And I absolutely love it.

Yet, there is something that has been bothering me.

I began my foray into small space vegetable gardening with nothing but three herb plants on my back deck.

I remember feeling proud – joyfully so – when I was able to walk out my backdoor and snip a few sprigs of rosemary for a hearty stew for the first time.

As I tasted the rosemary in that dish, I kept thinking to myself, “I actually grew my own food!”

Of course, the majority of the ingredients in that stew had been purchased at the store, but that didn’t matter – I had contributed something that was grown on my own property. 

Now, there’s something you should know about me. 

I love my urban lifestyle. 

I live in midtown – so, not quite amongst the concrete and steel of downtown, but I barely have a front yard and if I stuck myself out of our second floor window, I could touch our neighbor’s house. 

And I get it – to some, this lifestyle does not sound ideal. 

However, it’s exactly where I want to be.

So, when my interest in vegetable gardening began, I watched all the videos, read all the books, and followed all the influencers. 

I wanted to learn as much as I could – when I set my mind to something, I like to do it well (almost to a fault). 

And as I went deeper into these gardening communities and was sufficiently influenced, I began to feel less than. 

It seemed like many were promoting a certain type of gardener – the type who aspired to create a homestead, the type who wanted every meal to be sourced from their garden, the type who had plenty of land to build garden beds on, the type who believed in being completely self-sufficient, the type who spend hours upon hours in their garden.

I couldn’t relate to these people. 

Before I continue, I want to be clear here – there is nothing wrong with wanting to create a homestead or be self-sufficient. It’s just not the only way to do it.

Ok, back to it.

As I shared pictures of my modest lettuce harvests and my aesthetic container gardens, comments would sometimes be judgmental or demeaning. 

“It’s not good to grow vegetables in metal containers.”

“That isn’t even enough for one meal.”

I remember feeling embarrassed that I was proud enough to share the posts in the first place. 

And then I reflected on that – and it made me realize that I wasn’t in the wrong… they were. 

After all, who were they to make me feel less than?

And more importantly – when did an interest in vegetable gardening become aligned with being fully self-sufficient?

I reject this mindset, and I think you should too.

And so here I am, asserting my defense of fellow small space gardeners. 

It’s ok if your vegetable garden doesn’t replace your need to purchase vegetables from the store.

It’s ok to not be aspiring to move onto a farm or create a homestead.

It’s ok to not want to raise chickens.

It’s ok if all you have space for are small container gardens.

It’s ok if your garden doesn’t look like that of the influencers you follow.

Let’s normalize growing your own food while not living on a homestead.

Let’s normalize the idea that not everyone has the time or capability to spend all day in their vegetable garden.

Let’s normalize vegetable gardening because it brings you joy – and if you have a good growing season, it’ll provide some organic produce that you can proudly add to your meals.

Because what’s the alternative? 

I’ll tell you what it is – it’s the belief that unless you can grow a substantial amount of vegetables yourself, there’s no point in even trying.

I fully reject that.

Because let me tell you, vegetable gardening has provided me so much more than just vegetables.

And the vegetables it has brought me – they’re pretty darn good!

I may only have room for five tomato plants, but those tomatoes are the best tomatoes I’ve ever eaten.

So, if you are a fellow urban vegetable gardener – or a want to be urban vegetable gardener – don’t let anyone tell you what that should look like.

Whatever you can manage – that’s perfect. 

You. Do. You.

In Solidarity,

Just A City Gal with a Vegetable Garden