HAMBURG, NY (WKBW) — With the spring and summer gardening season just around the corner, residents are gearing up to plant their own homegrown produce to help lower their grocery bills.
I visited Plantasia in Hamburg to talk to local gardeners and experts about this growing trend.
Gail Sloma of the Amana Garden Club of West Seneca shared her insights, emphasizing the importance of educating people on how easy it is to start a garden.
“The price of foods has gone up so much, and we're just trying to educate people about how easy it is to grow things,” Sloma said.
Sloma is not surprised by the rising interest in growing veggies.
"No, I’m not surprised," she said. "Everything is so expensive, and it just keeps on going up. people are cooking at home more now instead of going out to eat."
At Gardenville Blooms in West Seneca, Andy Starr reported a noticeable increase in customers seeking vegetable seeds.
"Seems like a lot of people are moving toward seeds so they can actually grow their own things," Starr stated. “They can be providing for themselves rather than heading to the grocery store where prices are getting a little out of control."
Donald Lavocat of Lavocat's Greenhouse in East Amherst also confirmed this shift in consumer behavior.
“They're coming in and shopping more, buying more of their own supplies so they can grow their own food," Lavocat said.
He noted that many customers purchase used nursery containers and a mix of soil and potting soil to help start their vegetable plants.
One customer, Donna Krayenvenger from the Town of Tonawanda, shared how gardening has been a huge money-saver for her family.
"I do well with tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, and he [her husband] does really well with potatoes, greens, lettuce, and green beans," she said.
Donna even joked about how her garden has grown from a few small plants to 18 buckets of vegetables.
"Start small," she advised. "Then you can have a lot more, like I do now, ha-ha!"
As food prices show no signs of dropping anytime soon, more people are considering gardening as a viable solution to help ease the burden on their wallets.
I'm told the most popular veggies grown are tomatoes and peppers.
