Can home gardens save you money?

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) -At Hillside Feed & Seed, there is a noticeable community feeling throughout the shop.

“The Wichita gardening community is actually a really special entity,” said Arianna Sander, an employee at Hillside Feed & Seed.

The team is attentive and available, ready to help customers grow the garden they want. Sander says that, factoring in all input costs like soil, pots, and fertilizer, starting a garden can get expensive.

“It’s always going to be easier to just go to the store and buy something,” Sander said.

However, she argues that that alone is not a reason to not do it.

“The quality of produce in the grocery store has suffered I think in the last few years,” Sander said.

It is a trend Sander says she has seen since COVID. More and more people want to start their own gardens.

“People are interested in getting something fresh and seeing where it comes from,” Sander said.

She suggests starting with cherry tomatoes, and says once you taste one, the flavor will keep you coming back.

If startup costs feel a little too expensive, the Maya Angelou library branch is hoping to help with that. In a few months, they hope to open community gardens outside the library building.

“Our mission will be to support nutrition and gardening education as well as help to expand food access here in the Angelou service area,” said Parker Daniel, the Community Services Librarian with the Maya Angelou Library branch.

Daniel says this is in addition to their ‘Grab and Go’ seed kits, which allows patrons to pick up to five seed packets per visit.

“It has had a lot of engagement since we rolled it out last summer,” Daniel said.

The goal is to take pressure off of community members at the grocery store, and help teach them something new along the way.