Grow Your Own Vegetables and Flowers

Do you dream of a small raised garden bed with room for parsley and chives? Or perhaps of larger plots that could make you self-sufficient in vegetables? In recent years, interest in home growing has continued to increase across Sweden. In Skaraborg, where many people have their own gardens, edible plants thrive both in rural areas and in towns and cities.

Growing plants at home has become increasingly popular, with interests ranging from potatoes to dahlias.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic began, interest in gardening increased dramatically, and it has remained strong ever since. People are looking for both vegetables and flowers. One clear trend is that more people want to grow cut flowers,” says Jenny Johansson of Mölltorps Handelsträdgård in Karlsborg.

For those looking to get started with growing their own plants at home, there are a few things to keep in mind. All plants need sunlight and the right type of soil to thrive. Some crops are also easier to grow successfully than others. According to Jenny, vegetables that are particularly beginner-friendly include carrots, radishes, and various types of cabbage.

“I think people should give our traditional heritage crops, the varieties that have historically been grown in Sweden, a chance. Rutabaga is a great example of a root vegetable that produces a lot of food in a small space and is absolutely delicious when prepared properly,” says Jenny.

Growing Flowers

If you would like to try growing flowers, zinnias and cosmos are easy varieties to start from seed. The hugely popular dahlia is also relatively easy to grow successfully, although it requires a bit more work because the tubers need to be dug up and stored over winter to survive.

“Strawflowers are another plant that has become more popular in recent years. They dry beautifully, so if you want to garden more sustainably, they are a great choice,” says Jenny.

500 Square Metres to Become Self-Sufficient

If you dream of becoming self-sufficient in vegetables, you will need approximately 500 square metres of growing space to provide enough produce for a family of four. This means that such a garden can actually fit within a typical suburban backyard.

The website of the Swedish magazine Land features a calculation showing how much of different crops a family of four would need to grow to have enough vegetables for an entire year. Can you guess which crop takes up roughly half of the cultivation area? Potatoes, of course!

Get Help from the Experts to Get Started

Of course, you can experiment and find the gardening style that suits you best. But if you would like a little help getting started or along the way, Jenny and her colleagues at Skaraborg’s garden centres and nurseries are ready to help!

This text has been translated with the help of AI.