“V” Is for Victory

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Click through the drawing of an original plan for a Victory Garden to learn how to make one of your own!

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During World Wars I and II, Americans sent food away to feed troops. Then people at home needed food. Instead of just consuming—using stuff —Americans started producing—making stuff! They got busy planting gardens. They called them Victory Gardens. By 1944, Victory Gardens supplied almost half the nation’s produce!

World War I happened more than 100 years ago. But you can still grow a Victory- style garden of your own. Don’t have room for a garden? You can do like the original “soldiers of the soil” did—tend a garden wherever you can. Rooftops? Flower boxes? Empty lots?

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2. Plan. Design your garden’s rows. Decide what to plant where. Follow this design if it helps! A library book called Carrots Love Tomatoes can help too. 

1. Choose a sunny spot.

3. Include a path in your plan. This is more important than it seems. While gardens grow, you don’t want to step on your soil (smoosh!) or your baby plants (splat!). A path makes you able to navigate your garden and reach all your rows.

4. Few crops take all season to grow. Plan your garden rows so each can produce more than one crop in each summer.

5. Choose crops that are easy to grow. 

Lettuce, beans, chard, kale, and radishes are good for beginners.

Many crops can be preserved for winter: carrots, onions, corn, and more!

6. Choose crops you can preserve for winter.

7. Add some flowers! These will draw pollinators. Some flowers are edible too. 

8. Then at harvest . . . FEAST! Find a good cookbook with loads of veggie recipes in it. Or, for inspiration, look for The Victory Garden Cookbook at your library.