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Backyard EntrepreneurTM Backyard Gardener To everything there is a season. -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Make money working at home in your garden selling your fruits, vegetables, herbs, and everything that you can make from your garden. Become a certified expert health nut. With the space of a big backyard, it would be a shame not to put it to good use growing food for your health. With the space of a small backyard, it would be a shame not to have a small herb garden, at least. You have a wide range of choices of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. There is a wealth of information for you to research to discover what to grow in your neck of the woods. Plants trees and vines that may take a year or two to produce. Have patience.
So as not to become discouraged, start with no-fail plants. Green beans, carrots, herbs, and lettuce are good choices. Once tomatoes are off to a good start, they do well if watched closely. Try for a winter garden as well so that you can have some income all year long. You'll learn all about insects and bugs that can harm your garden. Study up on organic ways to discourage bugs from eating up your food. Read this article from the University of Florida. Sell What You Grow
Sell what you grow. It doesn't take much more work to grow enough for you and your family as well as for the entire neighborhood. Once those tomatoes start to get ripe, you can't possibly eat them all. Sell some. Neighbors can't always be looking for a handout. They can buy from you cheaper than at the grocery store, so they should want to support your endeavors. Make business cards and flyers. That makes you look more professional. Sell Jellies and Jams Sell what you preserve. Make jellies, jams, and preserves. Freeze some fruit and vegetables. Make salad dressings, pickle relish, barbeque sauce, and picante sauce. You must check with your health department. You may have to rent time in a local resturant's kitchen to do this. Herb and spice gardens are fun to grow because of their inticing aromas. You can sell the spices in individual packets or small jars. Make your own labels and designs. Sell What You Make Using your Herb Garden
There is much to learn about the properties of various herbs. Each has a special use. Learn how to dry them properly. Make scented pillows, eye pillows, bath oils, mug mats (protects furniture while the warm mug releases the herbal scent), and potpourri. Lavendar is a key ingredient in most concoctions because it has stress-relieving properties. Sprinkle it between your sheets and the chests where you store your clothes. Put it in decorative pillows on your sofa. Lavendar is an easy-to-grow plant in your garden and you can use all parts of it. Sell all these wonderful products that use herbs. Aloe vera has a soothing gel used for burns and rashes. Sell these wonderful plants. Herbs to consider growing and using: parsley, chives, basil, oregano, thyme, sage, mint, lavendar, hyssop, mullein, evening primrose, achillea, and lobelia. Bundle together and hang upside down to dry. These make terrific decorations. Sell Your Plants You may consider growing plants in your yard and greenhouse then selling them to others, teaching them how to take care of the plants. After selling some plants, you'll have room to grow new ones and you can try different kinds. Make some creative pots in which to place your plants. Try one of the stone face kits that attaches to a clay pot -- listed below in the resource section. Where to Sell Your Garden Goods
Set up a vegetable stand at the side of the road or on a street corner or parking lot. Just be careful to make certain that you are not harmed by careless drivers. Set up a neighborhood weekend Farmers' Market with booths in your backyard. Rent out the booth space for a fee. Sell herb plants and spices on the Internet. These sell as mail order and ship well. Advertise in magazines. Some towns have neighborhood newsletters. Find out where the publication office is and buy a small ad. In most cases,you do not have to live in the neighborhood -- or even in the town -- to place an ad. Sell to local stores and gift shops. Research where garden and trade shows are being held and rent a booth. Sign up for newsletters that notify you of craft shows and the like. Organize Garden Shows and Fairs
You do the work, you get paid. You rent out the booths, you get paid. You sell your products, you get paid. You make the newsletter to advertise the garden shows and fairs and sell ads, you get paid. Lots of ways to make money with this idea.
After each season, garden furniture needs rewebbing, reweaving, repainting, and refinishing.Hire yourself out to do the job. Make pockets to hang over the sides of each arm of garden chairs to hold various small items. When repainting picnic tables, draw a checker board or a tic-tac-toe game board in the middle. Decorate Picnic Tables
Paint permanent place settings on backyard picnic tables. Paint the placemat (checkerboard, most likely) with a plate in the center with knives, forks, and spoons in the correct locations. Paint on a napkin and a drink coaster as well. Go ahead and paint a few fairly large ants sneaking across the table as well. Find your niche painting table settings onto picnic tables. It is fun, easy to wash, and permanent. Teach kids how to set the table using the template you paint. Add your own special touches and flourishes. Teach Fruit and Vegetable Carving
This is a useful and fun craft. Brighten your meals with beautifully carved fruits and vegetables. This is a special touch for any party. Master the technique and teach what you know. Wild Food Collector Do you love food? Going on adventures? Then boy have we got the job for you! Being a Natural Food Collector can be a fun and lucrative venture. You search your local area for popular edibles in-demand with restaurants and nearby chefs. Collect foods such as seaweed from the beach, bring them to your clients, and get paid! You will have to travel around outside and know where to find and collect (legally) particular items. You can use a car or a bike to travel around. With this career, your bound to get plenty of excercise! Just be sure you bring snacks so you won't be tempted to eat what you collect! You'll also be kept busy and you may feel like your on a scavenger hunt. You may even enlist a friend to have more fun and turn up more finds. Find out what foods are available naturally in your local area and be sure you are allowed to collect them. Contact local restaurants and discuss working with them. Become a Certified Nutritionist Folks need help in eating right and getting away from all the salt in processed foods. Teach them how to eat from the garden -- nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Teach them how to juice their vegetables to drink healthier. Sell a medicine chest full of healing herbs. A medicine chest or first aid kit make unique gift boxes. Sell garlic and sprouts for their healing properties. Write a nutrition guide listing each vegetable and herb along with its nutritional value. Get certified for credibility. Check out this website to see what you can do as a nutritional counselor. Sell Packaged Herbs and Spices Sell seed packs of herbs and spices and write (in caligraphy) an explanation on the package about the healing properties. Decorate with your Fruits and Vegetables Dried apple crafts are interesting. Try this orange topiary. Find ways to use other items from your garden in arts and crafts. Make and sell. Sell Packaged Seeds for Soup Mixes Sell a vegetable soup package of seeds so your customers can grow their own soup. Backyard Juice Bar Wherever you set this up, make certain there is access to and seating in a backyard-like setting. Fill the area with vegetable plants. Serve carrot and celery pieces; bell pepper and cucumber slices; tiny tomatoes and brocolli sprouts. No salt allowed. See how it is done at Nantucket Nectars. Buy "Lemonade Stories" produced at Babson College to listen to their story. Host Garden Parties Host a healty eating garden party. Forget the fattening desserts, serve fruits and vegetables right out of your garden. If it is out of season for your vegetables, your garden makes the perfect setting any time of the year. See our page on home cooking caterer and outdoor entertainer for more ideas. Organize Health Seminars and Fairs Teach nutrition. Invite health professionals to set up booths to give free information about various health issues. Check out this site for ideas in hosting a health fair. Find your Niche
What makes your produce better than anyone else? Is it grown hydroponically or is it organic? Find your niche, your market, a special need for your produce. Find out why your produce it the best -- the healthy properties, the way it is grown. Next, become a fanactic about your niche. Decorate your home using a design to promote your produce. Make aprons, baseball caps, T-shirts, or greeting cards to advertise what you do. © Backyard EntrepreneurTM 2007 Link to us. Contact us if you wish to have your site listed here as a resource in gardening and related areas. Here are some resources to help you get started. Links Books -- Business of Gardening
Books -- Carving Books -- Gardening
Books -- Herbs `Books -- Nutrition Books -- Wild Food
Equipment Garden Shows List of Garden Shows at which to Exhibit How To Juicers Magazines
Resources and Information Gardening Info: United States Department of Agriculture Gardening resources: Vegetable Gardening Tips and advice: Gardening Tips and Advice Information and Tips on Gardening Herb gardens: from West Virginia University Starter kits: Mountain Valley Growers Mole Control, Gopher Control, Vole Control -- Burrowing critter control is our specialty. We use a new, innovative approach to control Gophers, Moles, Voles, or any other burrowing animal. Guaranteed, or your money back The Crittergetter is non-pest specific it will remove any burrowing pest. Learn How To Be A Gardener and Enjoy Your Garden For Life -- My wife and I have found gardening help with our stress level. Starting a garden was not a hard thing to do but we did have to learn how to be gardeners. Come on over and see what you can learn about gardening. Have a hobby for the rest of your life. Lawn and Garden Network -- Tips, news, resources, and links Organik Touch - Ecological solutions for the home and garden -- ecological fertilizer, seeds, cleaners, fly control Hinton Garden Design - the place to come for garden design ideas. Designs and plans for everything from the small garden to the large, the front garden and the backyard. Landscape design and gardening by an experienced garden designer. The Earth Mall Garden DirectoryDirectory of yard and home garden shopping and gardening supplies. Seeds and Kits | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
