Want to make money off your flourishing garden? Here are 4 ways to turn your crops into cash
Watch your produce blossom into cash by turning your garden into your next side hustle
Skip Bedell on gardening
Whether you have a small garden that grows just enough produce for you and your family to enjoy or a large plot of land that gives you way more than you need yourself, there are ways to make money off the hard work you put into your crops.
If you have a smaller garden, try to focus on ways that you can make money off your garden indirectly, without giving away any crops.
On the other hand, if you have a lot of space for your garden and have an excess of fruits, vegetables, herbs or flowers to work with, you can sell what you've grown. But how?
There are plenty of ways you can make money off your own garden, some of which are ideal for gardeners with a small amount of land because they don't have to sell any of their crops. (VW Pics / Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
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Below are four ways that you can make money off your flourishing garden, even if it's not a multi-acre plot of land.
- Start a gardening blog
- Make products to sell incorporating your produce
- Sell fruits, veggies, herbs, flowers directly from your garden
- Share your expertise with others through workshops and events
1. Start a gardening blog
One of the easiest ways to indirectly make money off your garden is by starting a gardening blog.
Through this avenue, you can post content on your own time. People who are beginner gardeners turn to Google in order to uncover the answers to how they can get started. You can answer their questions by posting about your own experiences and everything that you have learned.
You really don't need much to get a blog going. You'll need to come up with a creative name that people will remember. Then, you'll need to create your domain and choose a website builder to produce your site through. Squarespace, Wix and Wordpress are all popular ones.
Starting a gardening blog will allow you to make extra money by sharing your knowledge with others. (iStock)
It'll be a bit of a learning curve, but once you have your website set up, start posting content as consistently as you can. Consistency is the best way to build a loyal following on your website. If you don't post on a consistent schedule, you're going to have a hard time gaining an audience.
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Keep in mind that you won't instantly make money off your blog. That said, with consistent posting, you can start selling ad space on your blog, partner with brands and use affiliate marketing to make money off your posts.
If writing isn't really your thing, you can also start a TikTok to share your gardening knowledge. Even if you have a blog, having corresponding social media accounts can help your audience grow. You will also be able to earn income from all these different channels. Plus, posting pictures and videos on social media can give viewers a visual look at your garden and can help them better understand how to start one themselves.
2. Make products to sell incorporating your produce
If you don't want to sell your produce directly, but you like to spend time in the kitchen or working on DIY projects, you can make money by creating products from what grows in your garden.
For example, you could make healthy, organic smoothies using your homegrown berries. You could make delicious pickles using cucumbers and herbs you grew yourself. Salsa and jam are other products that you can make using fresh fruits and vegetables.
You can make money from your garden by making products using the crops you grow, such as yummy fruit smoothies. (iStock)
If you grow lots of different flowers, you can create beautiful bouqets for events. You can also use your flowers to make homemade candles and soap.
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When beginning a business like this, start off small by selling to family and friends to ensure you can keep up with the demand coming in.
Once you get more comfortable, you can start advertising your small business on social media or attend local craft fairs and events to sell your products.
3. Sell fruits, veggies, herbs, flowers directly from your garden
You can make money off your garden by simply selling what you grow.
To do this, your garden has to be large, and you should be more of an advanced gardener who can consistently keep a garden going year after year.
You can sell your crops at a local farmers market for extra income. (David Paul Morris / Bloomberg / File / Getty Images)
Again, you can start selling to friends and family first before you start attending farmers markets. You can also inquire about selling to local grocers, farms and restaurants.
4. Share your expertise with others through workshops and events
Many people have a hard time starting their own garden since there is so much to learn. Each plant needs a different level of care to grow and needs to be harvested and stored in its own way.
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The many steps involved in starting a garden make it a daunting task for many, but you can help.
You can make money off your own garden indirectly by sharing knowledge with others at workshops and events that attendees must pay to attend.
If you are hosting a gardening event, make sure to include plenty of your own flowers at the venue. Put out fruits and veggies you've grown for sale. This will not only help you make money but also put your work on display for attendees.