Origins

Edible gardening - growing food at home (vegetables, herbs, fruit) - experienced steady growth 2016-2019 before exploding during the 2020 pandemic (see also #VictoryGarden).

The Pre-Pandemic Era (2016-2019)

Drivers:

• Farm-to-table movement
• Organic food prices
• Urban homesteading trend
• Apartment balcony gardens
• “Know your food” ethos

Instagram growth: 100K posts (2016) → 600K posts (2019).

What People Grew (2016-2020)

Easiest/most popular:

• Herbs (basil, cilantro, mint, parsley)
• Tomatoes (cherry, heirloom)
• Lettuce/salad greens
• Peppers (bell, hot)
• Green beans

Ambitious:

• Root vegetables (carrots, beets, potatoes)
• Squash/zucchini
• Fruit trees (dwarf varieties)
• Berries (strawberries, blueberries)

Container/Balcony Gardening (2017-2020)

Urban dwellers adapted:

• 5-gallon buckets for tomatoes
• Window boxes for herbs
• Vertical gardens (salad towers)
• Self-watering planters

The Seed-to-Table Movement

Edible gardening emphasized:

• Heirloom varieties (not hybrid)
• Seed saving
• Companion planting
• Organic methods (no pesticides)

Pandemic Explosion (2020)

COVID-19 caused edible gardening to explode 300-500% (see #VictoryGarden entry for details).

Cultural Impact

Edible gardening reconnected people with food systems, emphasized self-reliance, and turned lawns into productive landscapes.

Sources

• National Gardening Association surveys (2016-2020)
• Seed company sales data (Baker Creek, Johnny’s)
• “The Edible Garden Movement” (Modern Farmer, 2018)