A recent article in Slate points out both the advantages and detractions of a vegetable garden. Two, in particular, are especially strong—one from each side of the coin.

The first is the effacing of the myth that growing vegetables yourself is less expensive than buying the same vegetables at the grocery store. Most of the time, it’s about the same, when you factor how many seeds are required to grow an adequate number of vegetables.

But the good point is a really strong one: A vegetable garden looks pretty cool in your backyard. And when you take into account the fact that you get to eat what you grow, we’re still behind a vegetable garden. Give back to the Earth and get something pretty great in return: A righteous garden and some excellent food to go with it.