5 questions to consider before starting a garden. WHAT?

What do you want? What would you like?

Maybe the question “What” intimidates you or suddenly makes you feel nervous, because you “should know what you want” and yet you don’t. It is definitely NOT my intent to bring you stress. I hope you will read this post and start dreaming of all the fresh food you can harvest in your own backyard.

Here we go, this is a fun gardening question: What do you want to grow?

What herbs and vegetables do you want to have on hand throughout the gardening seasons? If you are not sure, what do you already cook with regularly that you would enjoy growing yourself? What do you want to eat?

(Insert my kids’ voices excitedly saying, “MOM!! What are we gonna EAT!?!?!”)

Grab a cup of coffee and start a list of what you will plant and harvest!

A few consideration:

• Herbs will be the easiest to start with. If you have never gardened, starting with herbs might be the road to success for your first year. You can harvest them frequently and the impact on your cooking/drinks will be immediate. Fresh herbs from the grocery store are expensive and short-lived. A lot of herbs are perennials, so they will come back year after year! Here are some of my favorites:

  • Oregano (perennial, very hardy, delicious)

  • Mint (perennial, enjoy it fresh or in teas/fresh drinks)

  • Cilantro (annual - you will have to re-seed it, so flavorful, easy to grow)

  • Basil (annual - makes the best pesto, easy to grow, lasts quite a while in the garden)

  • Chives (perennial, easy to grow, adds beauty in the raised bed)

• Greens are also easy to produce. Plant the seeds, water them, and watch them grow. You can harvest greens everyday from the garden. You can “hide” them in your dishes or smoothies for increased nutrition. If growing lettuces, you can harvest the whole head of lettuce at once or you can pick the outer leaves so they last longer in the garden. A few ideas for leafy greens:

  • Lettuces - there are SO many varieties. It will blow your mind! Romaine and red lettuces are a staple in my spring garden! They are a cool weather crop and like to be well watered.

  • Kale

  • Turnip greens

  • Cabbage

  • Swiss Chard

• Root vegetables are in my garden in the spring and fall. Again, they are easy and they don’t require much tending. You plant one seed for one plant, water them, and just watch them grow. For onions, turnips, and beets, you can harvest the greens as well! Beets are my favorite root vegetables. I grow them every year. I typically give the greens away, but the roots are awesome. Potatoes are fun to grow, but will require a lot of space in the garden.

• Fruiting plants will require more sunlight and more tending. Some of them will need to be pruned and supported by trellises or stakes. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, squash are a greater challenge, but you don’t need to shy away from them! If a disease or pest attack them, you can learn and grow as a gardener. They can be your “experiment” for the warm season. My suggestion is that you don’t ONLY grow fruiting plants, so that you will have herbs and greens to harvest daily and weekly.

This is just the tip of the iceberg on what you can grow. Gardening books and cookbooks are filled with options and ideas on what your could and should cultivate, but the most important opinion is your own!

Consider your space, your current season, and your culinary preferences.

It’s ok to stretch yourself and your family. Your kids hate peas? Maybe. Get them involved in the planting and harvesting. Maybe, just maybe, they will love fresh peas. Most of our peas never make it inside our house - they eat them all in the garden! And even if your kids end up disliking something, it’s ok. It was an experience and you can give them away. That’s what I do with my beet greens.

Spring is coming - what are you going to grow?!?!