Cultivating curiosity and confidence
I first planted New Zealand spinach in one of my raised beds a few years ago and I’ve never had to replant it since. Little seedlings dependably reappear in my garden every year. I didn’t know much about this healthy leafy green until a friend offered me a few extra seedlings she had growing in her garden. Always keen to try something new, I eagerly planted them in the garden.
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Loofah sponges are great in the shower and handy in the kitchen, but did you know you can grow them in your garden? A loofah sponge is the fibrous interior of a loofah gourd, which are produced on vining plants that are closely related to cucumbers and squash. Growing loofah gourds isn’t difficult but they do need a long growing season. I grow them successfully in my short season garden by starting the seeds indoors in mid-spring, giving the plants plenty of sun, and providing consistent moisture during the summer months. If you want to learn how to grow this unique – and edible! – gourd, read on.
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Growing vegetables vertically has many benefits. It allows you to grow more food in a given area and makes harvesting so simple. Vertical gardening increases the air circulation around your plants, making them less susceptible to fungal diseases. It also keeps the plants off the ground, distancing them from soil-dwelling pests. And in many cases, growing vertically is also really beautiful. In this article, I share one of my favorite ways to grow food vertically: by using a cattle panel trellis.
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Herbs are low-care plants that add beauty, fragrance, and flavor to the garden. And while it’s fun to design and plant an herb garden, the easiest and quickest way to grow herbs is in containers. Most herbs appreciate the excellent drainage containers offer, but it’s also a convenient way to grow aggressive herbs, like lemon balm and mint. Pots of herbs can be grouped on decks or patios so they’re close at hand when you need them in the kitchen. Read on if you want to learn how to grow herbs in containers.
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Parsley is probably the herb I use the most in my cooking. I add it to soups and stews, I snip it into fresh lettuce or quinoa salads, I whip it into salad dressings, and I stir it into pasta dishes. I regularly have a few plants growing at a time. Not only do I plant parsley in my raised beds, I also sneak it into my ornamental containers for some fragrant foliage. Here, I’ve gathered some parsley growing tips to help you produce a bountiful harvest.
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Most gardeners plant garlic in the autumn. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) Garlic cloves need a cold period to trigger bulb development and 2) Fall planting also gives the cloves time to set roots before winter. When the weather warms in spring the plants can then shoot out of the ground and start putting on fresh growth. That said, if you missed the fall planting window, it is still possible to plant and enjoy a good harvest from spring planted garlic. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about planting garlic in the spring.
READ MORE » about Planting garlic in the spring: How to grow big bulbs from spring-planted garlic
