The benefits of growing your own vegetables and herbs are manyfold. It’s a great activity to share with a family and there are financial advantages too. A 10×15 foot garden can produce over $400 of produce and is easily manageable.
The ideal time to start your own vegetable and herb garden is late April/Early May. If there is a risk of frost then protect your plants with a sheet of newspaper. We have a wide selection of vegetable and herb plants available from Mid April in our greenhouses.
Raised bed or container gardening which is right for you?
If you want to grow a vegetable and herb garden but are limited for space there are two options available to you, raised bed or container gardening. Both options or even a mixture of both will give you fresh vegetables and herbs to use in your own kitchen!
Raised Bed Garden
First, you need to choose your location. The ideal location for your raised bed is one that is sunny and gives you easy access to water. Start by framing out a rectangle using 2×10’s to the size you would like. The most popular size most people build is 6’ x 10’. Next line the bed with plastic and fill it with a mixture of 50% Chuck’s Compost and 50% screened topsoil.
Once you have your frame built it’s time to divide it into 15 separate squares each the same approximate size and then it’s time to choose what vegetables and herbs you would like to plant. You can see from the image below what we plant in our raised bed but we like to say you should grow what you like to eat and what you have space for!
Plants from left to right –
pole beans
tomatoes (Grape)
tomatoes (“Mountain Merit”)
tomatoes (“Early Girl”)
rhubarb
bush cucumber
green Pepper
carrots
broccoli
zucchini
herbs (clockwise – rosemary, Italian parsley, basil, nasturtium)
spinach
leaf lettuce
romaine
Container Garden –
If you don’t have room for a regular raised bed then an ideal solution is to use containers instead. Any type of container that is at least 12” wide and 12” deep can be used. Fill the container with Chuck’s Potting Soil and plant whatever herb or vegetable you would like to grow. As with the raised bed place it in a sunny location and water as needed. Repeat this for as many different vegetables or herbs you would like to grow and in the case of herbs why not mix a few together creating your very own miniature herb garden!
After you have planted either a raised bed or container garden it’s important to tend to the plants. When the plants are first planted it is important to not let them get really dry. After the plants start to grow you can apply a granular or liquid fertilizer. Monitor your plants for insect, disease, or animal damage and treat if necessary. Water and weed as needed, and admire your handy work as the plants grow!
When the plants are mature harvest them and enjoy seasonal fresh vegetables and herbs in your kitchen!
We have our very own raised bed in our nursery (it’s a yearly project and features in Linda Hafner’s Cookbook) and we have all the vegetable plants and herbs you need to start your own including Tomatoes, Lettuce, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Lemon Grass, Basil, and Parsley.
If you have any specific questions then please come on in and ask one of our experts who will be happy to assist you!