Do you buy less produce at the supermarket than you would like because of the cost? Perhaps you should try growing a garden to make those expensive veggies available at a much lower cost. An important added bonus is that your garden makes produce available anytime you need it, so it is always fresh and tasty. This article lists some easy to grow plants to help you plan your garden.
Lettuce is one of the first vegetables to mature in early summer. Lettuce grows best in cooler weather, but planting different types can provide some great choices for your salad bowl. If you have an area of the garden that is shaded during the hottest time of the day, that would be a good place to grow lettuce.
You do not really need a garden to grow herbs since they do not take up much space. Many people grow a small selection of herbs in pots on their window sill. It is convenient to snip off a few sprigs of the herb you need, and the plant will continue to grow.
Squash is a healthy vegetable, but it does take up a good amount of garden space. Summer squash does not vine so much and produces a lot of squash on one plant. This squash tastes great in steamed vegetable blends and stir fry dishes, and it should be picked when it is small and tender. The acorn squash and butternut squash are great for baking, but make sure you have about eight square feet of space for each one.
Green beans are very easy to grow and are very useful. Some varieties bear heavily for a month or more, and whatever you cannot eat right away can be frozen or canned for winter use.
Potatoes are not as easy to grow as you might think. They need fertile ground that is not too wet, and they should be grown in a hill to prevent sunburn. There is some great information online showing detailed methods of growing potatoes.
Tomatoes can be grown nearly anywhere and by anyone. Even if you do not have a garden space, you can grow tomatoes on your patio in pots or use one of the popular hanging planters. Tomatoes are great in salads and on sandwiches during the summer, and you can use the extras to make tomato sauce or paste and freeze it for later use.
Cucumbers are another easy to grow vegetable that everyone enjoys adding to a salad during the summer months. They can also be used to make pickles of many varieties, and cucumber slices are sometimes used as a beauty aid to relieve tired looking eyes.
Pumpkins are fun and easy to grow, and your kids will enjoy raising their own pumpkin for their Halloween jack’o’lantern. They do take quite a lot of space though, so unless you have a lot to spare you may be better off just buying a few in the fall.
Strawberries are easy to grow, and everyone enjoys their sweet taste in early summer. June berries produce in early summer but are usually done bearing when the heat of summer arrives.
It does not take a lot of effort to grow some produce of your own. Use the information in this article to plan the best garden for you and your family.
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