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Step into the heart of our garden
Step into the heart of our garden, where a variety of homegrown vegetables and fruits come together to create a thriving ecosystem. From leafy greens to juicy fruits, our garden represents the joy and satisfaction of growing fresh, healthy food.
Here’s a breakdown of the plants we’ve grown in our garden, grouped by type and with a few growing tips:
Nightshade Family
The Nightshade family includes some of the most popular garden vegetables, known for their sun-loving nature.
- Tomatoes: Thriving in full sun, tomatoes require rich, well-drained soil. Regular pruning encourages healthy airflow and better fruit production.
- Hot Peppers & Green Peppers: Both types of peppers grow well in warm weather. They prefer well-drained soil and should be watered consistently to encourage strong plant growth.
Growing Tip: Nightshades tend to be heavy feeders, meaning they require nutrient-rich soil. Companion planting with nitrogen-fixing plants like beans can help keep the soil balanced.
Leafy Greens and Root Vegetables
These plants are known for being nutrient-dense and easy to grow in cooler temperatures.
- Green Leafy Lettuce & Red Lettuce: These cool-season crops thrive in the spring and fall. Keep them well-watered and shaded from hot afternoon sun.
- Spinach: A cool-season green, spinach grows best in partial shade. Water it consistently for tender leaves.
- Beets: Beets grow best in loose, well-drained soil. Keep them well-watered and enjoy the edible roots and greens!
- Carrots: Carrots require deep, loose soil to allow their roots to grow freely. Keep the soil moist for the best results.
Growing Tip: Lettuce and spinach benefit from cooler growing temperatures and can be interplanted with root vegetables like beets and carrots to maximize garden space and yield.
Vining Vegetables
These plants require space to sprawl and often produce abundant yields.
- Zucchini: One of our favorite plants for its productivity! Zucchini thrives in full sun and requires regular watering. It’s also perfect for water bath canning recipes.
- Green Beans: Green beans are best grown vertically, using trellises. They love the sun and produce abundant crops when given plenty of water.
- Sweet Peas: These vining plants thrive in cool weather. They require support to grow upward and benefit from consistent moisture.
Growing Tip: Beans, peas, and zucchini are great companion plants. Beans can fix nitrogen in the soil, which helps zucchini and peas grow strong and healthy.
Root Vegetables
Root vegetables grow underground and provide nutrient-rich crops.
- Onions: These are best started early in the spring and require full sun and well-drained soil.
- Potatoes: Potatoes grow best in loose, well-draining soil and need consistent watering.
- Asparagus: A long-term investment in your garden, asparagus requires a few years to establish, but it’s a perennial that yields every spring.
Growing Tip: Potatoes and onions can benefit from being planted near each other. The strong scent of onions can help deter pests that would otherwise attack potatoes.
Berries and Fruits
These perennial plants can add beauty and flavor to any garden.
- Blueberries: These acid-loving bushes require well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Regular pruning helps maintain healthy, productive plants.
- Raspberries: Raspberries grow well in sunny, well-drained soil. Support them with trellises and provide plenty of water to encourage fruiting.
- Apple Trees: Apple trees thrive in full sun and well-drained soil. Regular pruning helps keep them productive and healthy.
Growing Tip: When planting fruiting plants like blueberries and raspberries, be sure to choose varieties that will complement each other in terms of pollination.
Companion Gardening
Incorporating companion gardening into your vegetable garden can enhance plant growth, repel pests, and even improve soil health. Companion gardening involves planting certain crops together that benefit one another.
- Beans and Corn: Beans are nitrogen-fixers, which helps enrich the soil for the corn. Corn provides a natural trellis for beans to climb.
- Tomatoes and Basil: Basil can improve the flavor of tomatoes and also help repel insects like aphids and mosquitoes.
- Carrots and Onions: Planting carrots near onions can help deter pests that would otherwise target one crop.
- Zucchini and Nasturtiums: Zucchini benefits from the pest-repelling properties of nasturtiums, which can help prevent aphids and other bugs.
The careful arrangement of plants not only produces healthy food but also fosters a thriving environment for all your crops.
