Spring is a great time to start planting your summer vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
A designated row garden is great and a lot of fun, and it can provide baskets of fresh foods to eat or give away to friends and family. But there is another way — adding vegetables and herbs into your landscape adds color and texture and gives a fresh new look to your outdoor space that can otherwise feel mundane.
Most summer vegetables need around 6 – 8 hours of full sun per day, so make sure they are not planted in the shade of larger shrubs or trees. They need adequate water from either irrigation or hand watering. Herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil, dill, and sage can add wonderful aromas to your garden that will keep you wanting to return to it to work and play and to relieve stress from your day-to-day life.
At our shop I plant many different varieties of edibles in the landscape for all the employees to enjoy. This has been immensely popular — the employees love unwinding at the end of a hard day by helping to maintain the landscape. They also enjoy trying out the healthy fruits and veggies. From time to time they bring in samples for everyone to enjoy — salsa made from the tomatoes and peppers we planted, or a bowl of fried okra made hot and fresh in the kitchen that we eat like popcorn. I overhear them exchanging recipes and telling stories about how delicious last night’s dinner was when they added some of the fresh vegetables they picked here.
Combining your favorite summertime foods into your existing landscape is a great way to enhance your outdoor space while enjoying fresh and tasty treats. The result is fun, healthy, and attractive!
