I lived in NYC for over 20 years, so now that I’ve moved and have a little space, I love that I can plant a garden every year. I try to eat mostly organic veggies, but they can kill my grocery budget, so growing my own organic seeds instead has been a great way to get tons of organic veggies for pennies a serving all summer long! So, here are my 5 favorite things to grow in my garden.
–Kristin, LWSL Marketing Manager
Spinach is one of my favorites things to grow since it’s so easy and seems to do great even with very little attention. Our family goes through tons of spinach (we throw it into shakes, saute it for dinner, and eat it in salads), so it’s always hard to keep the fridge stocked. So I devote a whole bed to just spinach so we have enough and don’t need to buy any.
Nasturtiums are not only beautiful flowers and will add lots of color to your garden, but they are also edible! I like to put a few on top of goat cheese, spinach salad. Impress your guests, or enjoy a beautiful salad to break up your workday. They’re also a good source of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium to add a healthy kick to any meal.
If you like a little heat in your food, why not grow some hot peppers? They are really easy to care for, and each plant produces tons of peppers. (We always dry them and have them for the whole winter). Peppers also add fun, bright colors to the garden and look beautiful as they ripen.
Lavender is not only beautiful, but it’s also really useful for pest control in the garden. It repels fleas, moths, mosquitoes, and many other insects, and when planted at the end of your garden rows, can keep your garden pest-free. It’s also antimicrobial and anti-fungal, so you get a lot of benefits from one plant. Biggest bonus? It’s a perennial, so it will come back year after year.
A lot of people grow tomatoes, but I love to grow smaller cherry tomatoes instead. I love that each plant gives so many tomatoes that I only need to plant 2 or 3 each season. They are also a delicious snack. I leave a bowl of them on the counter, and everyone grabs a few as they pass by through the day.
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