Like all great projects the best way to get started on your very own vegetable, fruit and herb garden is planning.
First Step - Pick the Vegetables and Herbs You Use the Most Often
For me it's a matter of having a look at your favourite dishes and your weekly shop to assess what you actually use. If you don’t know what that is, there are some ideas below to get you started and the season for each type of plant.
Remembering that there are essentially two cycles of gardening, the first being when you plant the seeds and the second is when it's in season for harvest.
You need to make sure that your planting the seeds at the correct time prior the season, this makes sure that your plants will grow at the optimal condition.
If you don’t feel confident enough to plant seeds to grow your plant, don’t worry and easy way to get started is to buy baby plants from your local nursey. While it may be a more pricey way to start your home garden, it can help you get ahead.
Vegetables:
- Carrots - Summer
- Potatoes - Winter (All year round in certain environments)
- Broccoli - Spring
- Green Beans - Summer
- Pumpkin - Autumn/Fall
- Eggplant - Autumn/Fall
- Cabbage - Autumn/Fall
- Mushroom - Winter
- Lettuce - Spring (All year round in certain environments)
- Avocado - Spring
- Celery - Summer
- Spinach - Spring
Fruits:
- Strawberry - Spring
- Grapes - Autumn/Fall
- Lime - Spring
- Orange - Spring
- Apples - Autumn/Fall
- Blackberries - Summer
Herbs:
- Onion - Summer &Autumn/Fall
- Green Onion - Spring and Summer (All year round in certain locations)
- Garlic - Spring
- Basil - Summer
- Mint - Spring
- Coriander - Spring
- Parsley - Spring (All year round in certain locations)
- Rosemary - Autumn/Fall (All year round in certain locations)
- Chives - Spring
- Thyme - Winter
- Dill - Spring
- Oregano - Summer
Second Step - Choose the Location of Your Home Garden
One of the best lines of real estate which also applies to gardening is location, location, location. Find somewhere that suits the plants that you want to grow. Think about lighting, air and sunshine.
More importantly if it is indoors, ask yourself some important questions like should it be near a window or do the plants need more water because it's near the heater or air conditioner.
Finding a space usually is what people find the most difficult in starting a home garden. I am lucky enough to have a wooden vegetable patch that just so happened to be in my backyard before I moved in.
However, if your lacking in the space department or you may just want to put your home garden in your kitchen for convenience, the products below may help you with your home garden journey.
Product Recommendations for Your Home Garden
Hydroponic Garden Kit
This is the future of home gardening. It reminds me of the Back to the Future scene when Marty goes home in the year 2015 (while it’s a little later) this can definitely make your believe you're in a sci-fi movie.
Indoor Hydroponics Garden Kit - LED & Water Pump $139.20
Pros:
- Allows you to have your plants indoors
- Grows your plants with a water circulation system which grows faster than soil
- LED lights simulate sunlight promoting plant growth in any weather conditions
- Low noise water pump
- Height adjustable so you can plant herbs, plants, fruits or vegetables of your choice
Cons:
- Hydroponic garden kits can be pricey you can get a decent kit for around the $100 mark
- You do need to watch the water levels luckily there is a water indication on most kits
- It does need power, unlike a standard vegetable patch
Heated Seedling Germination Mat
The germination mat can assist with the growth of seedling due to the heat that moves from the mat to the base of the plant pots.
Seedling Heat Mat - Seed Germination $41.04
Pros:
- Allows you to have your plants indoors
- Inexpensive compared to the hydroponic garden kit and usual retails between $20 to $60
- Regulates temperature
- It can be used for a terrarium or aquarium
Cons:
- Requires electricity
- Sizing may be restricted depending the brand that you are choosing so you may have to limit the pots you use
- You do need to keep an eye on the germination process, so select carefully if your time poor
Plant Grow Bags
Now this is something that is going to be a big hit in 2022, considering the state of food prices.
Vegetable Growth Bag - Root Pouch From $16.93
Pros:
- If you don’t want to get your hands dirty the bottom flap allows you to pick the vegetables from the root
- You can harvest your plants easy and replace the plants with in season vegetables
- Easy to use and clean as it is made with fabric
- You can use this vegetable garden with limited space
Cons:
- Choose your plants and size carefully as it is growing in a circular form rather than a garden bed
- Soil may fall as you are picking your root vegetables so you may want to think about the location and a mat
Third Step - Picking Your fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
Enjoy the feeling of harvesting, picking and cooking with the amazing food that you've grown yourself and organically (if that’s your thing).
Spread the word about your journey and hope that more people create their own home gardens to have the same enjoyment and satisfaction.