When to Harvest Broccoli

The timing for harvesting broccoli depends on the variety you're growing and the environmental conditions. However, here are some general guidelines:

1. Central Head Size: The main indicator for harvesting broccoli is the size of the central head. It should be firm, compact, and have a deep green color. For most varieties, the central head is ready to harvest when it's about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Harvest before the florets start to open or turn yellow.

2. Days to Maturity: Check the seed packet or plant label for the "days to maturity" information. This will give you a rough estimate of when the broccoli should be ready for harvest. However, it's essential to monitor the plants closely, as environmental conditions can affect maturity.

3. Weather Conditions: Broccoli prefers cool weather. If you're growing it in a temperate climate, aim to harvest before the weather gets too warm. High temperatures can cause the heads to bolt (go to seed) prematurely.

4. Regular Checking: Once your broccoli plants start forming heads, check them regularly for size and firmness. Don't wait too long to harvest, as overripe broccoli can become tough and bitter.

5. Side Shoots: Some broccoli varieties produce side shoots after the main head is harvested. Allow these side shoots to grow to a suitable size before harvesting. Continuously harvest side shoots throughout the growing season to encourage more production.

Overall, it's better to harvest broccoli a bit early rather than too late, as younger heads tend to be more tender and flavorful. Keep an eye on your plants and harvest them when the central head reaches an optimal size and condition.

Harvesting broccoli requires some care to ensure you get the best-tasting and most nutritious heads. Here's how you can do it:

1. Monitor Growth: Keep an eye on your broccoli plants as they grow. The central head of broccoli should be firm and tightly closed, typically around 6 to 8 inches in diameter, depending on the variety.

2. Check Regularly: Once the central head reaches a good size, check it regularly. If left too long, the florets may begin to open, and the taste may deteriorate.

3. Cut the Main Head: When the central head is ready for harvesting, use a sharp knife to cut it about 5 to 6 inches below the head. Make a clean cut at a slant to prevent water from collecting on the cut surface.

4. Side Shoots: After cutting the main head, continue to monitor the plant. Often, side shoots will develop smaller heads. Harvest these in the same way, allowing them to grow to a desirable size before cutting.

5. Timing: It's crucial to harvest broccoli before the florets begin to open and turn yellow. Once this happens, the taste and texture may not be as good.

6. Leave the Plant: After harvesting the main head and any side shoots, leave the plant in the ground if you're growing a variety that produces side shoots. These can provide you with additional smaller heads for several weeks.

7. Storage: If you're not consuming the broccoli immediately, store it in the refrigerator. Place it in a perforated plastic bag to maintain humidity and freshness. Freshly harvested broccoli can last for about a week in the refrigerator.

By following these steps, you can ensure a successful broccoli harvest with delicious, nutritious heads.

Brazilian Spinach

Growing Brazilian spinach, also known as Sissoo spinach or Sambu spinach, is relatively easy and can be done in a variety of climates. Here's a guide to help you grow Brazilian spinach:

1. Climate and Soil:

Brazilian spinach thrives in warm, tropical climates but can also grow in temperate regions.

It prefers well-draining soil rich in organic matter. A pH level between 6.0 and 7.0 is ideal.

2. Propagation:

You can propagate Brazilian spinach from seeds or cuttings. Seeds can be directly sown into the soil or started indoors and transplanted later. Cuttings can be taken from mature plants.

If using seeds, sow them about ¼ to ½ inch deep in the soil.

3. Planting:

Plant Brazilian spinach in a location that receives partial to full sunlight. It can tolerate some shade but grows best with plenty of sun. Space the plants about 12 to 18 inches apart to allow room for growth. Water the newly planted seeds or cuttings thoroughly and keep the soil consistently moist until they establish.

4. Care:

Brazilian spinach is relatively low-maintenance but requires regular watering, especially during dry periods. Keep the soil evenly moist, but avoid waterlogging. Mulching around the plants can help retain moisture and suppress weeds. Fertilize the plants every 4-6 weeks with a balanced fertilizer to promote healthy growth. Pinch off any flowers that appear to encourage continued leaf production.

5. Harvesting:

You can start harvesting Brazilian spinach leaves when the plant reaches about 6 to 8 inches in height. Harvest the outer leaves first, leaving the inner leaves to continue growing. Regular harvesting promotes bushier growth and prolongs the plant's productivity.

6. Pests and Diseases:

Brazilian spinach is relatively resistant to pests and diseases but may occasionally be affected by aphids, caterpillars, or leaf miners. Monitor the plants regularly and treat any infestations promptly. Avoid overhead watering to reduce the risk of fungal diseases.

7. Propagation and Maintenance:

Brazilian spinach readily self-seeds, so you may find new seedlings appearing around the base of mature plants. You can transplant these seedlings to new locations or thin them out as needed. Prune the plants occasionally to maintain their shape and encourage fresh growth.

By following these guidelines, you should be able to successfully grow Brazilian spinach and enjoy its nutritious leaves in your garden or containers.

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Reduce, re-use, recycle, re-grow? Did you know that some of the table scraps bound for the garbage can be used to plant a garden? Go green and get growing with these easy steps!

10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow

Easy grows...

Starting a Vegetable Garden

First, you must begin the planning stages. Typically, the planning is done during the fall or winter months, allowing you plenty of time to figure out what you want and where you want it. You will need to learn more about your particular climate and soil conditions. Also, educate yourself on the different types of vegetables and their individual requirements.

Using the non-gardening season to plan not only will help you find useful information, but you can find out whether or not particular plants are worth your time, since some varieties require more maintenance than others. Vegetable guides provide information on specific plants, planting times, depths, and spacing requirements.

Location

Choose a location in an area that will not blot the landscape after growing season has faded. Locate your garden near an ample water source and preferably close to your home. Doing so will help ensure that garden chores don’t go undone. Make sure there is adequate sunlight in an area with good drainage.

Layout

Once you have established a site for your vegetable garden, consider its layout. Do you want a small or large garden? Does your location permit room for a plot of rows, small beds, or containers? Sketch it out and begin listing the types of vegetables you want to grow.

Plants

Be sure to choose vegetable plants that will accommodate your own family needs; try to resist selecting crops with which you don’t really like or won’t eat. For those you do enjoy, avoid over planting, unless you plan on preserving them.

Soil prep and planting

Work the soil with compost so that it rich with organic matter. If you are starting crops from seed, you need to be done well before planting time. Otherwise, sow seeds or set plants in the garden at their appropriate planting times. Your best bet is to start small until you get a feel for what you’re doing.

If you are planting your vegetable garden in rows, keep the tallest growing plants in such a way that they will not interfere with the smaller varieties by casting too much shade, usually on the garden’s northern side. Leafy crops and some of the root crops, however, can be planted in areas of shade if necessary.

If you have decided on implementing beds, try a strip of area about 4 feet wide by 8 feet long. This way you can easily maneuver around it. You could even consider placing this size garden along the side of your home, incorporating flowers and herbs into the garden for additional use and interest. Placing the garden near a fence or trellis can also offer you the opportunity for growing vine crops as well, while taking up less space. With containers, simply group them together with the largest growers in the back and bring the smaller ones to the front.

With whatever design you have chosen, you should try to group crops according to their rate of maturity. By using this grouping method, you can ensure that your garden will be abundant continually since there will be other crops taking the place of those which have begun to fade or have already died out. When you follow crops, choose unrelated plants to prevent occurrence of pests or diseases. For example, follow beans with beets or peppers.

Upkeep and harvesting

You’ll want to check on your garden frequently, making sure that it has sufficient water and no weeds or other problems. To help cut down on the growth of weeds and help retain moisture, add plenty of mulch to the garden. Checking your garden often will also ensure that crops get picked once matured. Frequent picking helps increase production and extends the harvest season.

Starting a vegetable garden is not that difficult or demanding as long as the proper care and maintenance is provided. There is a great sense of pride in knowing that you have grown your own vegetables which can be shared with family and friends each year; and once they have tasted the sweet, home-grown fruits of your labor, they will be proud as well.

Growing Vegetables In Pots - How To Grow Shade Loving Edible Plants

6 Vegetables That Can Be Grown In Pots In Areas Affected By Shade

For many people, growing vegetables in a lovingly tended allotment or in beautifully arranged raised vegetable beds in the garden is just a dream. Many of us don’t have the time to manage the requirements of digging, weeding, feeding and maintaining a large growing area. Some don’t have the luxury of space or don’t have a garden big enough to afford giving some over to a vegetable patch while others don’t have much more than a back yard. There are also those who live in flats or apartments that don’t have any outdoor space, just windowsill, or possibly a balcony.

The good news is that even with these limitations it is still possible to grow your own food, by growing vegetables in pots. And vegetables grown this way don't have to be in just ground level pots and containers. Hanging baskets, wall or fence mounted containers, flat roofs, balconies and even window ledges and sills can be utillsied and can give surprisingly large yields of produce.

Admittedly, you will never be able to grow the same amount of produce as you would from an allotment or full vegetable garden, and it’s unlikely that you will be able to be self sufficient all year round with vegetables, so the best advice is to be selective about what you grow. Choose plants that you enjoy eating, are either expensive to buy or difficult to find in stores, or ones that are attractive to look at.

Growing in shade

But what do you do if the only place you have to locate your pots is not blessed with all day direct sunlight? In most cases, vegetables require at least six hours of sunshine in order to grow into healthy producing plants. Unfortunately, not everyone lives in a place with these suitable conditions. For some, the only space suitable for placing their pots is an area that is partially shaded. The good news is that there are some vegetables that will happily grow in areas affected by partial shade.

If you, Like me, enjoy growing your own veg but have a growing area that spends a large part of each day in shade, you will know how difficult and frustrating it can be to grow vegetables in these conditions. However, after years of trial and error I have learnt which edibles I can grow successfully and which ones are better not taking up my valuable growing space. For me, a large part of the growing is for the eating, so I concentrate on plants that I like eat and which not only manage but can actually thrive with some shade.

All vegetables need some degree of exposure to light and there are several methods that can be utilised in order to maximise their hours of sunshine. Growing vegetables in containers has many benefits but, for gardens with a problem with shade, container growing can have a distinct asset. In order to maximise the sun that the plants get, they can be re-positioned around the garden as needed. Also, the use of greenhouses and coldframes will provide that extra degree of warmth and limit exposure to cooler conditions caused by the shade. 

The vegetables

Salad Leaves.

If I could grow only one type of food it would be these. I tend to grow a lot of the salad bowl variety, as well as oriental vegetables such as pak choi and mizuna which I harvest as baby leaves. They are so easy to grow, can be used as a cut-and-come-again crop, and a small growing space can produce amazingly large amounts. Considering how much a small bag of salad leaves costs in the shops, it's clear that growing your own is considerably cheaper, as well as the benefit of getting much fresher, healthier leaves. Salad leaves will grow quickly and will be fine in shallow pots or trays. They are not hungry plants, so can be grown in compost that has been previously used to grow something else.

Rocket.

As the name suggests rocket grows very fast. These leaves have a tendency to bolt, going to seed if they are exposed to too much sun and heat. Growing them in a partially shaded area and being kept well watered will reduce the chances of this happening, keeping the leaves tender for eating. Rocket likes to push its roots down deep so deeper pots are required. If you are growing it outside, the main pest is flea beetle, which damages the leaves with lots of small holes. The plants can be protected by covering with fleece.

Spinach Beet.

This is a great vegetable! Similar in taste to true spinach, this vegetable can handle a lot of abuse and neglet and still produce month after month. Like true spinach, but with less tendency to do so, it can bolt in hot sunny conditions so is very happy with a mixture of sunshine and shade. In really hot weather I move the containers to areas of the garden that have less sunshine. This plant also has deep roots so give it a nice deep pot filled with nutrient rich growing medium to keep it happy. Spinach beet will actually start growing again for a second year, so leave the plants in over winter and enjoy some bonus leaves before you sow a new batch.

Runner Beans.

These can tolerate more shade than most other varieties of beans. As climbers, they will naturally seek out the sun as they wind their way up the frames. The amount of beans the plants produce may be less than if they had more sun, but as these plants are well known for the abundance of produce they can deliver, even in a shady garden like mine I still get a plentiful supply. To get a good crop they require a deep tub with plenty of nutrient rich compost and keep well watered, especially once it starts flowering. It has attractive flowers which is a bonus and is ideally suited in areas where vertical growing will maximize the space available.

Carrots

I grow baby varieties in containers. Though I don't grow enough this way to keep me supplied all year long, it does mean I have carrots straight from the garden. Their flavour can't be matched by shop bought ones, they need no peeling, and they taste great raw or only need minimal time to cook. Though it may take them longer to mature, it is still possible to grow carrots in areas affected by shade. They have long tap roots so require deep pots. Baby/salad and round varieties of carrots are well suited to pots as they require less depth of compost to grow in. Carrots can be ruined by carrot fly. Though carrots grown in pots seem to be less affected than when being grown in open ground, it still pays to take a few precautions. Cover the plants in fleece or position in an elevated position or surrounded by other plants. Carrot fly are attracted by the carrots scent, so disturb the plants as little as possible and the plants around them will help to mask the smell. This pest is a poor flyer and will find it difficult to reach pots elevated above about three feet or over barriers.

Spring Onions.

So easy to grow. To have a regular supply of spring onions, sow small amounts every few weeks, so that you have them maturing throughout the growing season rather than all at the same time. They take up little space, making them ideal for growing in small areas. They can be picked washed and added straight to salads or used in flans and stir fries. It's a good idea to grow spring onions near your carrots. The smell of the onions is known to be a good deterrent to carrot fly. 

How to Plan a Vegetable Garden

Why Plant a Garden with Vegetables

Starting a vegetable garden at home is an easy way to save money -- that $2 tomato plant can easily provide you with 10 pounds of fruit over the course of a season.

Planting a garden with vegetables also gives you the pleasure of savoring a delicious, sun-warmed tomato fresh from the garden. In almost every case, the flavor and texture of varieties you can grow far exceed the best grocery store produce.

Plus, growing vegetables can be fun. It's a great way to spend time with children or have a place to get away and spend time outdoors in the sun.

Learning what to plant in a garden with vegetables, and how to tend them for the best harvest, is probably easier than you think. If you plan it right, you can enjoy a beautiful garden full of the fruits of your labor -- without having to spend hours and hours tending it. Planting a garden that includes vegetables and flowers means you've combined natural companions, and that can turn a potential eyesore into an attractive landscape feature. 

Deciding What to Plant in a Garden with Vegetables

At first, when deciding what to plant in a garden with vegetables, it's best to start small. Many gardeners get a little too excited at the beginning of the season and plant more than they need -- and end up wasting food and feeling overwhelmed by their garden.

So first, take a look at how much your family will eat when you think about how to plan a vegetable garden. Keep in mind that vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash keep providing throughout the season -- so you may not need many plants to serve your needs. Other vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, and corn, produce only once. You may need to plant more of these.

Determining How Much Space You Need

Once you know what you want to plant, you can figure out how plan a vegetable garden with the right amount of space.

Keep in mind when figuring out what to plant in a garden with vegetables that you don't need a large space to begin. If you choose to grow in containers, you don't even need a yard -- a deck or balcony may provide plenty of space.

In fact, a well-tended 10x10-foot vegetable garden will usually produce more than a weed-filled or disease-ridden 25x50-foot bed.

Picking the Perfect Spot

No matter how big your vegetable garden is, or how you determine what to plant in a garden, there are three basic requirements for success:

1. Full sun. Most vegetables need at least 6-8 hours of direct sun. If they don't get enough light, they won't bear as much and they'll be more susceptible to attack from insects or diseases.

Here's a hint: If you don't have a spot in full sun to plant a garden with vegetables, you can still grow many leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach. And if you're in a hot-summer climate, cool-season varieties such as peas may do better in part shade.

2. Plenty of water. Because most vegetables aren't very drought tolerant, you'll need to give them a drink during dry spells. When thinking about how to plan a vegetable garden, remember: The closer your garden is to a source of water, the easier it will be for you.

3. Good soil. As with any kind of garden, success usually starts with the soil. Most vegetables do best in moist, well-drained soil that's rich in organic matter (such as compost or peat moss).

Many gardeners like to have their vegetable gardens close to the house. This makes it easier to harvest fresh produce while you're cooking. It can also be handy to keep a few favorite potted vegetables next to your grill.

How to Design and Plan Your Vegetable Garden

Row Cropping

This is probably what comes to mind when you think of what to plant in a garden with vegetables: You place plants single file in rows, with a walking path between each row.

Row cropping works best for large vegetable gardens, and it makes it easier to use mechanical equipment such as tillers to battle weeds.

The downside of row cropping is that you don't get as many vegetables in a small space, as much of the soil is used for footpaths rather than vegetable plants.

Row cropping isn't as visually interesting, either.

Here's a hint: Allow at least 18 inches between your rows so you have plenty of room to work between them. And as you sketch out your plan, place taller vegetables at the north side of the garden. This includes naturally tall plants -- like tomatoes -- and plants that can be grown on vertical supports -- including snap peas, cucumbers, and pole beans.

Intensive Cropping

This type of planting a garden with vegetables means using in wide bands, generally 1-4 feet across and as long as you like. Intensive cropping reduces the amount of area needed for paths, but the closer spacing of the plants usually means you have to weed by hand.

Because of the handwork required, when thinking how to plan a vegetable garden with rows remember: It is important not to make the bands wider than you can comfortably reach.

Intensive cropping also allows you to design your vegetable garden, making it a good choice, for example, if you want to grow vegetables in your front yard. It's a great solution for mixing vegetables with ornamentals, as well.

A specialized version of intensive cropping is the "square-foot method." This system divides the garden into small beds (typically 4x4 feet), that are further subdivided into 1-foot squares. Each 1-foot square is planted with one, four, nine, or 16 plants, depending on the size of the plant when it matures.

It also makes sense to leave some areas of the garden unplanted at first. This allows you to plant a second crop to harvest later in the season. Lettuce, radishes, green onions, carrots, and bush beans are commonly planted several times during the season.

Testing and Fixing Your Soil

It's best to test the soil before you begin planting a garden with vegetables. Check drainage by soaking the soil with a hose, waiting a day, then digging up a handful of soil. Squeeze the soil hard. If water streams out, you'll probably want to add compost or organic matter to improve the drainage.

Next, open your hand.

If the soil hasn't formed a ball, or if the ball falls apart at the slightest touch, the soil is probably too sandy. (Add organic matter to improve sandy soil.)

If the ball holds together even if you poke it fairly hard, you have too much clay in your soil. (Organic matter improves clay soil, too.)

But if the ball breaks into crumbs when you poke it -- like a chocolate cake -- rejoice! Your soil is ideal.

If your soil doesn't drain well, your best bet will probably be to install raised beds.

Here's a hint: Build raised beds on existing lawn by lining the bottom of frames with several layers of newspaper, then filling with soil. That way, you don't have to dig!

Digging Your Beds

Loosen your soil before you plant a garden with vegetables. You can either use a tiller or dig by hand.

Once the soil has been loosened, spread out soil amendments (such as compost) and work them into the soil. Avoid stepping on freshly tilled soil as much as possible. Otherwise, you'll be compacting the soil and undoing all your hard work.

When you're done digging, smooth the surface with a rake, then water thoroughly. Allow the bed to rest for several days before you plant.

Choosing Varieties

Once you start deciding what to plant in a garden with vegetables, you'll probably notice that the possibilities for are endless. There are thousands of tomato varieties alone!

When selecting varieties, pay close attention to the description on the tag or in the catalog. Each variety will be a little different: Some produce smaller plants that are ideal for small gardens or containers, others offer great disease resistance, improved yields, better heat- or cold-tolerance, or other features.

Seed catalogs are one of the best sources for vegetables. Once you narrow your choices to types of vegetables, pick two or three varieties that seem promising. That way if one variety doesn't perform well, you'll have other plants to make up for it. Next year, grow the best performer again, and choose another to try.

Many vegetables can be started early indoors or purchased already started from a garden center. The benefit of this approach is that you can have a crop ready to harvest several weeks earlier than if you were to plant seeds in the ground. Starting vegetables indoors is not difficult, but it does require some time and attention. Seed packages list the options you have for planting particular seed.

Care and Feeding

Most vegetables like a steady supply of moisture, but not so much that they are standing in water. About an inch of water per week is usually sufficient, provided by you if Mother Nature fails to come through. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. For in-ground crops, that may mean watering once or twice a week; raised beds drain faster and may require watering every other day.

Weeds compete with your vegetables for water and nutrients, so it's important to keep them to a minimum. Use a hoe or hand fork to lightly stir (cultivate) the top inch of soil regularly to discourage weed seedlings. A mulch of clean straw, compost, or plastic can keep weeds at bay around larger plants like tomatoes.

Fertilizing your crops is critical to maximizing yields. Organic gardeners often find that digging in high quality compost at planting time is all their vegetables need. Most gardeners, however, should consider applying a packaged vegetable fertilizer, following the directions on the box or bag. Don't apply more than recommended as this can actually decrease yield.

By using vining crops like pole beans and snap peas when planting a garden with vegetables, you can make use of vertical space in the garden and boost yield per square foot.

Harvesting

This is what it's all about, so don't be shy about picking your produce! Many vegetables can be harvested at several stages. Leaf lettuce, for example, can be picked as young as you like; snip some leaves and it will continue to grow and produce. Summer squash (zucchini) and cucumber can be harvested when the fruit is just a few inches long, or it can be allowed to grow to full size. The general rule: If it looks good enough to eat, it probably is. Give it a try. With many vegetables, the more you pick, the more the plant will produce.

Vegetable Gardening: 10 Must-Grow Plants

Slicing Tomatoes

Also known as beefsteak tomatoes, this group of tomatoes produces medium to large fruits that are often sliced for topping burgers and sandwiches, and is one of the top 10 must-grow plants. Often red but also available in yellow and green varieties, slicers tend to be disease-resistant and easy to grow. Some of the most popular slicers include 'Better Boy' and 'Celebrity'. Several heirloom tomatoes are also excellent slicers. 'Brandywine' is a pink-skin heirloom with soft flesh and full flavor. Get started with transplants from your local nursery or a mail-order source. 

Small-Fruited Tomatoes

These bite-size tomatoes are packed with flavor and sweet tomato juice, making them a great top 10 must-grow plant. Available in shades of red and yellow, small-fruited tomatoes are often very prolific. One plant can produce several pounds of fruit from midsummer until frost. Try 'Yellow Pear,' 'Super Sweet 100,' and 'Juliet.' Get started with transplants from your local nursery or a mail-order source.

Sweet Peppers

Sweet peppers come in all shapes and sizes. Bell peppers are the most popular garden variety of sweet peppers, and are an easy, top 10 must-grow plant. Left to ripen, they turn red, purple, orange, or yellow and contain various amounts of sugar depending on the variety. Green bell peppers are the most common. Try 'California Wonder' or 'Purple Beauty.'

Paler green and yellow elongated sweet pepper varieties often have a more intense flavor. Because peppers require a long, hot growing season, in cool regions or areas with short growing seasons, they may never develop their ripe color. Try 'Sweet Banana'.

Hot Peppers

The heat of hot peppers intensifies as the peppers ripen. Chili peppers include Anaheims, anchos, jalapenos, cayenne, and habanero peppers, among others. They ripen through a wide range of colors from yellow, orange, purple, and even brown. Some chili peppers turn bright red, which is more often an indication of ripeness than hotness. One plant will produce many peppers during a growing season, making them a great top 10 must-grow plant. Try ‘Early Jalapeno’ or ‘Kung Pao’. Get started with transplants from your local nursery or a mail-order source.

Cucumbers

A couple of cucumber plants will easily produce enough fruit for a family of four—you might even have some extra bounty to share with friends and neighbors, making them a great top 10 must-grow plant. Easy to grow and vigorous, cucumbers thrive in the heat of summer. Their trailing vines can sprawl across the garden, or they can be trained onto a sturdy trellis. Bush types are excellent for small-space gardens and containers. Try ‘Marketmore 76’ or ‘Salad Bush’. Cucumbers are easy to grow from seed planted in late spring after the last frost.

Snow Peas

Garden-fresh peas are the ultimate springtime treat, and so sweet it's hard to pass them up as a top 10 must-grow plant. This cool-season crop thrives in cool, moist weather and can be planted in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Best eaten fresh, some peas convert as much as 40 percent of their sugar to starch in just a few hours in the refrigerator. Snow peas, and their close relative snap peas, are eaten whole—no time-consuming shelling required. Try ‘Dwarf Gray Sugar’. Snow peas are easy to grow from seed.

Mesclun Mix

The word "mesclun" is French and originally referred to a mixture of tender salad greens that were wild-harvested in early spring. Today mesclun is cultivated in gardens and containers to make harvesting perfectly tender baby looseleaf as easy as stepping out the door. Many flavor-rich mixes are available, making them a tasty addition to the top 10 must-grow plant list. Try a couple, and enjoy the variety of flavors. Mesclun is easy to grow from seed planted in early spring.

Spinach

Scrumptious in a fresh salad and lovely in the garden, spinach is a top 10 must-grow plant for the edible landscape. Plant ribbons of spinach through a perennial border, or use it as a tiny, tidy hedge around a plot of early-season vegetables. Plant a late summer crop for harvest in fall. Try ‘Olympia’. Spinach is easy to grow from seed.

Basil

Tomato’s perfect partner, basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow, making it a great top 10 must-grow plant. Add it to sauces, soups, and salads for a spicy, tangy flavor. The many varieties, from lime basil to Thai basil, have flavors ranging form citrusy to spicy with a touch of anise. Grow a few and explore the different tastes. Basil grows equally well in the garden and in containers, and its clean, long-lasting foliage makes it a great plant for the edible landscape, too. Try ‘Genovese’. It has spicy flavor. Basil is easy to grow from seed or transplants. 

Beans

Beans are some of the easiest vegetables to grow, and a wonderful addition to the top 10 must-grow plant list. Perfect for a first-time gardener or a child's vegetable garden, beans quickly germinate and produce copious amounts of tasty treats. They are available in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes; some plants produce colorful flowers, pods, and seeds. From snap beans to edamame—you can grow them all. Try 'Provider': It is known for its fast growth. Beans are easy to grow from seed.