10 How-To Guides for Glorious Gardens

You don’t usually need to have a super green thumb or even a huge yard to grow a little bit of something for yourself at home.

Lots of veggies, greens, and herbs are quite simple to grow, easy to maintain, and reward you with a healthy yield with not too much input.

Whether you have a huge garden, a small porch, or an even tinier windowsill, there is always something that you can grow to munch on.

Take a look at these OGP ‘How to Grow’ guides to some delicious, nutritious, fun, edible, and medicinal plants.

1. Greens

Green is good. And, what’s more, greens—from now on we’ll be talking specifically about those dark, leafy things—have become so easily available in such massive variety. Salads used to be iceberg lettuce, but in today’s market, there are all of these different options at our disposal. There is hearty stuff like kale and chard. There are dainty leaves like arugula and spinach. We’re even coming to recognize secondary crops like the greens of beets and radishes. Read here to learn How to Grow Your Own Greens.

2. Cucumbers

As summer rolls in, so does an abundance of fruits and veggies from our gardens, with the cucumber being high on that list. With each healthy plant, you can harvest a good 10 crunchy cucumbers. Grow enough plants to keep you, your family, and your friends in cucumbers all summer. It is easy to become uninspired by cucumbers. We think of them in salads, and that is just about it. But, cucumbers are, in fact, a little more versatile than that, and they can be useful in the kitchen and the bathroom. Here is How to Grow Cucumbers and Fun Ways to Use Them.

3. Chamomile

Chamomile is commonly known and used as a comforting bedtime tea. This pretty plant, which is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae family), is very simple to grow and can provide you with a bountiful garden bursting with delicate flowers and fragrant foliage, as well as an abundance of fodder for your herbal tea cupboard. Chamomile tea is most commonly consumed as a sleep aid. It contains a specific antioxidant that is thought to promote sleepiness and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. It may also induce a better quality of sleep. Read on to learn How to Grow and Use Chamomile in Herbal Tea.

4. Jerusalem Artichokes

Not to be confused with globe artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) are a wonder unto themselves. A member of the sunflower family, Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, not only give you gorgeous yellow flowers but also provide you with delicious edible tubers not dissimilar to potatoes. If you want to have a go at growing a more unusual vegetable, that is easy to maintain and gives you a huge harvest year after year, you should read- How to Grow and Prepare Jerusalem Artichokes.

5. Valerian

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a pretty, flowering, perennial plant that is prevalent in zones 3-9. The plant is native to Asia and Europe but is grown all over the world for its ornamental and medicinal properties. Valerian is very easy to grow, and being a perennial and a prolific self-seeder, it should reappear in your garden year after year. Read ‘How to Grow and Use Valerian’ for tips for growing valerian in your backyard and using it in your kitchen.

6. Blueberries

Blueberries can be fairly easy to grow, and they are a long-lasting plant that will provide us with nutrition for years. As well, blueberries have varieties suited to all sorts of climates, from the hot and humid to frigid winters. Or, they can even be grown in containers, allowing us to shift them around into the areas most climatically conducive to them. Check out How to Grow Blueberries at Home.

7. Hops

Most of us know that hops are a key ingredient in beers, and no beer celebrates hoppiness quite like the IPA. However, hops are a fun and beautiful plant to grow at home, one that covers an arbor or trellis and provides some tasty stuff for the kitchen. In addition to being a vigorous bind (vines that die back to the ground in winter) and more than willing to climb stuff to provide a shady sitting spot, the plant has usefulness in the kitchen, both as food and non-alcoholic beverage. Read on to learn all about Growing Hops at Home: They Aren’t Just for IPAs.

8. Banana Peppers

Banana peppers are a member of the Capsicum annuum family, just like their cousins the jalapeño, cayenne, and bell pepper. Unsurprisingly, they are named ‘banana peppers’ due to their uncanny resemblance to the sweet fruit of the same name. They are long and slender and have fewer seeds than some other peppers, making them great for stuffing and pickling. Banana peppers are usually yellow when encountered on the side of sandwiches or as pickles, but they can redden up as they ripen! Check out How to Grow, Harvest, and Eat These Flavorful Peppers!

9. Mushrooms

Growing fresh vegetables at home has quickly regained popularity in the last few years, but many people remain intimidated by the prospect of cultivating mushrooms. Even those who love mushrooms seem hesitant to wade into trusting themselves to grow their own. Mushrooms are delicious, have fantastic medicinal qualities, and can be amazing additions to an edible landscape. There are several ways we can grow them right at home – no high-dollar equipment or special training involved. Here are 5 Ways to Grow Mushrooms at Home.

10. Winter Squash and Pumpkins

One of the many wonderfully magical things to come out of gardens is winter squash. Another, quite similar, tap of the cultivator’s wand is pumpkins. These two are exciting vegetables (fruits technically) for a myriad of reasons. Beyond tasting wonderful, winter squash and pumpkins are also game-changers for fresh produce in winter. When harvested correctly, they can be stored for months as is, with no canning or freezing. Read here to learn more about Growing, Harvesting, and Storing Winter Squash and Pumpkins.

Related Content:

• 8 Tips for Growing and Using Your Own Greens
• 10 Tips for Foraging and Growing Mushrooms
• 8 Tips on Growing Trees
• 8 Veggies to Include in Your Kitchen Garden and How to Grow Them
• 10 Unusual Edible and Medicinal Plants to Grow at Home

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