And, believe it or not, they’re not too difficult to pull off.
Meet the Expert
Annette Hirdis a horticulturist and expert gardener at Easy Urban Gardens.
Want more gardening tips?
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it’s possible for you to alwaysadd amendments, but it’s crucial that you know the baseline first.
Generally, a layer of compost will add much-needed nutrients into the soil.
Choosing Raised Beds vs.
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Containers for Your Kitchen Garden
Kitchen gardens can be grown inraised beds, in-ground beds, orcontainers.
In-ground beds work best when your soil is high quality or can be easily amended.
When it comes to decided between a raised bed or a container, think about size and effort.
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With raised beds or large containers, you’ll need to keep in mind watering needs.
“This is especially important during summer when daily watering will be needed,” Hird says.
One final consideration is mobility.
“Start with a range of different herbs that you use often in your cooking,” Hird says.
What do you gravitate towards at the farmer’s market?
What herb do you always find yourself reaching for while cooking?
Do you crave a tomato sandwich nearly every day during the summer?
You should grow the herbs and vegetables that you use and enjoy.
“You could also include greens such as loose-leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard.
Your watering schedule will depend on the plants that you choose.
For example, mint will need to be watered regularly, while rosemary thrives in a drier environment.
And don’t forget about fertilizer.
“You’ll need to feed your kitchen garden plants on a regular basis,” Herd says.
“You could either use slow-release pellets or a liquid fertilizer that you mix with water.
“Or, you could repot the plants into individual pots and then bring them indoors over winter.”
Hird suggests leaving hardy vegetables like kale outside during a frost, as the leaves can actually become sweeter.
