by Lisa Mulder
Summer 2023 isn’t even over and I’m already thinking about next year’s garden. I am often asked the question “What are your favourite fruits and veggies to grow?”
What are my criteria for great home-grown fruit and veggies? Fruit and veggies must be fairly clean of dirt and bugs and need minimal cleaning with little waste. I love things that can be picked and eaten right there in the garden. I grow what I will actually use, so here are some of my favourites!
String Beans: Pole and bush beans. Perfectly clean. Fun to pick and easy to cook! Have you tried “bean races” at dinner to get the kids eating beans too? The rules are simple: eat the string bean faster than everyone else.
Swiss Chard: Fairly clean. Use it in place of frozen spinach throughout the winter.
Cabbage: Okay, those cabbage moths are annoying, but if you peel away the outer infested leaves, inside there is a beautiful cabbage waiting to be eaten.
Peas: They are lovely to watch climbing through the summer, they are clean, and they are delicious to eat either fresh or cooked.
Zucchini: Okay, yes, they are prolific, but have I mentioned my blanch/dehydrated zoodle recipe? Amazing!
Patty Pans: Haven’t heard of these? These are the UFO shaped yellow squashes that are so beautiful to grow and so delicious to pan fry with butter. Look them up!
Cucumber: Cucumbers are hit and miss, but in a good year, I can’t tell you how delicious they are with tomatoes and feta in a Greek salad.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes can be advanced… only because they require consistent moisture all summer (no forgetful moments allowed), some decent soil and some bone meal. But a fresh tomato from the garden can’t be beat!
Lettuce and Radishes: These are fun! Plant them at the end of March and you will be harvesting them in June. After that, you can re-use the space for something else.
What about fruit? Fruit takes time. Plant your fruit trees and bushes the moment you move into your new house so that you can enjoy the harvest sooner.
Haskap/Honeyberry: Seriously folks, this is the best fruiting bush to buy. It will give you a beautiful early summer harvest within two years. The berries are clean and delicious! If I had the choice, I’d choose haskap over blueberries, hands down!
Saskatoons: Pretty much effortless “pommes” ready to be picked in early August for fresh eating and pies!
Apples: These take 5 to 7 years to first harvest, but they’re worth it! Who can resist a freshly picked apple?
Gentle Reminder: The RCG “in-ground beds” are there for everyone to enjoy. The “raised” garden beds are planted and nurtured by members of the Renfrew Community Garden and are not for public picking.
Don’t forget to check out the Renfrew Community Garden at https://renfrewcommunitygarden.wordpress.com/.
Click here to the Renfrew Community News home page for the latest Renfrew community updates.
