The Secret Garden
Great gardens are rooted in an ‘only the strong survive’ mentality. Here’s how to prepare for a harvest that will be worth the time, energy and money spent
Ever dream of being “that” neighbor? The one with a garden that’s the envy of the neighborhood, brimming with enough seasonal crops to feed the whole ZIP code and still having plenty for family meals. The one who seems to have magical dirt that can yield a small harvest on an even smaller budget.
Here’s how to create an efficient garden out of any outdoor or indoor space and pinpoint which fruits and vegetables are worth the time, energy and money spent. Read on for tips about the most forgiving, most prolific, most versatile and, of course, most delicious varieties.
Tomatoes
“Tomatoes are the No. 1 garden crop in the United States for great reasons,” says Rhonda Massingham Hart, the Deer Park, Wash.-based author of “The Dirt Cheap Green Thumb” (Storey Publishing, 2009). They are relatively easy to grow, beautiful, delicious, bountiful and loaded with nutrients – lycopene when cooked, vitamins A and C when raw.”
Tomatoes can be used in everything from salads to shish kabobs, Hart says. Some, like Roma, are thick and meaty and just right for sauces, while others, like Red Currant, are sweet and tiny, just right for snacking.
And while tomatoes can grow just about anywhere, including upside down, Hart says “they do best in deep, beautiful soil – rich in organic matter, well balanced in nutrients (including calcium, a deficiency of which can lead to the dreaded blossom end rot).” Soil should retain moisture yet drain well, Hart says, who prefers to grow her tomatoes in raised beds of generously amended organic soil.
Squash
Just how easy is it to grow squash or zucchini?
“The beginning gardener will buy a six pack, plant them all and their neighbors will slam their doors in her face because she tries to give it all away,” laughs Yvonne Savio, common ground garden program manager with the University of California Cooperative Extension program in Los Angeles County. Squash comes in several varieties, from yellow crookneck to the traditional green zucchini, and are “just naturally prolific,” Savio says. Plant three or four seeds every month beginning in April or May to “have one or two squash a week for the entire summer,” Savio says. And while zucchini can be used in everything from salads to ratatouille, the biggest yield comes from baking it into zucchini bread.
Strawberries
Strawberries are easy to grow, both in beds in the ground or in a variety of container types, from strawberry jars to hanging baskets, Hart says. “Some varieties, called Day Neutral varieties – Tri-Star is one example – will produce all summer long,” she says. “Others, called Everbearing types, will have one big flush in mid- to late-June, followed by a second late summer crop. And June bearers will splurge almost all of the berries in June for a single harvest – a best fit for those who intend to can or freeze.”
Fig Trees
“They are really forgiving,” Savio says. “[Gardeners] can chop the heck out of a fig tree and it will still put out fruit. It has two fruiting cycles. That is the tree I encourage people to play with if they are just getting into the fruiting. A good tree not to get overwhelmed with doing it right or wrong.”
Spinach
“New Zealand spinach is a perennial spinach and ground cover and is best in the ground,” says Christopher Nyerges of Los Angeles, co-founder of the School of Self-Reliance and gardening author. “It is not difficult to grow, which is why I grow it. It is perennial, so I am able to collect some year round. I’ve been collecting from the same expanding patch for about 20 years. I use it as I would use regular spinach, in salads, soups and with eggs.”
Asparagus
“Asparagus is great because it is perennial,” Nyerges says. “Plant it in appropriate soil, good sun, proper irrigation and there will be asparagus shoots every spring for maybe 50 years from one patch.”
To save a little time, energy and expenses, Nyerges suggests first deciding what will get eaten. Before planting, make a list of the vegetables and fruits that the family enjoys. “Then circle all those on that list that are ideal in the neighborhood,” Nyerges says. “Maybe a specific variety is [the best fit].” To determine the proper planting techniques, contact a local nursery for advice and buy a book on gardening.
It’s survival of the fittest in Nyerges’ garden. The fruits and vegetables that can survive with minimal care are the ones he keeps around; the more high-maintenance plants die off but that just makes for a stronger garden. “I then cultivate and work on the survivors,” he says, “having a garden that is very productive with very little work.”
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