5 Easy Steps To Get Started
By Ava Green
There’s a common myth that you need a lot of space to grow vegetables, but whether you have a few containers, a small sunny corner, or a larger garden bed, there’s lots you can grow! Here in Norfolk County, which is Zone 6 in Southern Ontario, some vegetables can go in the ground as early as the beginning of May, while many others are usually safe to plant around the May 24th weekend, once the risk of frost has passed. Here are five simple steps to get you growing your own food this season if you’re new to vegetable gardening.
Step 1: Decide What You’d Love To Grow
Start with a list of the vegetables you actually want to eat. Coming into Eising Garden Centre with a list in hand makes choosing plants so much easier! When building your list, consider:
- Vegetables you love
- High-value vegetables, the ones that are expensive at the grocery store but easy and economical to grow yourself
- Anything that tastes better when it’s freshly picked, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh herbs
Step 2: Make a Simple Plan
You don’t need an elaborate design; a rough sketch on a scrap of paper is just fine. The goal is simply to get a sense of your space and where things will go before you start digging. We recommend starting a garden notebook or journal to track what you plant each year and how it performs. It will be especially helpful next spring!! A few planning tips to keep in mind:
- Most heat-loving vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant and beans, need at least six hours of sun per day
- Cool-weather and shade-tolerant crops like lettuce, chard, kale, radishes, and beets do well with just three to four hours of sun
- Spacing in a vegetable garden can be much tighter than in other types of gardens. Less empty space means fewer weeds and bigger harvests. Square foot gardening is an excellent method to explore
- Layer your garden beds with plants that are great companions. For example, basil and marigolds planted beside tomatoes are said to improve flavour and repel pests. Carrot and beet seeds tucked in beside and between your lettuce plants (which are a cool-weather crop) are a smart pairing; as your lettuce finishes in the summer heat, your carrots and beets will be sprouting up to take their place. This is referred to as succession planting and optimizes the space in your garden
- Make use of vertical space with poles or trellises for peas, pole beans and cucumbers
- Tuck herbs into any gaps between your vegetables; they’re useful, beautiful, and most pollinators love them
Step 3: Prepare Your Space
Once you’ve chosen a spot with enough light, it’s time to get the soil ready:
- Remove any sod or weeds before planting. If you’d rather not dig, the No Dig gardening method uses a layer of cardboard as the base for the new bed. This suppresses weeds naturally and breaks down into the soil over time
- Add a good-quality compost to your soil by either spreading a layer across the top of the garden bed or scooping some into each plant hole
- For container gardening, almost any container works, just make sure it’s deep and wide enough for the mature size of your plants. Also, drainage holes are a must! Fill containers with a soilless mix containing compost, peat moss or a peat alternative, and one of the following: sand, vermiculite, or perlite. Avoid using garden soil, triple mix, or topsoil in containers, as they compact easily and will restrict root growth. Learn more about soil mixes, amendments, and fertilizers here
Step 4: Water and Feed Consistently
Consistent watering and feeding are the foundation of a productive vegetable garden:
- Vegetables need regular, reliable watering. Inconsistent moisture leads to stressed plants and poor yields
- Always water the soil, not the leaves. Plant roots take in water, and wet foliage can invite disease. Water deeply so moisture reaches the roots. Use your fingers to check how far down the water has penetrated into the soil
- Containers dry out faster than garden beds and will need more frequent attention
- Morning is the best time to water. If your plants are struggling on a particularly hot afternoon, a second watering is fine. Just be sure to aim at the base of the plant and avoid the foliage, which can scorch in direct sun
- Feed with organic fertilizers throughout the season to keep your plants healthy and productive. Follow the package instructions for the product you choose
Step 5: Plant Flowers for Your Pollinators
A vegetable garden without pollinators is a garden that won’t reach its full potential. Attracting bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects to your garden is one of the best things you can do for your harvest. Some of our favourite pollinator-friendly flowers for the vegetable garden include marigold, calendula, nasturtium, borage, sunflowers and culinary lavender. As a bonus, most of these are edible, so they earn their space twice over.
It’s Time
Starting a vegetable garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do with an outdoor space. There’s a quiet satisfaction in growing something from seed or a seedling and bringing it to your own table.
Start simple, grow what you love and don’t be afraid to learn as you go.
The team at Eising Garden Centre is always happy to help you choose the right plants for your space and answer any questions along the way. This could be the season that changes the way you think about your garden!
Resources:
Why Use a Garden Journal?: https://eising.ca/why-use-a-garden-journal/
Square Foot Gardening: https://www.almanac.com/planning-square-foot-garden-grow-more-less-space
Fertilizers & Soil Amendments: https://eising.ca/fertilizers-soil-amendments/
Companion Planting: https://eising.ca/companion-planting-with-herbs/ and https://eising.ca/incorporating-vegetables-into-your-garden/
Optimizing the Gardening Season: https://eising.ca/optimizing-the-gardening-season/
No Dig Gardening Method: https://charlesdowding.co.uk/blogs/no-dig-resources/beginners-guide
Reading Plant Tags: https://eising.ca/full-sun-part-shade-what-do-plant-tags-actually-mean/
Growing Vegetables in Pots: https://eising.ca/planters-are-for-more-than-flowers/
By Ava Green
As soon as warm weather and sunshine arrive in Southern Ontario, it’s time to head to the garden centre and pick up all the plants we’ve been dreaming about all winter long! May 24th is generally the date we look forward to — the unofficial marker when frosty mornings are behind us and the promise of summer is ahead.
By now, cool-weather plants like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, peas, and lettuce should be well established in the vegetable garden. And for everything else, it’s go time!
TIP: Before you start planting, this is the ideal time to amend your soil. Top up your garden beds with fresh topsoil or enrich them with compost to improve soil health, add nutrients, and promote vigorous plant growth. Don’t forget to refresh the soil in your containers as well, with potting mix or compost.
Warm Weather Vegetables
When soil temperatures are consistently 60°F (15°C) or higher, it’s safe to plant all the warm-weather vegetable crops we’ve been waiting for! Plants that thrive in warmer weather include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini and corn.
At Eising Garden Centre, you’ll find vegetables in 6-packs, 4” pots, trellised patio containers, patio bowls and hanging baskets - while supplies last, of course!
Herbs also love warm weather, and tender varieties like basil are safe to plant once all danger of frost has passed. Whether you plant herbs directly into the ground or create a potted herb garden near the kitchen door, they’ll add fresh flavour to your meals all season long. A container of herbs also makes a wonderful gift when visiting friends and family for a summer BBQ.
While you’re in the vegetable and herb aisle, keep an eye out for everbearing strawberries in planters and containers of tropical fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges.
Annual Flowers
Winter-weary flower beds can be revived almost instantly with a burst of colourful annuals! If you’re looking for an immediate impact and blooms that last all summer long, annual flowers are the answer.
Whether you plant them in beds, containers, window boxes, or hanging baskets — or choose from one of our gorgeous pre-planted options — just add water and fertilizer, and you’ll be rewarded with a vibrant display that keeps on giving.
Perennials
While perennials may not bloom all summer, many offer extended bloom periods, and by combining different varieties, you can create a succession of flowers that lasts for months. Perennials also provide essential greenery to anchor your garden and enhance the look of your flowering plants.
You can plant perennials from spring through fall, but getting them into the ground now gives them a strong start. From hostas and ornamental grasses to daisies and delphiniums, there’s a perennial for every style of garden — and the best part is, they’ll return each spring like dependable old friends.
Trees, Shrubs and Vines
Often called “the bones” of the garden, trees, shrubs, and climbing vines add essential structure, height, and seasonal interest. Planting them now allows you to design your garden layers thoughtfully, incorporating annuals and perennials around their base.
Spring is also the prime time to purchase and plant fruit trees and fruiting shrubs. At Eising, spring offers the best selection for starting your home orchard. Are you thinking of adding a few edible shrubs? Gooseberries, haskaps, hardy kiwi, rhubarb and raspberries are excellent choices.
Mulch
Okay, it’s not a plant, but this is a reminder to add mulch to your garden beds or containers. After planting, adding a layer of mulch to your garden beds or containers helps retain soil moisture, reduces transplant shock, and suppresses weeds. Even if a few weeds manage to sneak through, mulch makes them easier to pull.
Water Garden Plants
If you have a garden pond, spring is the perfect time to add water plants. Floating plants, such as water hyacinths and water lilies, help shade the pond’s surface, reducing algae blooms. Marginal or bog plants, such as water iris, papyrus, and cattails, also help keep the water healthy and clear by improving oxygen levels and providing habitats for beneficial wildlife.
Time to Grow!
May is one of the most anticipated and exciting months in the garden. Whether you’re dreaming of fresh vegetables, a lush landscape, or a colourful flower display, planting now sets the stage for a beautiful, bountiful season. Visit us at Eising Garden Centre to find everything you need — and let’s get growing!
Growing Vegetables in Pots!
A few years ago, I was walking through town with a friend as we discussed planting vegetables in our tiny front gardens. It seemed like an unusual idea until we spotted not one but two front gardens with pumpkin vines rambling amongst the shrubbery. What a novel way to cover the ground without mulch and have the bonus of showy, bright blossoms and bold foliage! Of course, this is eventually followed by the standout feature of brightly coloured pumpkins. It’s built-in fall decorating!
Right now, everyone is looking for ways to reduce grocery bills, and growing a few vegetables amongst the flowers and shrubs can make a big difference. If your garden is on a patio or balcony, there are lots of ways to add edible plants to maximize your space and beautify it at the same time. Who says vegetables can’t be ornamental and beautiful?!
Gaps and Small Spaces
If you have a new shrub and flower garden that has gaps or there’s a space in your garden where you’re not sure what to plant, consider tucking in a potted vegetable. In a cool, shady space, try some luscious lettuce bowls. Shade allows lettuce to grow more slowly in the heat of the summer. Keeping lettuce in a cool, shady spot will prevent it from bolting and becoming bitter.
If you have a small garden, a patio or a balcony, pots with compact varieties and hanging baskets are a terrific alternative for growing vegetables, herbs, and some fruits. These are some of the options we offer at Eising Garden Centre (based on availability) that can be purchased fully planted, or you can grow your own from seed if you have time, space and lights.
Trellised Planters and Patio Pots
For patios, balconies, or even a gap in the garden, there are lots of vegetables that can be grown in a trellised planter.
Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplant all love warm soil and growing in pots provides the heat to help them thrive. Eising trellis pots are planted with specific varieties that are smaller but pack a flavourful punch.
Sweet Snackabelle, Candycane Chocolate Cherry or Red, Mocha Swirl and Fresh Bites peppers.
Little Sicily, Patio Hybrid, Candyland Red, Rapunzel and Tidy Treats tomatoes.
Eising Greenhouse also carries eggplants in trellised pots - a patio pot with Patio Baby eggplants is a perfect choice if ratatouille is on the menu!
All of Eising's trellised planters would look lovely plopped into one of our decorative outdoor cover pots!
Herb Planters
Many herbs thrive in a sunny and warm spot with well-drained soil, making a pot the perfect container for them. Herbs also make great companion plants with other vegetables and can be tucked into other pots. Most herbs also love to be harvested frequently, especially when they’re given these ideal conditions.
Lettuce Bowls
Lettuce bowls are a great way to grow greens in small spaces. Our 10” bowls are chock full of a variety of lettuces and are never boring!
👍Tip: Try the “cut and come again” method for harvesting lettuce, which prolongs the plant’s life. Simply pinch off the outer, mature leaves each time you pick the lettuce and leave the centre of the plant to keep growing.
Hanging Baskets
If there’s a spot to hang a basket or place a shepherd’s hook, you will want to grow one of the edible options we offer.
Topsy Tom tomatoes.
Pot-a-Peno and Peppers From Heaven peppers.
Tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries are all available in hanging baskets. Our deliciously sweet everbearing strawberries are also available in 4.5" pots and bareroot, which are great options for window boxes.
👍Tip: Pick strawberries as they ripen to encourage your plants to produce more. Also, remove runners as they grow to allow your plants to send energy into growing fruit instead of bigger plants. Painting rocks to look like strawberries is said to deter birds from feasting on ripe berries.
Citrus and Figs
Consider growing a beautiful and fragrant lemon, orange, fig or grapefruit tree in a patio pot. Just keep in mind that it will need to come indoors in the fall.
Container Plant Care
Whether you’re growing edible plants in the garden, a pot or a hanging basket, don’t forget to give them the care they need to maximize productivity:
- Water regularly, deeply and in the heat of the summer, frequently. Watering early in the morning is ideal. Pour water on the soil, not the foliage to prevent diseases like powdery mildew.
- Feed your vegetables and fruits throughout the growing season with fertilizer or compost.
- Remove dead foliage and prune plants as needed. Especially herbs.
Once you start foodscaping by including vegetables with your flowers and ornamental plants we’re sure you’ll want to keep looking for innovative ways to grow your own food! Who knows, maybe even pumpkins by the front porch!
If you haven’t gotten started on your summer vegetable garden yet, don’t worry—there are still plenty of veggies you can plant now for a late-season harvest! That means more fresh produce to enjoy through the fall, and with the help of our trusty freezers, many can be enjoyed well through winter and spring. You can find all kinds of seeds and starters for vegetables and fruits on our brand new webstore, so feel free to browse online and place an order for curbside pickup or citywide delivery.
What Are The Best Vegetables To Plant In Summer?
Generally speaking, vegetables that can be planted in summer are either fast-growing and love the sun, or slow-growing and tolerant of the cooler temperatures in the fall. Many garden edibles can get scorched from the hot sun if planted too early, so it’s best to delay so that they’re ready to go once the temperature is less extreme.
Late Summer Vegetables You Can Direct Seed
Many folks assume that spring is the best time for planting vegetable seeds, but every plant is different! So, if you want to start planting seeds in summer, there are more than a few good options for you to choose from. Here are the best late summer vegetables to plant in Simcoe through direct seeding:
Beans: Perhaps one of the easiest and most kid-friendly veggies to grow, beans are always a favourite. Plus, they deposit nitrogen into the soil, which helps improve soil quality.
Beets: These hearty root vegetables make excellent comfort food, and their ultra-vibrant colour indicates super-high levels of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. Your beets will be ready for harvest around September or October.
Broccoli: Even the pickiest of eaters aren’t likely to turn down a delicious bowl of broccoli cheese soup, or a Chinese beef and broccoli stir fry. Sow broccoli seeds in June for a harvest that’s ready right at the start of back-to-school season.
Carrots: Before you sow your carrot seeds, make sure your soil is super loose and free of rocks and compacted areas. If it’s all clumped together, the roots won’t grow long and pointy, so you’ll be left with stumpy, misshapen carrots.
Leafy Greens: Lettuce, kale and spinach can all be sown directly into the soil in June. They don’t take too long to develop, and they thrive in cooler temperatures, so you can even get away with planting a second round in early autumn!
Parsnips: Slow-growing parsnips need around four months to mature, but there’s no need to rush! Parsnips taste best if you harvest them after the weather has turned chilly. If we get hit with a few frosty nights in autumn, this will actually help them! Just make sure you pull them up before the ground freezes.
Potatoes: While not technically seeds, you can put potato tubers in the soil in June to enjoy an autumn harvest. Wait for the plants to mature, turn brown, and wither, then leave them in the soil for another three weeks before pulling them up! Store them in a cool, dry spot, and don’t wash them before storing—this will cause them to rot.
The Best Starter Plants For Late Summer Crops
The waiting game can get a little long when you directly seed certain plants, so sometimes it’s better to get a starter plant to transplant into containers or your garden bed. Here are some excellent starters to pick up later in the season:
Zucchini: “Zoodles,” or spiralized zucchini noodles, are quickly gaining popularity as a delicious alternative to carb-heavy spaghetti. If (like many of us) you’ve been kinda overdoing it on the pasta lately, you’ll definitely enjoy having this tasty squash in your garden.
Celery: This ultra-healthy, crunchy veggie adds some great crunch to tuna salad, chilli, and stews, but it takes a pretty long time to develop from seed, so you may as well skip ahead and opt for a starter.
Cucumbers: Technically, you can either transplant or direct seed cucumbers in June, but getting a starter will ensure you get to enjoy your harvest earlier in the season!
Peppers: With their thin, delicate skins, peppers aren’t too tolerant of chilly temperatures and will taste much better if they get lots of sunlight. Planting a starter in June will ensure these sun-loving veggies get peak sunshine in July and August, right when it counts.
Tomatoes: We especially love growing small tomatoes in hanging baskets! The little fruits look like strings of colourful porch lights changing from green, to yellow, to red!
Fresh garden produce can be enjoyed well into autumn, and even early winter, if you pick the right crops and time them just right. If you have any questions about late-season planting, feel free to give us a call at the shop, and we’ll be happy to help!