We’re back with an edible garden update just a few short months after we planted it in mid-May. The great news: our small experiment with herbs, fruits, and vegetables was a success. Not only did everything survive, most of it thrived with very little work from us. We were lucky to get generous late-spring and early-summer rains that helped establish the plants, and during dry spells we simply watered from our DIY rain barrel to keep things healthy and green.
We didn’t use pesticides or additional fertilizer; the nutrients from our backyard compost that we mixed into the beds at planting time were enough. So in the “is it more work than it’s worth?” category, the answer is a resounding no. There’s nothing like picking a fresh tomato or raspberry from your own yard, and our dinners are tastier thanks to the homegrown herbs we have on hand. Our basil plants, for example, have grown impressively tall—practically up to my knee.
We also have more oregano, parsley, and Swiss chard than we can eat. Embarrassingly, we haven’t tried the chard yet—we’ve watched it get bigger and leafier but don’t have a go-to recipe. If you have ideas for delicious chard dishes, let us know; it feels like a crime not to be cooking with it already.
One thing we have been eating nonstop is our habit-forming cherry tomatoes. They’re like candy—sweet and addictive—and as soon as we pick a few, the plant is already producing more. Here they are while still developing, not quite ready to eat yet:
And here’s a ripe one about to go straight into our mouths (this one didn’t survive the photo session):
We planted two cherry tomato varieties. The “golden” variety turns a vibrant orange when ripe and looks beautiful alongside the deeper red cherries.
We love making a simple, quick salad with fresh basil from the garden:
Just add a sprinkle of feta and a splash of Italian dressing and it’s ready to eat.
We also have an amazing raspberry bush that keeps us excited for each new harvest. Fresh garden raspberries are hard to beat.
In short, we highly recommend starting a small edible garden. If you water regularly while plants establish, it’s a relatively low-effort endeavor. Herbs like oregano, basil, and parsley can even thrive in pots on a windowsill or balcony, and peas are easy to grow too.
From a budget standpoint, it paid off. Our raspberry bush cost $9 at Lowe’s earlier in the season, and all of our tomato plants and herbs were about $10 total from the farmer’s market. We’ve easily gotten more than our money’s worth—at least $20 worth of basil alone, not to mention the other regular harvests that make our backyard the perfect before-dinner pit stop.
How about you—have you been growing anything this year? Any pest issues, tips, or tricks for fellow beginner gardeners? And seriously, drop your favorite Swiss chard recipes—we’re ready to try them.