The beautiful weather in Southern California makes people want to get out and plant, it also makes people think about eating healthy, and exercising and well – we can easily combine them!
It is the perfect time to plant your Spring/Summer Vegetable Garden and if you don’t have a separate Garden area, you can add edibles just about anywhere in your garden too. One thing I’d like to touch on today is companion planting. Companion planting for your Vegetable Garden is a great way to add beauty to your veggies, bring beneficial insects to the garden, and keep away pests. Here is a list of pairings that you can use year after year.
- Tomatoes love marigolds (as do many other plants) these bright beauties keep the pests away from the food!
- If you want to extend the life of leafy greens in our hot summer, plant them at the feet of corn or sunflowers. They will benefit from the shade.
- Geraniums help peppers.
- Add some ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss Chard to your planter beds or pots, they pack a pop of color and are great in stir fries or green drinks.
- Welcome beneficial insects into your garden with annuals – try some tall stately Cosmos, bright colorful Zinnias, or Snapdragons which are super duper pollinators!
- Use Herbs as a border at the front of your beds. My favorites are variegated sage and oregano – they are both perennial too!
- Container Designs – love to put a pretty pepper or eggplant in a pot with some cascading thyme, or how about some borage with its beautiful edible flowers?
- Speaking of edible flowers – try some nasturtium, pansies, and violas in your garden or pottery. Impatiens, cornflowers, and most herb flowers are edible too. Salads become a work of art with these in the mix.
I love gardening with a purpose, eating! I grew up in my Grandma’s garden which was always filled with ornamental beauty and both vegetable and fruit bounty. My mom followed suit, so it was natural that my sister, brother, and I would do the same. Here are a few of the posts I’ve written about Edible Gardening. Please take a look at those that you might need and enjoy this wonderful time of year.
Tips for Your Vegetable Garden
You can also use the pull down menu on the side of my blog and find a list of articles on Tomatoes (a personal favorite)
If you would like help adding beauty to your life, think about creating your garden with me. Give me a call at 661-917-3521 or visit my website.
