vegetables

Best Plants for Seniors – Beginner Gardening

June 29, 2020 by Wendy Pettit

by Danielle K. Roberts

Spring has rolled in, which means it is time to get your garden ready! Doctors and psychologists have stated that gardening can have significant health effects on a person’s mind and body. There are many health benefits for senior citizens who plant gardens, such as managing your stress levels and creating a positive mindset. Gardening in retirement can also help build up your physical strength that can also improve your motor functioning. When creating an outdoor garden or a flower pot garden, some plants are easier for beginners. Read on to learn what we think are great plants for seniors, just starting with gardening. Enjoy our excellent planting guide for Utah vegetable gardens. Even if you missed the first planting in spring, a second planting guide is included!

Photo Credit: AKA Ralph at Pixabay

VEGETABLE GARDEN FOR SENIORS

Growing your vegetation is a great hobby and can be cost-effective in the long run. If you have never tried homegrown vegetables, then your taste buds have a lot coming! While picking out which type of vegetables you would like to plant and grow in your garden, remember that you only want to plant vegetables that you will eat. Do not plant squash if you do not like to eat squash!

Certain vegetables are known for beginner gardeners that are easy to keep alive and maintain.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are a natural vegetable to grow and do not require a lot of maintenance. Whether you choose to plant cucumbers in the ground or a container, you will want to ensure that the soil will drain well. Cucumbers are a vine plant, so keep in mind while planting that the vine will need a place to climb.

Lettuce

Lettuce is a great beginner vegetable to plant because it grows at a fast rate; therefore, you can see results quickly! When planting lettuce, make sure that it receives enough water and that it is in a shaded area during the summertime.

Photo Credit: Piqsels

Green Beans

Whether you want to plant pole beans or bush beans, both are low maintenance that can grow well with just water. The difference in planting the two types of beans is the amount of room they both need. If you decide to plant a pole bean, you will need to invest in a trellis on which to grow the beans. If you would like to plant a bush bean, you will need about two feet of room for it to grow (but no individual support is required.)

Photo: Pixabay

Tomato

The most popular vegetable (or fruit) to grow! There is a wide variety of tomatoes that you can grow, such as grape tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes. The key to growing fresh tomatoes is by watering them in the morning, provide lots of sunlight, and not overcrowd them while they develop.

Click here to read up on five green veggies for a fall garden. Or view a good list of warm versus cool-season vegetables.

FLOWER GARDENS FOR SENIORS

Having a flower garden will bring bright, vibrant colors for you and your neighbors to gawk at. When having a flower garden outside your home, you can create an aesthetic appeal to your property. Caring for certain flowers can be difficult, as most flowers are very delicate. You will want to steer clear of exotic flowers, considering that they have special requirements for the up-keep and require a lot of attention. With that said, there are certain species of flowers that are perfect for beginner gardeners.

Photo Credit: by Vijayana Rasimha at Pixabay

Sunflowers

There is a minimum up-keep when planting and growing sunflowers. The sunflower seeds are large, which makes them easy to handle. After planting the seeds, you will need to water them consistently for 20 days. During the sunflowers growing season, you will want to fertilize the sunflowers with a water-soluble fertilizer.

Photo Credit: Edu Carvalho at Pexels

Zinnias

Zinnias resemble flowers like daisies and dahlias. But, do not be fooled – this unique flower comes in a variety of colors (except blue) and different heights. Zinnias will need space in the garden bed and lots of sunlight to fulfill their full potential.

Marigolds

Marigolds thrive in the summer sun, and their colors can range from yellow, red, and gold. Whether you choose an American or African marigold, they can grow up to be five feet tall, but here in Utah, you will find shorter varieties of all kinds. When watering, you will want to allow the soil to dry between each time you water them.

Photo Credit: Sjozb at Piqsels

Daffodil Bulbs

You can plant daffodil bulbs in the spring or fall, and they will burst with intense colors and bloom like no other plant. Daffodils also produce a great fragrance to where you will watch yourself gravitating to them each time. Daffodils require lots of water, so as soon as they are planted, you will want to water them immediately. Once they start to bloom, you can put a halt to watering them. Don’t limit yourself to daffodils. There are gladiolas, calla lilies, tulips, crocus, hyacinths, and more.

soil and seeds to put in their newspaper cheap gardening pots

Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive! Be creative and go for it!

To Sum it Up

You are never too old to plant a garden of sorts. Planting your garden can bring stimulation to the mind in many ways. Creating and maintaining a garden, even a small garden, is a great hobby for any age, and it will also keep you present in the day with a special award at the end.

Photo Credit: Anna Auza from Unsplash

How to Plan a Vegetable Garden

February 13, 2020 by Wendy Pettit

by Kevin Jefferson

You’ve come to the right place to learn some important tips on how to plan a vegetable garden. Planting a vegetable garden might not be the easiest hobby in the world, but it’s definitely among the coolest ones. This is a way to do something good for your family and keep providing them with healthy veggies every single day, and that’s what we all want. But, planting a garden requires some planning and thinking things through, so here are a few tips that might help you do that more easily.

vegetable garden with carrots and green onion

Photo by Pixabay

Pick the Spot

There are lots of factors that will determine the success of your garden, and its location is one of the most important. Living in a house with a yard makes your vegetable garden plan easier to formulate. Find the sunniest part of your yard – front or back. Partial shade is okay but you will have the most success if your plants can get 6-8 hours of direct sun. Look at all the possibilities. You may have a corner you’re not using or a plot you could clear and turn it into a vegetable garden.

To plan a vegetable garden when you may live in an apartment or a condo, can be more challenging. However, many small apartment dwellers find success utilizing a sunny porch or balcony in their cozy space. Planning the right plants for an apartment space is very important. Your local garden center, like the well established Western Garden Centers in Utah, can give you suggestions that will do okay growing in a planter or large pot. Not all plants like the confinement of a pot.

Photo by Pixabay

Determine the Size

Bigger backyards will give your new garden more space, but don’t worry if you’re stuck with a tiny backyard – you can still make this work if you put your mind to it. Even with a large yard, a designated 8 foot by 4 feet spot of earth, maybe the best for your first garden experience. Four boards from the lumber yard, nailed together, and set on the ground may be the only size you can deal with at first. Get your hands dirty and the next year, you’ll be eager to expand and try new plant material. Again, don’t start with a massive vegetable garden if you’re doing this for the very first time.

Starting small and expanding your garden as you gain experience makes more sense in the long run. Pick a few low-maintenance plants to start with such as tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers.

Make it Visually Appealing

The main purpose of planting a vegetable garden is to give your family lots of healthy vegetables, but there are a few other benefits you should keep in mind. A nice tidy little garden will boost the value of your property and lots of greenery is great for making your backyard look more inviting. Plus, foliage helps keep a yard cooler in the summertime. So visually appealing doubles for your little climate control.

Plant a variety of vegetables paying attention to their different shapes and sizes. Plant colorful flowers or herbs along with your vegetables to add interest and help attract beneficial insects too.

vegetable garden plan with lettuce and onion

Photo by UnSplash

Choose the Layout

Even though most people don’t think you need a particular plan when planting a veggie garden, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Unless you make a proper plan and know where everything is, your garden is going to be messy and cluttered, and that’s never good. Instead, work on your layout. Plan the vegetable garden with taller plants in the middle or all together and lower growing root vegetables on the outer edges. For example, a row of carrots between zucchini plants or cabbage heads will make it difficult to work those carrots. Be sure to determine your planting zone. Choosing the proper plants for your climate area will determine your garden’s future success. Visit a reputable local garden center like Western Gardens. They won’t try to sell you plants that will not do well in your area. They also will direct you how to protect certain seedlings from unpredictable early frost we often experience along Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.

As outlined above, the effort you do to first plan your vegetable garden, you will find more success. Now it’s time to prepare your soil, plant it, care for it, and soon you will harvest the many fruits of your labor. It’s really not that difficult, but it brings great satisfaction to you and your family’s life. Therefore start small and simple, define every task to be accomplished, and then stick to your plan every step of the way. Your garden center experts would love to help you find success! Remember that success doesn’t come overnight with a garden; so stay patient, stay focused, and stay dedicated to your vegetable garden. Before you know it, you’ll be picking and munching on those delicious fresh vegetables!

About the Author

Kevin has gone through an extensive home renovation with his son, which he has both thoroughly enjoyed, and dreaded every morning. He is now the proud owner of half his dream house (the other half has been waiting for spring). You can read more of Kevin’s work on PlainHelp.

Five Green Veggies for Fall Gardens

July 28, 2017 by Heather Leister

The calendar may still say “Summer” but believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about planting your fall garden! I tend to think of planting my garden as a springtime activity but there are many plants that thrive in cooler conditions and will produce a harvest of healthy foods. Here are five green veggies that you can plant now and enjoy when sweater weather truly kicks in!

Broccoli- Broccoli is a cool weather crop that can take approximately 50-70 days to mature. It grows well in areas that get at least six hours of daily sunlight and have well-drained soil. Broccoli does very well when it is planted in late summer and allowed to grow through the fall.

Broccoli is one of our five green veggies for planting in your fall garden

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Cabbage – Another cool weather vegetable, cabbage varieties can take anywhere from 55-100 days to grow to maturity. When choosing your variety, it’s important to look at your growing window and the predicted frost dates for your area. Like broccoli, cabbage does best in locations with sunlight and well-drained soil.

cabbage is a good green vegetable with lots of nutrients

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Lettuce – Lettuce is a quick growing vegetable that thrives, and often tastes better, when grown in the fall. Lettuce plants will grow the fastest in full sunlight but unlike other fall garden vegetables, they can also tolerate shade. Lettuce can be grown in small spaces or containers but it’s important to make sure the soil is well-drained

five green veggies for fall planting includes lettuce

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Spinach – Spinach is another cool weather crop that does well in the Utah fall. Spinach plants prefer full sunlight but will tolerate partial shade. Spinach is a fast growing plant and will yield many leaves in the mild, cool, fall weather.

spinach should be planted in cool weather

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Swiss Chard – Swiss Chard is a plant that can be left in your garden without worry when light frost begins to appear. The leaves from Swiss Chard will add interest to your fall salads. Growing the plant in cooler weather, instead of in the high heat of summer, helps the plant avoid gaining a bitter taste.

swiss chard is a wonderful green veggie to plant in fall weather

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Your local independent garden centers, like Western Gardens in Salt Lake City and West Valley, Utah, will have the varieties of seeds and seedlings that will do well in the Utah climate. Plan now and come see us.

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Shop your local independent garden center!

9 Plants you need for your Salsa Garden

May 14, 2016 by Kirsten

Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here!

Do you love fresh pico de gallo, chili verde salsa or red salsa with tortilla chips? Then a Salsa Garden is perfect for you! We love enjoying any of these with our favorite Mexican dishes, and what’s better than being able to make it from fresh veggies from your own garden?! The taste of homegrown tomatoes vs. store-bought is huge…homegrown tomatoes are so much more delicious and flavorful—and it’s exciting to be able to say “I grew that!”

If you have never grown a garden in your yard, I suggest getting your soil tested. The cost is about $10 and can be done at USU in Logan, Utah. You can just mail in a sample and they can tell you the P and K levels, pH, salt, and lime content, which can help you find out what your soil might need before you spend money on your plants and take the time to plant and water them. Knowing these levels can help you avoid things like bottom rot and make sure you get the most out of your plants.

Avoid planting your veggies until the overnight temps are at least 50° or above. This is typically around May 15th in Utah. Watch your local forecast…our Utah weather is famous for being temperamental!

Ready to get started with the 9 veggies? Click NEXT to see what to plant!

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