I'm starting a vegetable garden + herbs. What would you plant as priority?

Answer 1

I always like to have mint, chives and parsley. Make sure the mint is in a separate area though as it spreads like a weed. Try putting it in a pot or bucket and then in the garden so it doesn't take over.

Next I would go for thyme and oreganum and pineapple sage if you have room the latter grows BIG but smells wonderful and has lovely red flowers.

Is it winter or summer in your part of the world? This makes a big difference.

If summer I would always have tomatoes. Beans are good too and celery also. I like courgettes/zucchini but only plant one or two - they fruit heavily and take up a lot of room. Put in a few lettuce at a time and keep planting as you harvest.

If you have plenty of room go for brassicas - broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale.

Strawberries are great too.

If you have children - put in some peas and let them graze on them.

Answer 2

I was at a hotel at Disney in Orlando and as you can imagine they take a dim view of mouse haters, much less rabbits and stuff. Just walking around I saw several rabbits and a snapping turtle just wandering about during the day. The restaurant did however offer fresh herbs grown on the grounds in the same place I was watching the rabbits. The only thing that kept the rabbits out of the herbs was a two foot high hardware cloth fence all around, high enough to discourage the rabbits, but low enough that the chef could step over. The rest of the vegetation was quite lush so I don't imagine the rabbits got very hungry (and they were southern rabbits, so quite small compared to northern varieties). So I would guess that would be a first attempt to try at any rate, I would bury the fence six or more inches underground and use rebar to stiffen it so they could not push it over, mice might climb over the fence but it will at least make them work. Another tack is to use Coyote urine (they actually sell it at garden supply stores[ I can't imagine the folk who gather and bottle it]) All prey species are put off by it, suspecting a coyote to be nearby. Garden supply stores also have wooden owls, that often have a similar effect.

Answer 3

I think I would use two criteria: what my family and I like to eat, and whether you plan to preserve any of the harvest. If you like tomatoes and homemade pickles, I'd certainly plant plenty of tomatoes and cucumbers - you don't need special equipment to can them. Once harvested, winter squash can be stored for months. Green beans and broccoli keep on producing almost all season, and broccoli freezes well.

As for herbs, think about what you use most in cooking. Sage? Thyme? Oregano? Basil? You might want to place your herb garden separate from your vegetable garden since many culinary herbs are perennials. Have fun!

Answer 4

I am in zone 9 and we have little success with tomatoes in a fall garden..unless you plant "Celebrity" in pots where you can either cover with frost cloth or take in garage, etc. Believe it or not, I plant 4000 sq. ft. of both vegetable and cool weather flowers, some from plant and most from seed. here is listed what I just planted this week for a fall garden:
mulltiplying onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce,radish (2 kinds),turnips, chinese cabbage, fennel,....the fennel is so good sliced and cooked...good luck....
I am planting my herbs in big pots along the driveway next to the kitchen so I can just run out and get what I want while I am cooking: parsley, spearmint mint, basil (Genovese),oregano,thyme,and marjoram (Sweet)

Answer 5

For vegetables i would plant:

Carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, beans and lettuce

For herbs: The most commonly used (or what i use)

Basil, thyme, rosemary and parsley

If you have a kat and want to see something funny get katnip its also a type of herb cats love it

Answer 6

herbs:
coriander/cilantro (start indoors)
oregano
basil
parsley
mint (keeps insects off your garden--keep towards the outside of your garden because it takes a lot of nutrients from the soil. these nutrients can be replaced by throwing coffee groiunds and tea bags on the soil)
marigolds (keeps insects and animals away-start indoors about march or buy started plants so that they will protect other plants)
fennel

vegetables:
beans (green or purple) (reseed every two weeks until midsummer)
peas (plant early they don't like heat-also plant in the shade)
carrots
tomatoes (start indoors about march)
peppers (start indoors in february)
squash (keep good for the winter)
zucchini (easy to grow--often get more than you can handle)
pumpkins (small ones for pies, etc and bigger jack-o-lantern pumpkins are fun)
beets (nutritous and will keep well)
radishes (plant early)
sunflowers (good for shading peas)
potatoes
don't plant corn--corn seed is so GMO and covered in pesticides

The theory of gardening traditionally was to plant things that could be preserved for winter. These are some good preservers.

Answer 7

Plant a lot of green beans! Easy to grow, and they produce all season long.

Answer 8

Plant what you enjoy eating and cooking with. Try going to parkseeds.com, waysidegarden.com, burpeeseeds.com

happy growing!

Answer 9

tomatoes, your neighbors will love you for it.

Answer 10

spinach, definately spinach...oh and dill.