Fresh and delicious vegetables from your own garden

Fresh and delicious – could it get any better? A garden is perfect for growing your own fruits and vegetables. And since many types of vegetables are native here, it’s not that difficult either.

Fresh vegetables from your own garden are not only healthy but often much more flavorful than the supermarket cucumbers that have been sprayed with chemicals. With a few tricks and tips, growing vegetables in your own garden becomes a piece of cake.

If you want to grow fresh vegetables in your own garden but haven't done much gardening before, you don't have to miss out on fresh produce. There are many varieties that are perfect for beginners and are guaranteed to succeed. Radishes, in particular, are true sprinters in the vegetable bed and are often ready for harvest just a few weeks after sowing. Radishes are sown directly into the bed in rows during the spring. Be sure not to sow the seeds too close together so the plants don’t crowd each other. The only thing to remember for radishes is that the soil they grow in must be kept regularly moist. If the soil alternates between wet and dry, the radishes will crack.

Lettuce is also a great option for beginners to get high yields quickly and easily. Once planted, you can repeatedly harvest leaf lettuce with scissors. A small tip: plant lettuce plants 2 to 3 weeks apart. This way, the lettuce won’t be ready for harvest all at once and in excess, but can be harvested gradually.

Garlic and onions are staples in the kitchen, and although they are easy to grow, many gardeners still buy them from the supermarket. But growing garlic and onions at home is truly worthwhile! To grow garlic, simply plant cloves in the fall or spring, and keep the bed evenly moist. A mulch layer of wood chips can help keep weeds away, allowing the garlic to thrive.

However, gardeners should avoid using supermarket garlic, as it typically comes from countries like China, Egypt, or India and wouldn't thrive in the local climate. Instead, garlic from local farm stores is a great choice. The same applies to onions. Onion sets can be bought in stores and are simply planted in the soil, just like garlic. Onions can be grown from sets or from seeds. Sets have the advantage of getting a growth head start, but their harvest doesn't keep as long as onions grown from seed. Which option is better depends on each gardener’s preference.

There are always areas in the garden that receive less or no sunlight at all. Even in these spots, vegetables can grow, allowing you to make the most of every available space. The list of vegetable varieties that thrive in partial shade and yield a rich harvest is long. For example, white cabbage, kale, flowers and green cabbage, beets, kohlrabi, bush beans, and carrots can all thrive in such conditions. Peas, which are an essential part of almost every vegetable garden, also grow well in the shade and can be planted along a house wall or fence. Peas should be sown in mid-April or planted as young plants in mid-May. Providing climbing supports is important so the peas can grow upward. Since peas cannot tolerate heat, they are perfect for partial shade. Other vegetables that can thrive in partial shade include Swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, arugula, leeks, parsnips, and radishes. If you can't find the right vegetable for yourself in this list, it’s your own fault!