Veggies, Herbs & Edible Plants

There is nothing more rewarding than going out to your garden and hand picking your own fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit to add to your recipes!

Benefits of growing your own food:

Economical - It’s less expensive to grow your own!
Environmentally Friendly - No need for transporting from a long distance
Rewarding - Take pride in watching your fruit, vegetables and herbs grow
Delicious - Recipes taste better with fresh homegrown fruit, vegetables and herbs

Herbs

Herbs are a popular and interesting group of plants as they can be used in so many different ways such as adding great flavour to many foods, garnishing your dishes or making our homes fragrant.

Chives

A perennial herb
Onion relative
Will grow in most soil conditions and prefers a sunny area
Flowers are edible or can be used as a garnish in your food dishes
Great for salads or as a dried herb

Oregano

A perennial herb
A vigorous growing herb that spreads quickly
Better when kept contained
Prefers full sun with well drained soil
Harvest shoots when they are young and tender for best flavour
Great for Italian cooking and ideal for salad garnishes

Lavender

Great for container gardening
Prefers a hot, sunny area planted in infertile soil
Beautifully scented and flavourful
Can be used in soaps and sachets, teas, cooking and desserts

Thyme

A perennial herb
Ornamental and edible varieties
Low growing, compact
Prefers full sun and well drained soil
Great for sauces, soups, meat and fish

Parsley

A biennial herb that grows as an annual
Flat leafed, fern leafed and curly varieties
Grows well in sun but will tolerate some shade
Plant in well drained soil
Great garnish for salads and soups

Basil

An annual herb
Many varieties available, some with edible flowers and purple foliage
Prefers full sun and moist soil
Grows well in containers
Great for tomato sauces and pesto recipes

Dill

A perennial herb
Easy to grow
Relative of parsley, carrots and parsnips
Prefers well drained soil and a sunny area
Seed heads can be used in cooking, preserves, fresh or dried (dill weed)
Great for fish and seafood

Sage

A perennial herb
Bitter tasting, woody
Prefers well drained soil and full sun
Numerous varieties with bicolour or tricolor foliage
Great in dressings for meat, poultry and pork

Rosemary

A perennial herb
Cold hardy
Prefers well drained soil in a warm sunny area
Produces light blue flowers in mid-spring
Great in poultry dishes

Tips on Growing Herbs

What to Grow

The options for growing herbs are endless! To make things a little easier it would be a good idea to sketch out a plan on paper.
The herbs can be grouped according to height and growth rate so nothing is shading each other.
Keep in mind height and spread attributes as some herbs like to spread out.

How to Plant

Herbs can be started from seed in propagation trays in your home starting in April.
Pick up your seeds at any of our Sheridan Nurseries Garden Centres.
It’s very important to read the seed package or growing tag to know exactly how much space to leave between each plant and the correct distance between. This kind of information is also clearly indicated.
At the time of planting your started herbs, use Parkwood® Transplanter 5-15-5 to minimize transplant shock and establish strong roots.

Where to Grow

Most herbs need about 4 hours of sunlight per day.
Watering should be done when the soil feels dry to the touch. Some herbs can be kept moist such as Basil, but there are others that like to be dry between watering such as Lavender.
If you are planting your herbs in containers, you can water when the soil feels dry and keep them in a half day of sun.
If planting your herbs in the ground ensure they are away from tree roots, in well-drained soil with easy access to water.
Add Parkwood® Garden-All 4-12-8 to the top of your soil to improve the condition and fertility before you plant.

Veggies

The taste of vegetables grown from your garden is so superior to store-bought we often can’t resist the notion of growing our own. The only mistake enthusiasts make is that they grow far more than their family can consume because they didn’t anticipate the incredible yield.

Tips on Growing Vegetables

What to Grow

Decide what you want to grow and sketch it out on paper.
Group the vegetable crops according to height to prevent one from shading another.
Plan to put the small-growing, quick-maturing ones together as well.
Keep in mind that some vegetables really like to spread.

Where to Grow

Vegetables need a minimum of 6 hours direct sun per day.
Plant away from tree roots, in well-drained, level soil with easy access to a garden hose.
Add 20 cm - 30 cm (8”-12") peat moss, manure, and/or compost as well as granular Parkwood^® Garden-All 4-12-8 to the top of your soil to improve the condition and fertility before you plant.

How to Plant

You can start vegetables from seed in propagation trays in your home starting in March/April.
You can plant seeds directly into cool soil in April for the best yields of peas, lettuce, onions, radishes, beets, and spinach. These particular seeds can be planted again in late August for a second "cool-weather" crop that matures in fall.
You can purchase plants that are started in May at a Sheridan Nurseries Garden Centre.
It’s very important to read the seed package or growing tag to know exactly how much space to leave between each plant and the correct distance between rows. Some vegetables like carrots, that grow profusely and quickly, need to be thinned out so they have sufficient room to mature. This kind of information is also clearly indicated.
At the time of planting your started vegetables, use Parkwood^® Transplanter 5-15-5 to minimize transplant shock and establish strong roots.

Recipe Box

Visit our facebook page and check out the amazing fresh recipes from your fellow gardeners! Every recipe includes fruit, vegetables and or herbs.

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