Organic kitchen gardens can be installed in tiny backyard plots or even balcony containers. Here’s a list of 10 edibles that grow well in spring & are available now as transplants from your local farmer’s market.
Red Russian kale
#1 Sugar snap peas. For a sweet variety try Sugar Pod 2.
#2 Lettuce. We like varieties called Brunia or Simpson elite because they can handle spring temperature swings.
#3 Nasturtium. These spicy edible flowers are a perfect addition to salad mix & they have the added bonus of deterring cucumber beetles.
#4 Scallions. One of our favorite varieties is called “mini purplette”. It’s a fabulous red skinned mini onion with mild flavor & turns pink when lightly sauteed!
#5 Kale. Hands down the easiest spring crop. Favorite variety: Red Russian, a sweeter, tender kale versatile in almost any greens dish.
Rhubarb stalks ripening
#6 Asian Greens. Varieties to try: Mizuna & Tatsoi. Perform best when started by direct seeding & one of the fastest. Only about 21 days from seeding time to harvest of baby greens.
#7 Rosemary. Buy one as a transplant & watch it thrive in a rocky or hot section of the garden . Older branches make a perfect kebab spear for grilling vegetables in the summer.
#8 Rhubarb. The long stalks from it are essential for strawberry rhubarb pie. Purchase crowns to get a head start (but remember the leaves & roots can be poisonous if eaten).
#9 Arugula. Probably the most prolific of kitchen garden crops, this spicy salad mix addition makes any dinner party festive.
#10 Cilantro. Best when direct seeded the leaves are the most fragrant & so tasty in ethnic cuisine.
Rosemary can grow just about anywhere
