There are many reasons to start your own garden. It’s great for the environment, helps you feel connected to the food you eat, and can save you an extra trip to the grocery store. Gardening can also be incredibly meditative and a great reason to spend time outdoors.
For those who are looking for a fruitful (never used this word so aptly) way to utilize their backyard—no matter how big or small—here are a few easy herbs, fruits, and vegetables to help you get started. Not to mention, the items included below are typically often used in Indian cooking, so you can have a chutney sandwich on demand. Ah, the possibilities.
CUCUMBERS:
Cucumbers can be used in several Indian dishes, including raita and chutney. They are also excellent for at-home facials or to help keep you cool on hot nights.
Containers: 12 / 18 / 24 inch deep container
Best Season for Growth: Summer
Other Items Needed: 6 to 8 hours of sunlight, Special mix soil (with label for-use-in-vegetables soil–don’t use garden or landscape soil), Bush or Compact cucumber seeds
Helpful video with instructions:
GINGER:
Ginger has many medicinal properties. Shred some ginger into a pot of hot water, with half a lime and add honey. It’s a great way to give your stomach a gentle start to the day. Ginger is also commonly used in chai. Also, you can give flavor to several Indian dishes such as Aloo Gobi and Dhal Makhani by using ginger. Ginger-chili paste is often used in Indian cooking and can easily be made at home with home-grown ginger.
Containers: 12-inch wide container (at least) or a rectangular box. Width is more important than depth for ginger.
Best Season for Growth: Start in spring, harvest in winter.
Other Items Needed: Small piece of ginger root, warm and humid environment, lots of water
Helpful video with instructions:
MINT:
Mint is the succulent of herbs. Basically, you can be lazy af and still successfully grow mint leaves.
Containers: 8-inch wide container by 12-inches deep.
Best Season for Growth: Year-round as long as they get partial sun, and can be grown either indoors or outdoors. Warning: Mint has no sense of boundaries and will take over your garden if you’re not careful, so keep an eye on these leafy monopolizers. A few great ways to use mint include mint chutney, pulao (rice dish), and making your own homemade mint ice cream. It’s always nice to drop a few leaves into your tea or water, as well.
Other Items Needed: Partial sunshine, lots of moisture, and a watchful eye.
Helpful video with instructions:
PEAS:
Easy peasy. Peasy easy. Whether it’s Matar Paneer or Samosa, peas are great to have on hand for Indian cooking. They can also be used for other dishes like Upma or Pulao. You’ll first want to choose the pea variety you want to plan.
Container: 12 inches wide and at least 6-12 inches deep. Must include drainage holes. Garden peas, snow peas, snap peas are great for growing in small containers.
Best Season for Growth: Peas like cool conditions, so early spring is best, but can still be possible later in the year or indoors.
Other Items Needed: Sunny location with good air circulation. You’ll start to see germination after about 9-13 days. Light shade at first and then move to full sun after germination. Soil should be kept moist at all times.
Helpful video with instructions:
What is your favorite item to grow? Let us know in the comments section!