Grow Your Own
Our friends at Veggies to Table share tips to grow your own mini veggie garden-- plus learn how to win a week's stay in Paris
Spring is the time for growing. There’s joy in caring for plants and enjoying their bounty, whether it's flowers, vegetables, or herbs.
Whether you have an acre, share a community garden, or have a windowsill, you can grow something for your home. The time spent on keeping your garden alive is minimal, and the benefits are plenty.
According to the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, interaction with indoor plants can reduce stress. In addition, bringing plants into the home can improve the quality of your air. Plus, there’s true satisfaction in clipping some fresh basil or oregano to add to your dinner or arranging fresh daisies you helped grow.
Erica Berman, co-founder of Veggies to Table, a non-profit farm that grows and donates organic produce and flowers to help local people experiencing hunger and needing joy, shares some tips on how to start your mini garden.
Start With Seeds or Plants?
On the farm, Berman grows all the plants from seeds, instead of purchasing babies from a garden store. If you choose to buy plants, Berman suggests opting for ones that are grown organically.
Grow a Garden in Your Apartment
If you’re living in an apartment, grow herbs such as dill, cilantro, and basil. For veggies, opt for small patio cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Grow all for a tiny, urban herb and veggie garden of your very own.
If you’re a beginner or you feel like you don’t have much of a green thumb, try parsley, rosemary, basil, and thyme. “Another hardy plant for a balcony would be oregano. Kale and chard can also grow in pots. Yumm! If you have basil and parsley, you can make pesto!” notes Berman.
If you’re growing basil, it needs some attention. “They need sun and water — but not too much. Make sure to use the basil and pinch off the leaves so they keep growing,” says Berman.
Flowers in the Home
Flowers bring instant cheer into any home. “Lavender is a great flowering plant. I also love lilacs. Depending on where you live, jasmine is fabulous, but it doesn't grow in Maine, where we are. Petunias, snapdragons, and zinnias are also easy to grow, and they bring so much color and joy,” says the farmer.
Don’t Forget to Water — But Don’t Overdo It
Berman shares one last tip: “Overwatering is often as big, or bigger, a problem than underwatering.”
Berman and her husband, Alain Ollier, grow fresh vegetables and flowers at their Veggies to Table farm in Maine, donating most of the bounty to people in their community. Together with a small staff and a dedicated team of volunteers, the farm thrives. Still, it takes money to maintain.
To help offset costs, Veggies to Table hosts an annual sweepstakes with a grand prize of a week at a lovely apartment in Paris, along with a chauffer to and from the airport, welcome champagne and flowers, a private Parisian photo shoot, walking tours, lunch for two at a classic Parisian bistro, and more.
Other prizes include a membership to an online pastry school, a gift card to an online French boutique, a signed book by Ruth Reichl, a vintage French clutch, a signed Paris print, and more.
The sweepstakes runs through June 8, with a minimum donation of $35 for 40 tickets, with proceeds allowing Veggies to Table to continue to help its neighbors. So far, nearly $23,000 has been raised this year, with a goal of $150,000. To enter, visit veggiestotable.rallyup.com.