How does your garden grow?

April showers bring May flowers … and trees, vegetables and herbs! Growing a garden is a fun activity that lasts all summer.

Easy to grow

If you’ve never had a garden before, it’s a good idea to choose plants that are easy to grow. Herbs are among the easiest. In fact, for some herbs, it’s harder to make them stop growing! Herbs are just like weeds — they spread very fast — so unless you have a very big yard, it’s a good idea to plant them in containers. Mint, chives, basil, oregano and parsley are very easy to grow in small pots with just a little potting soil.

Easy to eat

Vegetables are fun to grow because you get to taste them right after they’re picked. Tomatoes grow well in summer, especially when it’s very hot. There are a few kinds to choose from — beefsteak tomatoes are the big, round red ones, plum tomatoes are oblong and taste good in salads, and cherry tomatoes are small enough to eat in one bite. Snap peas and Brussels sprouts are also fun to pick right off the vine. But with any of these plants, be careful! They can get tall and tangle up with other plants, so you’ll want a cage or some wire for them to grab onto.

Easy flowers

Maybe you’d rather grow something that just looks pretty instead of tasting good. Sunflowers grow fairly easily in sunny spots and make a lovely addition to a flower garden. Marigolds, geraniums and pansies also look very pretty and are easy to grow with a little sun and water.

Ask an expert

What you plant will depend a great deal on where you live. Soil isn’t the same everywhere — some has sand, and some has clay, for example. Also, some areas of the country are hot and dry while others are cooler and rainy. A local garden center or other expert in your area can help you figure out what will do best in your garden.