Gardening

With the food crisis looming, it is hard not to be concerned about what is going to be growing in your garden this summer. Whether you are a newbie to gardening or you have the greenest thumb, plant selection will always have a lot to do with achieving your goals.

We are going to look at a selection of plants for your summer garden that will both give you confidence and success as a gardener as well as provide you with plenty of harvests to put away for the future through canning and dehydrating.

1. Tomatoes

You can’t really have a summer garden without those ruby red tomatoes. These staples of the summer garden also produce at an astounding level. Whether you opt for cherry tomatoes or just the biggest juiciest tomatoes you can grow, each plant will overwhelm you with its production.

Tomatoes are deep rooting plants that require lots of water and a good loose soil that allows for that deep root penetration.

2. Zucchini

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An easy plant to grow in the summer is zucchini. With just a few plants you can have tremendous output. In fact, by mid-summer, you are going to be Googling recipes for zucchini bread. Zucchini can also be staked and grown upward. That makes a huge difference in how many you can grow in a certain area.

3. Green Beans

Green Beans | The Best Plants to Grow for your Summer Garden

These vining, nitrogen-fixing beans can both heal your soil and produce so much food that you will have to can and freeze all the beans coming off those plants. Green beans are another plant that grows up and these plants are easy to take care of.

I have planted seeds from dried up beans that overwintered. They sprouted right up! Once they are established, they will basically just put out beans on top of beans and that is one of the biggest benefits.

Fresh, crunchy green beans are also a great option for teaching kids to eat their vegetables. Nothing like taking kids out to the vining plants and letting them chow down.

4. Sunchokes

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Don’t forget about the perennials.

Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes are incredibly prolific perennials that will literally dominate any area that you plant them in. This is especially important for you to understand. If you get your hands on some tubers and just bury them in the middle of your garden, they will become more of a nuisance.

The edible tubers of the sunchoke are delicious and starchy. They are a filling food option that will grow in radical abundance with hardly any help. Just be careful how much you eat because they do contain inulin and lots of this can cause gas and digestive distress.

5. Walking Onions

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Another interesting perennial to consider for your summer garden is the Egyptian walking onion. These onions will literally walk across your garden. They bend under the weight of a smaller root that is produced at the top of the green plant and this new root will plant itself. The cycle will carry on if they are not destroyed by animals or weather.

6. Sunflowers

Sunflowers | The Best Plants to Grow for your Summer Garden

The allure of tomatoes and peppers many gardeners miss the value of those great sunflowers. When you plant mammoth sunflowers, you are going to be both creating a giant stalk of beauty and a source of protein in those sunflower seeds!

Sunflowers are easy to grow but you might have to stake them up. They are also subject to storms and high winds in the summer.

7. Herbs

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Don’t forget about those incredible herbs in the summer. I just love having things like lavender around the garden. Of course, the other culinary-driven herbs are arguably NECESSARY to a good summer garden. For me, having things like basil for my tomatoes is crucial.

Some other great herbs to plant in the summer are oregano, thyme, mint, and chives. Rosemary is an investment herb and it can become a massive bush that is there for you to use year over year. Cilantro is another great one.

8. Corn

Corn | The Best Plants to Grow for your Summer Garden

While not everyone has the space to grow corn if you do you should consider it. Who can resist a cob of buttered up sweet corn? There are some things that you need to understand about corn like spacing, fertilizing, and wind pollination but beyond that, you can have success.

You could also plant some popping corn, too! A great snack and long-term food storage item.

9. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe | The Best Plants to Grow for your Summer Garden

If you are after fruit for the summer harvest, then cantaloupe might be perfect for your summer garden. These are vining plants and are easier to grow than watermelons. They are delicious and refreshing melons that are perfect in the summer heat.

They can also be grown up which will help with how much space you need to dedicate to them. Well-tended plants can produce multiple cantaloupes.

Enjoy Your Summer Garden

Summer gardening is a joy and it can also be a serious producer of calories. Notice we are focusing on high yield plants and growing them in small spaces. You will get the maximum bang for your buck with this kind of growing.

A garden of just these recommended plants will give you food to enjoy now and food that can be put up for the leaner times that could very well be ahead.

Do you have other plants you'd love to plant for your summer garden? We'd love to hear from you in the comments section!

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