Make the tastiest dishes with vegetables, fruits and herbs from your own garden. Start a vegetable garden this spring. It’s sustainable, healthy and also lots of fun. Start with proper preparation and then plant the vegetable garden. With proper maintenance, you will soon enjoy delicious produce from your own garden.
Make sure you are well prepared
First, choose a suitable spot in the garden for establishing the vegetable garden. Get a location with plenty of sun, about 6 to 8 hours of sunshine per day. Also keep in mind the different wind directions. Leave the vegetable garden open on the south side and close off the north and north-east sides with shelter. This way, the crops get enough sun and a supply of warm air.
Then choose the vegetables, fruits and/or herbs you want to grow in the vegetable garden. Start with products you can easily maintain. Think courgette, basil, lettuce or tomatoes.
Are the outside temperatures still on the low side? Then pre-sow the crops indoors. A veranda is the ideal place for this. The veranda provides protection from outside weather and there is enough space for all your crops. Once the crops have germinated and grown, plant them in the vegetable garden.
Requirements for your own vegetable garden:
- Suitable spot
- Gardening gloves
- Compost or natural fertiliser
- Seeds: vegetables, fruit and/or herbs
- Garden tools
- Watering can or garden hose
- Plant shovel
- Hoe
- Spade
Plant the vegetable garden
Now that all the preparations have been made, you plant the vegetable garden. Remove all weeds and loosen the soil. Stones can hinder the growth of roots and root vegetables, so make sure you remove all stones. Then improve the soil with compost or natural fertiliser. Finally, sow the chosen vegetables, fruits and/or herbs.
Crops differ in terms of the desired number of sunlight hours and the amount of water required. Give each crop enough attention and allow each crop to grow at the most optimal conditions.
Maintain the vegetable garden
Put enough time into maintaining the vegetable garden. That's how you get the best harvest. Remove weeds regularly, and preferably every day. Fewer weeds means better crop health. Water your crops sufficiently and feed them regularly. In addition, prevent pests with eco-friendly pesticides. This way, you ensure a healthy environment in which crops grow optimally.
Finally, enjoy the fresh vegetables, fruits and/or herbs from your own garden. These products make every recipe even more delicious. Want everyone to enjoy the beautiful harvest? Then organise a dinner party for all your friends and family.
Need more inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board 'vegetable garden'