The Spring GardenA spring garden is probably the most anticipated part of gardeing because of what I call "the winter wait". Some people just can't wait to get into their garden in the spring (guilty as charged!). The aroma of fresh turned garden soil can be intoxicating - especially in the spring after being cooped up all winter. Spring vegetables are cold hardy and most can be planted before the last threat of frost. On the other hand, most spring vegetables don't tolerate summer heat, and either stop producing or mature too quickly. Here is a list of my favorite vegetables for the spring garden, and a bit of information on each. Vegetables for the Spring GardenGrowing Cauliflower
Cauliflower is in the same family as cabbage and broccoli, and is grown and harvested in basically the same manner, with one major exception. Cauliflower heads need to be blanched as they mature.This "blanching" is not the same thing as you do to prepare vegetables for freezing. This term refers to protecting maturing heads from sunlight. Cauliflower heads that are exposed to sunlight turn green, and the flavor becomes very strong. The easiest way to do this is to gently fold the leaves up and over the top of the cauliflower head. Use clothes pins or chip bag clips to hold the leaves in place, until the heads are ready to harvest. Cauliflower comes in many different colors today. Besides the old standard white cauliflower, you can find green, bright yellow, and purple cauliflower in many seed catalogs. Growing these colored varieties can brighten up your spring garden. Cauliflower is best eaten fresh, but can be blanched and frozen in a similar manner as cabbage and broccoli. Growing Radishes
Enjoying the peppery hot flavor of a fresh crisp radish fresh from the soil is a spring garden pleasure. I don't even bother to wash them off! Some things are best enjoyed right in the garden. Radishes are one of the fastest maturing vegetable that you can plant. They usually take less than a week to germinate, and are ready to eat about three weeks after they sprout. Plant radishes from seeds, and thin them to about 3/4" to 1" spacing after germination. There are many different shapes and colors of radishes available from seed catalogs and local sources. Follow directions on the seed pouch for depth of planting, time to germination and to maturity. Radishes, like lettuce are best enjoyed fresh. They aren't suited for preserving in most cases. I've heard of people pickling radishes, but I've not tried it...yet. Once hot weather arrives, pull up any remaining radishes, as they tend to "bolt" (try to bloom and go to seed). When this happens, the root becomes pithy on the inside, woody on the outside, and too hot to enjoy. Growing Green Onions
Growing and eating green onions are a rite of spring at my house. We eat them raw, fresh from the garden or cut them up in salads. They are also awesome in wilted lettuce.Green onions are one of the easiest of spring garden vegetables you can grow. Buy onions in "sets". Sets are onion plants that were started from seeds, and pulled up when they bulbs are just starting to develop. They are usually bound in bundles of 25, 50 or 100 for sale. You can also find onion bulbs that look just like miniature versions of onions just like you would buy to eat. These are about 1/2 inch across and are also called onion sets. Plant Onion sets about 1"-2" deep, with the green tops sticking out of the soil. Bulb types have no green top, so make sure to plant them root end down. Green onions mature almost as fast as radishes. Any remaining green onions that you don't eat, can be left in the soil and allowed to grow to full sized onions for cooking and eating in the summer. They should be kept weed free, and they seem to do better if you hill soil up around them to a depth of 2-3 inches. A spring garden is the perfect cure for spring fever. You can get your hands dirty, as well as put some fresh vegetables on the dinner table early in the year. You can also preserve some spring vegetables to add variety to your table throughout the year, while cutting your food budget and increasing your level of self sufficiency that much more. Return to Vegetable Gerdening Page from Spring Garden Page
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