How To Decide What To Plant In Your Garden

This is one of my favorite things about gardening, because it’s kind of like shopping and party planning mixed together, but way WAY cheaper. If you feel a bit overwhelmed by the “what to plant” question, I use a three part approach to planning out what goes in my garden. It’s very simple: what can I eat, try, and cut?

Eat: what does your family love the most? Our is broccoli, onion, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, kale, etc. So each season I see what is viable to plant and then work off my grocery list.

Try: what is calling out to you to experiment with? For us this season it will be eggplant and beets, because I wanted to eat more of them and they’re pretty and I think I can sneak them into my toddler’s food. But sometimes I legitimately choose things based on how pretty they are or how easy they are to grow.

Cut: I always like to have some flowers for cutting and putting on the dining table or gifting to a friend. The blooms also promote pollination and healthy bee populations. This is a super bonus if you’re bee-obsessed like I am, and like all good gardeners are, which means you now are bee obsessed too. You’ll draw in butterflies and the overall pop of beauty and color will make you smile. Promise.

Like I said, it’s really simple, but gives enough guidance to keep you on track. I also try to get enough of each plant that we can share the bounty and eat it throughout the season, not just once.

Lastly, be sure to reference what grows well in your hardiness zone, as some varieties of plant may or may not be conducive to your climate.

Happy planning friends!