Growing a vegetable garden is not only an easy way to have access to fresh and healthy food, for a fraction of the cost, but it’s also a fun activity to do with children to encourage them to eat well. There’s nothing as delicious as a carrot you’ve grown yourself!
One of the most important things when planning your vegetable garden is making sure there is a great variety of vegetables and herbs that your family likes, in order to avoid food waste. Another great idea is to create themed gardens where you can gather the ingredients needed to create a dish or moment you particularly enjoy : salsa garden, cocktails and mocktails garden, canning garden, and of course, pizza garden!
My pizza themed garden
Pizza lovers, here is the perfect garden to enjoy this italian classic loved by all:
Tomato
Of course, a good pizza relies on a delicious, creamy sauce made with love. Choose a densely-fleshed tomato, that’s low in liquid and seeds, like the italian tomato.
Oregano
Pizza sauce’s secret element is, without a doubt, oregano and its tasty flavor. Oregano is a fine bushy herb, perennial and hardy up to zone 4, which is covered with small pinkish and white flowers that are also edible (and delicious as an infusion)
Garlic
What would be tomato sauce without garlic? Fresh garlic from your garden, that’s even better! Garlic is relatively easy to grow and is planted in autumn by sowing cloves in the ground. As a bonus, before your summer harvest, you will have garlic flowers to enjoy in late spring.
Let’s garnish!
The real fun begins when everyone gets to top their pizza as they wish. Possibilities and combinations are almost endless! Here are some idea of varieties to plant in your garden to garnish your pizza:
- Peppers of all colours
- Chillies of varying heat to suit your tastes
- Arugula
- Artichokes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Basil
- Green onions
You can really go with what you like in vegetables and herbs. Creativity is one of your best allies when it comes to cooking.
Growing mushrooms at home, easier than you may think!
Growing mushrooms has already been a bit of a mystery. Connoisseurs can venture out into the forest to pick out their favorite varieties. However, you need to be very careful: not all mushrooms are edible, and some of them can even be toxic and make you very sick. When in doubt, abstinence is best when it comes to mushrooms!
In recent years, garden center shelves have been stocked with boxed kits to grow different types of mushrooms at home. These cardboard boxes contain the substrate and the mycelium, the seed of the mushrooms, and the mushrooms are grown directly in it by spraying with water regularly. It’s a great gardening project to do at home, different and impressive.
Avoiding food waste
It can happen that harvests are more abundant than hoped.The opposite is also true, but let’s hope for the best! If you have an abundance of hot peppers and herbs, you can infuse them in a good olive oil or neutral vegetale, canola or sunflower oil. This fragrant, spicy oil will add a punch to your pizza and other dishes. It’s an excellent way to maximize the use of your crops without investing too much time. To help you plan your themed garden, consult our advisors.
Happy gardening and, above all, bon appétit!
