Spring is a season full of growth and possibility; which is wonderful, but also overwhelming. This can make it difficult to make decisions and easy to get trapped in a cycle of overthinking. Simplify things thinking through these six considerations.
When choosing plants for your spring garden think about:
your gardening goals
what varieties you enjoy
what plants are uncommon
your resources and climate
what other people are growing
How to choose plants to grow in your spring garden
Consider your gardening goals
By design, a flower patch looks different than a vegetable garden. What is your gardening goal?
If you aspire towards self-sufficiency, grow vegetables and herbs. Likewise, if garden to relieve stress, don't grow plants that frustrate you.
When you begin with an end in mind, it makes gardening easier and more fulfilling. But, don't overthink things and get paralysis by analysis. Deciding your goal should take less than five minutes. If it takes longer you are overthinking it, just move along without it.
Choose plants you enjoy and vegetables you eat
In a given week, what vegetables do you eat? What flowers do you notice? If you enjoy something, look into how it is grown. The main caveat to this is not to grow anything you don't have the resources for or isn't worth your time. A common example of this is carrots, which can be bought relatively cheap and found in most grocery stores. However, if you love cooking with root vegetables, consider growing something unusual, like the red-purple 'dragon' carrots.
Grow plant varieties you can't buy
Ever had blue tomatoes? Or purple peppers? Take a look at your local grocery store or flower shop and notice what's missing. For example, many main-stream grocery stores don't offer leeks, bok choy or kohlrabi. Growing uncommon or unusual plants is rewarding in and of itself but it also fun since you wouldn't have access to them otherwise. For social media opportunities or novelty are important to you, this a valuable consideration.
Think about your resources and climate
When thinking about what to grow, it's vital to remember your climate. Your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is a common measure of this. Likewise, consider how much light and water your garden will get. If it is difficult to water your garden, you'll want to look for drought tolerant or otherwise forgiving plants, like Okra.
You should also consider how much space, time and management a plant will need. For example. crookneck squash is a summer staple, but it is takes up a lot of space and may not be suitable to small gardens.
An often overlooked consideration is knowing how plants pollinate. Plants like corn and peppers grow best when grown in larger numbers because they need certain conditions to reproduce. Think through how plants grow best and if you have the resources to grow them that way.
Ask about what your neighbors are growing
When in doubt, ask for advice! Talking with your neighbors is a good way to build community but it can also be fruitful (literally) to ask what they are growing. Not only are they likely to offer general gardening tips but also good varieties and plants to grow. They might even offer you some extra seeds!
Six questions to ask yourself when choosing spring crops
If you still can't decide what to grow, ask yourself these questions and write your ideas down.
What are your gardening goals?
What vegetables, flowers or herbs do you use regularly?
What do you have the resources (time, space, patience, etc.) to grow?
What would you enjoy or aspire to grow?
What crops do well in your area?
What would you grow if you knew your couldn't fail?
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