What would YOU grow?

[CrazyConure]

So far, I have herbs, strawberry, corn, eggplant, butternut squash, tomato, and just planted peppers. I have 3 more 5 gallon buckets that have nothing growing in them.

I'm thinking of growing some beneficial flowers? Maybe some other vegetables?

I think I have everything I need vegetation wise. I'm not growing any flowers. What would you grow in the empty space I have?

 

[CrazyConure]

If recommending flowers, I would like it if it benefits the garden in some way (attracts bees, ladybugs, deters pests, ect)

 

[zigs]

I'd grow some BORAGE

You can put the flowers in your Pimms

 

[Beth_B]

I love the humble petunia! I have bees and hummingbirds at mine all summer.
If I were in your climate I'd definitely be planting geraniums.

 

[marlingardener]

Another vote for Borage. It feeds bees, the young leaves taste like cucumber and can be used raw in salads, and it has a lovely purpleish blue flower (there's also a white flowered variety).
Also zinnias are helpful to bees and hummingbirds, and make a nice bouquet. One variety, Cut and Come Again, blooms over a longer period of time. Zinnias can be direct sown and don't have to be started in-house with heat mat and gro-light.

 

[zigs]

Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot to mention it tastes like the devils vegetable, cucumber

 

[marlingardener]

No, no, Zigs. The devil's vegetable is parsnip. Not fit for man nor beast to enjoy. It will probably be the next "fashionable" vegetable after kale (which no one will admit to not liking) falls out of favor.

 

[Beth_B]

Oh my, I love parsnips! Roasted, mashed, in soup, yum.
I like kale too, so there. Long before it got trendy.

 

[MaryMary]

I'm not sure how my suggestions for vegetables would work for you, but... it may already be too hot down there to start them, but what about sugar snap peas or snow peas? Mainly because I love them in stir-fry.

My other suggestion for a vegetable, I don't know how they would do in a bucket, but maybe sweet potatoes? You can make them sweet or savory... fried, baked, roasted, made into sweet potato pie. They have the added bonus that ounce for ounce, they are ranked very high in overall nutritional value.


Flowers? It would be Four O'Clocks, definitely. Wikipedia on Four O'Clocks. The plant itself is not very pretty, but look at the FLOWERS! They are perennial in your zone, and smell wonderful.

 

[Tjohn]

Potatoes are good in buckets, and the plants are really very attractive...

 

[Larisa]

Marigolds - very useful flowers. Besides the beautiful and unpretentious. Marigolds can be planted among vegetables to repel some garden pests. Marigolds are participating in the rotation. (Where every year some of the plants are planted in the other beds to keep the soil healthy).

Aphids will be destroyed if the processing plants to carry out the infusion of marigold. For the preparation of insecticidal composition Marigold (flowers, stems, leaves, roots), pulverized. Standard bucket of water filled halfway with vegetable raw materials, pour warm water, cover with a lid and put in the barn for the infusion for 48 hours. Ready infusion filter, squeeze, add it to 35-40 grams of soap to improve the adhesion of the composition. Pour into a spray bottle and use for the treatment of infected aphids cultures. Spraying must be repeated after a few days. The treatment is infusion of marigold is carried out before the complete destruction of the pest.

If you have a common cold, marigolds should be added into boiling water for inhalation.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Nasturtiums, if you grow them, then you can eat them in salads etc.