Plants Every Garden Should Have

Planting a garden requires careful thought and selection of appropriate plants to create something truly personal and eye-catching. Use our collection of essential garden plants to craft one tailored to fit both your space and style.

For optimal results, incorporate compost or pelletized manure-based fertiliser into the soil prior to planting. Also, mulch the area well to protect it from weeds while keeping soil moisture levels optimal.

Lettuce

There’s a good reason that lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most widely grown salad vegetables: It offers an assortment of colors, textures and flavors that provide meals with an invigorating crunch.

Crops such as broccoli or other leafy greens thrive best when daytime temperatures remain between 70 degrees F and 75 degrees F, as excessive heat can cause them to bolt or flower prematurely, turning its leaves bitter. Therefore, in hot climates it may be worthwhile experimenting with heat-tolerant varieties instead.

Sow seeds early each spring to have fresh greens throughout summer. For variety, consider sowing mesclun mixes that contain exact proportions of leaf lettuces and other young greens such as arugula, chervil or endive; harvest should occur within 40-60 days.

Courgettes

Courgettes (also referred to as zucchinis) are an indispensable component of any vegetable garden, being frost-tender plants that thrive in hot weather with the potential to crop over an extended period if harvested regularly.

Variety in shapes and sizes are readily available, from plants capable of trailing or climbing vines, to fruits that come in shades of green, yellow or striped with long or round shapes that make picking easier. Breeding programs have also helped produce varieties with reduced spines for easier picking.

Outdoor sowing of courgettes should begin in late May; for optimal results it’s recommended that seeds be started indoors in yoghurt pots from mid-April. Placing them in a warm place will promote early germination and growth, and when growing outdoors use mulch to retain soil moisture while keeping weeds at bay; regularly feed your courgettes using Tui NovaTec Premium slow release fertilisers for maximum results.

Radishes

Radishes are fast-growing plants that make an ideal addition to containers or garden beds. After only 30-40 days from seeding, they’re ready for eating!

As is true with other members of the brassica family (such as broccoli, kale and cabbage), sprouts are highly nutritious. Packed full of calcium, vitamin C, niacin folate potassium as well as compounds known to trigger enzymes believed to promote healthier liver function, they make for a powerful nutritional combination!

Radishes offer a deliciously crisp and crunchy bite, and the peppery spice can range from mild to full-on spicy depending on their variety, weather conditions and growing conditions. Radishes make excellent raw salad toppings or can be enjoyed dipped into salty butter before being pickled or roasted!

Carrots

Carrots (Daucus carota) are easy to cultivate and essential plants for any garden. Their orange hue comes from beta-carotene which your body converts into vitamin A; thus giving the carrot its characteristic orange hue.

Carotenoids have long been recognized for their protective effects against cancer, heart disease and eye conditions. Carrots are a staple vegetable garden staple and must-have ingredient in every refrigerator.

Simple to grow from seed, tomatoes are ideal crops to start in early spring or mid summer directly sown into your soil. For optimal results use Master Nursery’s Bumper Crop(r) Tomato and Vegetable Food to promote a healthy environment for growth.

Peppers

Peppers boast numerous health advantages. Packed with vitamin A and C, as well as capsaicin to fight inflammation and cholesterol levels and combat obesity.

Peppers thrive best in warmer conditions, so start seeds a week or two after the last frost date. When transplanting is ready, “harden” seedlings by leaving them outdoors during the day and keeping them indoors at night.

As peppers belong to the nightshade family, avoid planting them where potatoes, tomatoes or eggplants have grown recently. Mulching can help control weeds while keeping moisture levels consistent for maximum bloom end rot control and bloom end rot prevention. In-ground gardens should first be mixed with some compost or aged manure before planting; while potting mixes or raised beds require premium quality potting mixes such as Miracle-Gro(r) Performance Organics All Purpose Container Mix.