For the Southern Hemisphere, Spring is sprouting all over. As the cold subsides, flowers are blooming and the hum of insects grows. While in the Northern Hemisphere, the weather is winding back, the brown and orange hues of Autumn settling in.
Wherever we are, it's not too late to embrace the new season and get planting. To get the ball rolling, here's three easy-care vegetables that can be grown across multiple climate zones this season.
If you're not sure of your specific growing conditions (soil, sunlight, geographic location), have a chat with your local nursery for some tailored advice - they know what they're talking about!
SPRING
#1 Pumpkin
Halloween's coming after all and pumpkins are an easy vegetable to grow - if the soil is right, we can simply plant the seeds and let them do their thing. But be wary of placement, they like to spread themselves out. According to gardening experts, these take about 12 weeks to grow.
#2 Rocket
With the season warming, fresh crispy greens are on route. Homegrown rocket packs a flavourful peppery-punch, sprucing up any salad, sandwich, or homemade pesto. Rocket is fast growing and short lived, great for the hungry cook who's eager to harvest the fruits of their labour more quickly.
#3 Asparagus
It's asparagus season across the board so now is the time to indulge in this very seasonal veg. Harvest before they toughen at around 3cm. A versatile green, we can roast asparagus with our favourite veggies, pan-fry in a few minutes with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, or steam and toss into a lemon-dressed salad.
AUTUMN
#1 Radishes
An easy and quick growing vegetable, we'll be slicing these into our meals in around 4-6 weeks if we plant now. With the season cooling down, popping radishes into a cold salad might not be top of the list, so consider a great addition to a roast veg medley. Make sure to use all of the plant, cooking the leaves up like you would with spinach.
#2 Turnips
Another faster growing crop of veg is turnips. Plant seeds now to harvest in around two months. The turnip makes a great addition to roasted radish, an easy side dish of mash, or for those icey days, a wholesome and somewhat sweet soup.
#3 Spinach
A hearty green known for the nutrients it packs, spinach is a great go-to this Autumn. For those with little space to grow, it's also easily sewn into pots. A fast grower and one where you can frequently return as the plant continues to grow new leaves while you chop off the larger ones. Sauté with sesame oil, blend into a curry, or eat straight from the garden.
Happy planting
Growing your own vegetables is one of the most enjoyable ways to reduce our carbon footprint. By doing so, we connect to what's in season, reduce food waste, and avoid food miles.
Written by Sian Henderson.
Images from Shutterstock.