Why You Should Grow Greens in the Garden

DIY cold frame allowed us to get growing sooner in the garden. Image by author.

When I started a garden in Colorado, I fixated on all the food and flowers I wouldn't be able to grow here because of the extreme temperature fluctuations and short growing season. I mistakenly assumed that the beloved spring lettuces I cultivated during my Pacific Northwest days would not survive the cold spring weather of my new home. While I'll never have the same lush shrubs and flowers that I grew up with in southern Alabama and relished during my adulthood in temperate climates, I was flat-out wrong about food garden potential.

It's not that difficult to grow delicate lettuces and dark, leafy greens in Colorado. I just needed to understand when to plant according to the new climate, how best to regulate soil moisture, and how to use protective covering for the garden beds when freezing temperatures make their appearance. What we lack in moisture (outside of snowmelt) here, we make up for in sunshine and far fewer plant diseases and pests.

And while you might be swayed by the promise of late-season fruits and vegetables when planning your growing season this year, don't let the gorgeous pepper, corn, tomato, eggplants, and pumpkins you'll harvest in August and September keep you from making space in your garden for greens now. Here are a few great reasons to sow greens in the garden.

Harvesting Greens at Summer's Start Will Pump You Up! 

Growing cool season vegetables like lettuces and dark, leafy greens now always keeps me motivated to stick with the garden when high summer hits and my stamina lags. As a new gardener, I gained confidence as a grower because by June I had a harvest under my belt while the long-season plants took until July and August to mature and bear fruit.

Spring spinach harvest. Image by author.

Home Garden Greens Pack Peak Flavor and Nutrition.

There is really no comparison between the vegetables I buy in the supermarket produce section and the vegetables from my backyard that I harvest hours (or minutes) before I eat them. Freshly harvested greens, in particular, are more tender than what I can find at our local grocery stores because I pick them when they are mature. Industrial agriculture producers need to yield large amounts of food to meet consumer interest, so farm workers harvest produce before it is mature/ripe to transport to food distributors before it spoils.

As someone in love with flavor, after I started growing my own greens, there was no going back to store-bought greens during growing season. The depth of flavor from freshly picked vegetables is unmatched. Add that fruits and vegetables harvested at peak ripeness contain peak nutritional value, and you'll be hard-pressed to find an excuse to not grow your own or at least make the investment in purchasing produce at local farmers' markets.

Salad mix freshly harvested from our Colorado garden. Image by author.

Growing Garden Greens Means We're Likely to Eat More Greens.

Now that I'm not a strict vegetarian, I pay attention to how much fresh fruit and vegetables I consume in a day. It's unnerving how easy it is to not eat enough vegetables when I can fill my diet with grains and animal protein. During growing season, though, I'm eating so many more greens than I do the rest of the year.

Because I garden using a mix of organic and regenerative soil practices, the produce I harvest is nutrient dense. I can trust that I'm fueling my body with the kinds of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and healthy microorganisms that fortify me against diseases that develop when the body's immune system is compromised. As a parent, I have a vested interest in getting fruits and vegetables into my daughter's diet. I've noticed she is more open to eating the fruits and vegetables she has helped grow.

Looking for recommendations on what greens to grow this year? Check back later this week for a list of Furrow & Trowel favorites, and get ready to sow a prolific late-spring garden!