Finally getting out in the dirt and planting some peas today! This would be  in our personal garden at home.  The greenhouses are now planted in mixtures of greens and our wild arugula. It’s nice to be home today instead and  getting  our home garden started  up too.

Juicing has become a big thing . I don’t know anyone who doesn’t juice ( except for me ! I’m just starting out ! ) , but not all juice is created equal. Everything in moderation!

While juice is certainly a better alternative to  drinking soda, certain juices still contain a lot of sugar (especially fruit juices )  and calories, so stick to an 8oz glass of juice, not one of those super sized , mega , behemoth sized containers of juice everyone is selling you on drinking. Too much of anything is never a good thing. I don’t know who said that originally  ( do you ? ) , but it’s so true.
That said, let’s make the best, most nutritious juice we can make, and let’s start by growing most of what we need or even just some of what we need to accomplish that in our own backyards . You’ll get some fresh air, sunshine and exercise to boot, and  yes, you can grow a juice garden in containers on your deck or patio !

I am so excited that it is spring. I always am ,and I am sure you are as well!
We often think of juice as citrus based and it can be, but vegetables make great juice and even sweet juice. Best to eat your fruits or use them sparingly in your juices so as not to overdo it on the  sugar.

Grow some sweets for your juice !

Beets – love ’em, hate ’em?

I know so many people that HATE beets. I don’t know why. They are so sweet !

Beets are rich in a variety of essential vitamins and minerals, making them an excellent addition to your diet. Beets benefit  your body in so many ways such as reducing inflammation, supporting your heart, and protecting your digestive, brain, and eye health. Beets are a versatile food that can be eaten raw in salads and juices, or cooked and added to a variety of recipes spanning from breakfast to dinner.

I know you will love them in juice ,and maybe  I can change your mind about them by sharing some recipes that will make you love them as a vegetable side or in a salad on another day, but for now, they are so sweet and will contribute to your juicing pantry just like sugar only better.

Carrots – another sweet vegetable especially if grown organically. If you can manage your garden in such a way as  to plant these in late summer and let them overwinter – WOW. The taste is amazing for your table and for your juice. Overwintering your carrots brings out the best of the best in carrot sweetness. There is no comparison ,and the super market carrots, even the organic ones,  are usually not  grown this way. You may be able to find them at  farmers’ markets early spring or  from a local grower.

Grow greens for your  juice !

Kale – This Veg has become a rock star .It’s super easy to grow too. A real stand out in green juices. You can’t go wrong- so many health benefits !

In just one cup of chopped kale, you’ll find: (2)

• Vitamin K (684% recommended daily value)
• Vitamin A (206%)
• Vitamin C (134%)
• Manganese (26%)
• Copper (10%)
• Calcium (9%)
• Potassium (9%)
• Vitamin B6 (9%)
• Iron (6%)
• Magnesium (6%)
• Folate (5%)
• Riboflavin (5%)
• Thiamin (5%)
• Phosphorus (4%)
• Protein (4%)
• Niacin (3%)
• Zinc (2%)
• Pantothenic Acid (1%)
• Selenium (1%)
• Sodium (1%)
• Omega-3 fatty acids (121 mg)
• Omega-6 fatty acids (92.4 mg)

Parsley – My mom always ate her parsley when out a restaurant – that creepy curly green thing on the plate, yes , that thing. Parsley would sit there as a garnish and almost no one ever ate it, but she always did. She said it just made her feel good. Well ,  evidently there is a good reason for that.

½ cup of fresh chopped parsley (or about 8 tablespoons) has about:

• 8 calories
• 0 grams of fat, sugar, carbs, protein or fiber
• 496 mg Vitamin K (554%)
• 40 mg Vitamin C (54%)
• 128 mg Vitamin A (15%)
• 48 mg Folate (12%)
• 92 mg Iron (10%)
• 40 mg Calcium (4%)
• 16 mg Magnesium (4%)
• 168 mg Potassium (4%)

Parsley would be  great to add in your juice, depending on the recipe, and  I have grown to love flat leaf parsley in my kitchen. I buy some most every week , just to have on hand. It adds great flavor to soups and just last night, I made a parsley , garlic and breadcrumb crust for some baked codfish.It was wonderful  !

Celery–  We are growing celery for the first time this year. Not only is it great to add to juice, but the leaves and seeds are a wonderful addition to your kitchen pantry.  I do grow a perennial called lovage, which tastes very much like celery  or a stronger version of it.  I use it in everything – soups ,stews, whenever  I need a punch of flavor. It’s awesome , and it comes back year after year !  It’s leaves can also be used in juice just like celery providing many of the same benefits.

The benefits of celery begin with it being an excellent source of antioxidants and beneficial enzymes, in addition to vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6. It’s just plain good for you !

Well, that’s a start for your juice garden. There are , of course , so many more vegetables for juicing ,  but it’s best to start small and grow . Even if you manage just one or two of these this year , you’ll have so much fun and the health benefits of being a grower of your own foods for juicing or your table are almost greater for you than the juice itself!

Are you familiar with the saying ” I’m so far behind I think I’m first .” ????

That’s about where I’m at . I think I’m ‘first’  most everyday lately here in this never ending northeast winter !

So let’s get growing – it’s not too late  !!!! There’s plenty of time to  get even your tomato seeds sprouting. If you live  further south , you are probably on a roll already ! We love seeing your photos ! Keep sharing !!

While searching new seed varieties this winter , I came across some other seed suggestions perfect for your potted gardens that I wanted to share.  Good varieties to know even if you can’t try  them out until next year. Most of these were totally new to me .  Collecting ideas and keeping journals are a  very enjoyable part of the gardening process , so try to never feel overwhelmed. Easy for me to say and not so easy to do ( especially for me ) , but try to stick to a manageable plan ( I should listen to myself )  and just enjoy collecting ideas for the future.

So here you go – MyTop 10 Picks  ( I had about 50 , eeek ) !

Minibel Tomato –  65 days , bite size flavorful fruits. Plants only get about a foot high , so they are perfect for containers. http://www.rareseeds.com ( Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company , everything from them is organic and non GMO)

Tom Thumb Pea  – 50-55 days , 8-9 inch high shelling pea, but when picked young the pod is also tender and sweet. Heirloom variety originating from England.  www.rareseeds.com  So cute !

Tumbling Tom Tomatoes – 65- 75 days , A great one for hanging baskets. The small red or yellow cherry type tomato will cascade down over your basket. Use a large basket. – 12-14 inches or a comparable size pot. We grow these in our greenhouses with great success, and they are incredible for drying or roasting. They are our go to tomatoes during the winter months. I’ll roast them and then process them in canning jars.  Shmear some roasted tumbling toms on some pizza dough and make yourself the most flavorful pizza eva !  www.harrisseeds.com

Eggplant Fingers Mix – 80 days , this is a mix of smallish eggplant in different colors, long and narrow fruit. We are also growing these in hanging baskets but for the first time . Using a 12 -14 inch hanger. I will try a few in pots just to see the difference.  Use a large container . I do think these will be a good choice for containers   http://www.rareseeds.com

Cucumbers – H-19 Little Leaf  – 58 days, Great for pickling or fresh eating . High yielding plants, good for containers.  ( http://www.highmowingseeds.com )  I prefer  using a pickling cucumber in my salads. They are super crunchy and seem to be less watery than the standard Marketmore variety.

A pot of mixed baby greens – You can have your own mixed greens all summer and well into fall and winter. Now , the amount of mixed greens you plant depends on how much you think you may use each week . We are big salad eaters . so one pot of greens would never cut it for us . But maybe one or two pots is plenty for you. Totally worth growing mixed greens  because you can toss it up into sprouts and other “salady ” things. Make up your own mix or purchase one of many now offered by most seed companies. Make sure you use a large pot or even one of those long 3-4 foot  ones. Fresh greens are ready in about 28 days . You will simply give the lettuces a haircut every 10 days . If you plant 2 pots -10 days apart , that will help you have greens always ready,  especially if you like to eat a lot of salads.  Succession planting should be done in potted gardens too.Try something new like a mustard blend or Asian greens. They are spicy and flavorful and would mix well with some iceberg from the market.   All greens will tolerate some shade too.  www.highmowingseeds.com.   See that speckley one ? That’s called Freckles ! 

String Beans – Pick a bush type variety  and have a large pot 14 inches at least. Again, sometimes  you can find greenhouse 5 gallon containers for a buck or even less. If you find them , they may not be  not pretty, but they  are useful  –  buy them !  Make sure you wash used pots thoroughly as they may be carrying things  you don’t want to know. So, most any bush type variety will work . I love the yellow string bean. It just seems more tender to me. Always harvest your string beans on the young side. They tend to toughen up if left on the vine too long .

Zucchini and Yellow squash- Again there are many bush type varieties that will grow great in a large pot. I bet you didn’t think you could grow squash in a pot  ! Silverbush  or  Buckingham Patio are two good choices !

Herbs -gotta have a pot of herbs, or maybe many pots of herbs !  — Basil or YOUR favorite herb ( basil is mine ) all  grow great in pots and some you can pick up already started at your local garden center. Basil is easy to grow from seed, just like dill, cilantro, and all different kinds of  parsley , ummm ….  and chervil. Then there are those that take a lot of time to grow like rosemary, thyme, and oregano  – buy those as started plants. Growing these from seed is not hard , but takes a lot of time, and if you are here in the northeast , you will be waiting a bit too long . Same goes for sage another favorite of mine. Save some time and purchase the started plants.

Want a challenge ?  Olive trees or figs? Both easily grow in containers. They  need extra care if you live near me, but what an awesome addition to a potted garden space !

Oh, and some berries – most strawberries will grow great in containers or hanging baskets and Top Hat blueberries are just awesome in a large pot on the porch !

I think I may have gotten carried away . There are so many more, but as  you can see you are not limited by space. Maybe you can’t fit it all , but even a few additions will help you begin on a path to healthier eating. Harvesting your own herbs and vegetables saves you money,  and you don’t have to be concerned about where your  food came from . You grew it !

The take away – Space is not an issue! If you can only grow one tomato plant or one potted herb , consider yourself a successful gardener !!!! Be happy !

Gardening is  therapy with benefits !