The days are getting longer and we're having little peeks of spring weather more and more each week! The arrival of warmer temperatures means it's time to start planning for your spring garden! If you haven't started your own home garden yet, spring is the perfect time to do so! At the bottom of this post, I share several great resources for starting your own raised bed garden!
It's the easiest time of the year to grow and harvest vegetables because the weather is much more agreeable and less temperamental. Plus, you get two back-to-back planting and harvesting seasons with spring, then summer!
Spring Nutrition
As the days become longer and the temperature becomes warmer, it's important to focus on foods and drinks that are more cooling to our bodies. Planting a spring garden is a great way to cultivate a practice of eating the foods that are beneficial for you during each changing season. If you are new to gardening, there are many great books and websites (linked below!) to introduce you to container gardening. Once you're ready to expand your garden, you can then transition to a traditional 4x4 or 4x8 raised garden bed, or like me, you can just jump right in with a raised bed and learn as you go! My favorite vegetables to plant in the spring are (Vegetable/Days to Harvest):
Bell Peppers/60-90
Sweet/Hot Peppers/60-90
Lettuce Greens/30
Okra/60
Onions/60
Cucumbers/50-70
Eggplants/70
Green Beans/45-60
Peas/60-70
Potatoes/60-90
Cabbage/60-70
Kale/30-40
Spinach/40-48
Tomatoes/50-60 up to 100 (check variety)
Cantalope/Watermelon/80-90
Zucchini/45-55
Radishes/30-40
Arugula/40
Carrots/70-80
Broccoli and Broccolini/60-80
Cauliflower/80
Bok Choy/45
Swiss Chard/30-45
Chives/30
Basil/Cilantro/Dill/Oregano/Parsley/Rosemary/Sage/Thyme
Celery (fall plant; spring harvest)
Strawberries (fall plant; spring harvest)
Garlic (fall plant; spring harvest)
You will need to check your planting zone to see when the last expected frost is to occur. In Charleston, South Carolina, we can start planting seeds as early as March 1. Most of the seeds can be started indoors and transplanted to your garden once the temperatures have warmed.
You will notice that the spring is a great time to start an herb garden, if you don't have one already! Herbs are great to toss raw in a green salad or mince and use as seasoning in all kinds of dishes. You do not need a lot of space for an herb garden, and can easily plant one in a flower pot or even in a windowsill!
Click here for some of my favorite Spring Recipes from a beloved local apothecary, Blue Heron Acupuncture and Apothecary in Charleston. I also love the book Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden, which is a fun and useful way to practice eating farm to table using the seasonal vegetables growing in your garden.
Spring Emotional Support
In Chinese medicine, the introduction of spring invites us into a season of cleansing and rejuvenation from the cold and stagnation of the winter season, with particular focus on any feelings of Anger. Each season correlates with an organ and channel and it's no surprise that the Liver (Yin) and Gallbladder (Yang) are the ones that need the most attention during this season.
The Liver and Gallbladder are important for our overall digestive health and critical in the detoxification process. When these processes are not running smoothly, your entire body - physical, emotional and mental are negatively affected. Some of my favorite ways to maintain Qi and balance during this season are to:
Exercise. It's important for me to maintain structure in my daily routine so I make time each morning to workout for at least 30 minutes, and I end each day with yoga or stretching. With the warmer temperatures, now is the time to get back outside, enjoy the sun in the morning and move your body! Did you know that sweating is a form of detoxification? Check out this study that indicates that heavy metal toxicity is lower in people that exercise and sweat regularly!
Meditate. I cannot stress the benefits of practicing meditation and breathwork, even if it's just 5-10 minutes a day.
Hot Baths. I take 4-5 baths a week, alternating between Epsom salts + Magnesium + YL Panaway essential oil OR Dead Sea salts + Magnesium + YL Stress Away essential oil. I have been a long-time customer of Mountain Rose Herbs and have always ordered my bath salts from them so I cannot vouch for any other brand of epsom salts or dead sea salts.
Reading. I had to set better boundaries in my life to force me to unplug from my job, the news and social media, and the best way for me to incorporate this rule is to turn my phone on silent and sign off of social media at a set time each night. I now spend the time before bed reading a book instead of scrolling through news feeds and social media posts.
Cooking. I love cooking for the seasons, and one of my favorite benefits of having a home garden is access to seasonal herbs and vegetables! The warm season boasts all the yummy bitter greens and herbs, which are so beneficial for the liver and gallbladder (detoxification!). Also, adding more sour foods to your diet helps to stimulate the liver - simply adding lemon to your water or vinegar to your homemade dressing are great ways to incorporate these foods into your spring diet! I have started sharing our weekly meal plans every Sunday, and you will see our menus transition from season to season so stay tuned for some yummy spring dishes on the menu blog!
Medicinal Herbs. I add herbal tinctures to my tea every morning and night, depending upon my physical or mental needs that day or my monthly cycle. We have used Organic Olivia and Mountain Rose herbal tinctures for years. I also buy loose tea, solar-infused honey, and herbal tinctures from a wonderful local apothecary, Herbal Passion, in West Ashley (Hannah does offer online shopping!). Due to the increasing stigma and censorship of holistic medicine, I am not going to list the specific herbs that we use, but I would encourage you to seek out the guidance and support of an herbalist or naturopath doctor to help you incorporate healing herbs into your daily routine.
I love this excerpt from the Mend Acupuncture clinic in Maryland - "The rest we took in the winter allows us the energy to begin to build again. Energies that rested, germinated and hibernated during those cold, dark days can now take shape. As the amount of daylight increases, so too does the active and outward yang energy, which will reach its pinnacle in the summer. For some, this increase in rising yang energy can be overwhelming. Take stock and pace yourself accordingly, it’s okay to take it slow. Consider this a time for a fresh start, like a breath of fresh air. To get things flowing – break out, get some sun, loosen up, and move. Speaking of fresh air and movement, the climate associated with Spring is Wind. As an “agent of change,” Wind is known to bring new ideas and rearrange old ones. Let it."
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patients in care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.” – Thomas Edison
Helpful Links and Information:
Charleston Friends! I cannot recommend Rita's Roots enough to help you get started in your gardening journey. Rita offers everything that you need to get started, and to grow and maintain a successful garden. She is a wealth of knowledge and offers educational classes that have been integral to my growth as a novice gardener. I also joined her Garden Growers Club last year, and it has been the greatest investment!
Raised Bed Gardening for Beginners by Tammy Wylie
Container Gardening for Beginners by Tammy Wylie
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward C. Smith
How to Grow a Container Garden by The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni
How to Build a Raised Bed by The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni
How to Build a Raised Bed Using Recycled Pallets by The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni