As long as you can harvest the sun, a bountiful harvest is possible.
Homegrown vegetables taste so much better, don’t they? We love to craft meals around the bounty of our harvests, but because of the Commonwealth’s climate, we can only enjoy the fruits of our labor for a few months before winter arrives. Sure, we can jar our tomatoes and pickle our cucumbers, but that only lasts so long. However, we have a few methods for growing year-round vegetables:
Indoor Herb Garden
Having an indoor herb garden in your kitchen window is a great way to add flavor to meals. Popular choices include basil, parsley, dill, and thyme. Don’t over water, and be sure they get enough sunlight. Use south- or southwest-facing window spots, and make sure there aren’t any cold drafts coming through windows nearby.
Garages and Enclosed Porches
If your garage has enough windows, it can work like a greenhouse. Keep the temperature moderate by using a small space heater. A better option is an enclosed porch. They usually let in plenty of light, making it a perfect environment for your plants. As with the garage, make sure your plants stay nice and warm. You can move in some potted plants, or save some space and grow more with a vertical garden.
Container Garden
Utilizing container gardening is the simplest way to grow your favorite vegetables year ’round. By planting in containers, it’s easy to bring your plants indoors when the weather gets too harsh. They don’t take up much space, and you shouldn’t have to deal with any common weeds. They can also live in any room of the house as long as it gets enough sunlight. Why not have a tomato bush in the living room or a salad trough in the guest bedroom?
Hotbeds
With a hotbed garden, you can plant your vegetables into the ground and still protect them from winter’s wrath. All you need is four pieces of wood to make a box, a transparent lid on a hinge, and some manure. As the sun shines through the glass, it warms the entire box for your plants.
Greenhouses
Greenhouses are the tried and true classic when it comes to year ’round gardening. Buying or building a greenhouse can be costly and take up a lot of space, but they do give you the freedom to plant whenever and whatever you’d like. Consider a portable greenhouse with vertical planters that won’t take up as much room.
