Spring is the perfect time to indulge our green thumbs once again- taking advantage of the warming temperatures and the reappearance of the sun.
If you really love gardening, you don’t just have to garden for yourself. Your chickens will absolutely love you if you plant a few fresh goodies for them to nibble on as well!
Here are our top 10 favourite plants to grow in spring.
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Basil
Basil is a great herb to throw into virtually all of your savoury dishes (especially tomato based!) - spaghetti, pizza, pesto...so many options! We love to have a bit of basil growing in our herb garden because we just can’t get enough of that fresh taste!
Tips for growing: plant your Basil so you can harvest it in January - this is prime time for this fresh herb.
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Cucumber
Cucumber is a very underrated vegetable - most people dismiss it as bland, but can you really imagine a summer salad without it? We love using cucumber to bolster up our salads and add some crunchy freshness, which is why it is always a welcome addition to our veggie patch!
Tips for growing: again, cucumber is another plant that’s best harvested in January.
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Pumpkin
We love pumpkin so much - we roast it, put it in pies, salads, and even puree it for something different, so growing it ourselves seemed like the obvious option!
Tips on growing: plant seeds in full sun, in rich soil. Most easily grown as ground cover plants. Take about 70 days to reach full growth, although this can extend out to around 120 days.
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Pak Choy
We love cooking asian inspired dishes, which is why we love Pak Choy so much! It tastes brilliant stir-fried, steamed or raw. Pak Choy grows best in spring, and is quite the speedy grower!! So if you love fresh veggies for your stir fries- plant some of these chinese cabbages in your garden.
Tips on growing: sow the seeds into the soil at a depth around three times the diameter of the seed- plant the seeds about 30cms apart.
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Sunflowers
What could be a more uplifting sight than a beautiful garden of vibrant sunflowers- not much! Sunflowers grow great in spring and are a particularly good plant for those of us who keep chickens as well as gardens! Because they grow to be quite high off the ground, the chickens can’t reach them, so your sunflowers can be enjoyed for a long time to come!
Tips on growing: grow in full sun, and plant the seeds directly into the soil. Giving them a sprinkle of fertilizer at planting time is also a great idea.
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Daffodils
Another beautifully bright flower that blooms vivid colours - daffodils are a gorgeous plant that will cheer up the gloomiest of gardens. Daffodils suit a wide variety of gardens and come in many beautiful colour variations- traditional yellow is our favourite.
Tips on growing: plant in full sun or semi-shade, with well-drained soil for the best success.
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Bluebells
Bluebells are another beautifully coloured blue flower that is sure to brighten up your backyard. They are also a very tolerant plant, which is always helpful for those of us tending to our gardens in tumultuous weather.
Tips for growing: grow in lightly shaded areas- plant the bulb with the pointy end facing upwards.
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Watermelon
There’s nothing better on a hot summers day than cool melon treats - for you AND your chickens! Seriously - watermelons are the ultimate summer fruit, and there’s nothing more satisfying than munching on a crunchy melon you’ve grown yourself!
Tips for growing: plant in full sun, in a large area and with a rich soil- these plants thrive in warm temperatures.
9. Spring Onions
You know they’re guaranteed to flourish this season - they’ve even got the word ‘spring’ in their name!
Spring onions are great, fast growers, and can be tossed into most savoury meals for extra goodness - including our favourite scrambled eggs!
Tips for growing: water regularly and plant in the sun.
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Citrus Trees
How amazing would it be to have some fresh citrus in your garden for spring? You’d have lemons for lemonade, freshly squeezed orange juice, and of course some limes for the occasional margarita!
Tips for growing: citrus trees need five hours of sun per day.
