You Ask, We Answer: What Are the Easiest Fruits and Vegetables to Grow This Summer?

Have you been daydreaming about fresh-picked fruits and veggies? With summer’s arrival, it’s easy to understand why. Fresh produce grown in the heat and sunlight of summer bursts with flavor, color, and nutrients. Whether you’re new to gardening or consider yourself a seasoned pro, these easy-to-grow fruits and veggies will be sure to brighten your mealtimes–and your Connecticut home and garden!

Strawberries

It turns out, one of summer’s most-loved fruits is also one of the easiest to grow in your Connecticut garden! That’s great news for strawberry lovers (count us in!), especially with the cost of food soaring this summer. While planting them in the early spring is ideal, you can still try your hand at growing them this month. Strawberries grown in your home garden may look small in comparison to what you see at the store, but you may be surprised at just how much flavor these smaller berries can pack!

Mint

Mint seems made for summer recipes, from watermelon mint salad to lemonade to your favorite refreshing cocktails. Luckily, mint is incredibly easy to grow, either in your garden or a planter with proper drainage.

Mint tends to spread–a lot–so if you don’t want it overtaking your garden, a planter may be the way to go. Just one or two plants will provide you with a surprising yield, and will continue to spread inside your pot. Not only does it taste delicious and look great with its vibrant green leaves, but it also helps keep mosquitos at bay.

Cucumbers

What’s a summer salad without cucumbers? Luckily, cucumbers are relatively easy to grow at your Connecticut home–even for gardening beginners. Go ahead and plant cucumber plants this weekend; you may be surprised to see just how quickly you’ll have cucumbers ready to pick (think 6 weeks!). With the hot weather blanketing Connecticut these days, it’s peak cucumber growing weather. Short on space? Help your plants creep up a trellis so they grow vertically instead of horizontally. You’ll still reap the benefits of home-grown cukes!

Tomatoes

Nothing says summer like tomatoes bursting with the warmth of summer sunshine. You’ll want to plant them with stakes and make sure you water them frequently, but this work will pay off and you’ll be enjoying that homemade caprese salad in no time. Make sure your plants have plenty of direct sunlight, water, and heat–and get ready to sink your teeth into gorgeous and delicious fresh-picked tomatoes at home!