You Ask, We Answer: What Should I Grow This Month?
We’re ringing in June with our tips for what to plant–veggies and flowers!–in your Connecticut garden this month. From homegrown salad greens to beautifully colored flowers, we’ve curated some of our favorite plantings to get you going and get gardening. And with a little care and the right amount of sun, water, and luck, you’ll not only have a beautiful garden to look at, but to eat from, too!
Wallflowers
Bright, beautiful wallflowers burst into bloom in spring and scatter their brilliant shades throughout summer–ideal for keeping a pop of color going strong through the warm months. These perennial flowers are frequently among the first to bloom, making them an ideal “welcome to summer” celebration among your slower-to-bloom plants.
Foxgloves
Tall and elegant, foxgloves call to mind meandering through an English garden (or maybe that’s just us?). Available in a variety of colors, the bell-shaped flowers on tall stalks are easy to grow and make beautiful cut flowers when you need an indoor pick-me-up. They’re also beloved by pollinators, so you can feel good about planting them to keep bees and butterflies happy. Bonus: Because there is such a variety of foxglove plants, you can choose from myriad colors, light requirements, and even sizes to make them work for your Connecticut garden.
Radishes
Radishes are often an unsung hero of the summer salad. Not only does their red and white (and other color varieties) palette spruce up an otherwise green salad, but their sharp bite and crunchy texture can up the ante on just a simple plate of greens and vinaigrette. Or, you can slice them a bit thicker and serve them as an appetizer with sea salted butter!
However you serve up your radishes, planting them in June can be as easy as scattering their seeds in the soil. An easy, tasty addition to your Connecticut garden!
Lettuce
With the cost of food climbing ever higher, growing lettuce in your garden this summer seems like a practical way to save on your grocery bill. After all, who doesn’t love summer salads for their easy, healthy offerings?
Lettuce comes in so many varieties, and depending on your garden setup, can be grown directly in the ground or in raised beds. Just be sure to check the instructions when buying plants or seeds, as the amount of space you’ll need depends on the variety of the lettuce you’re planting. Pro tip: You can pick the outer leaves of your lettuce to make a fresh salad, and leave the inner leaves to grow for continuous harvesting.
Chicory
Chicory, with its slightly bitter taste and satisfying crunch, makes a delightful addition to summer salads and is ideal for plating up as part of an appetizer for those al fresco dinners we love to host. It’s also easy to grow the radicchio type chicory in bright sun and well-drained soil. You’ll be able to enjoy the fruits (veggies?) of your labor come late summer and early into fall!
Now that June is finally here, take time to plant flowers and veggies that will keep you happy all summer long. A little TLC goes a long way in helping you create a diverse, colorful, and flavorful garden you’ll enjoy every day!