Dear Kosterina Family,
Our favorite part about the weather getting warmer is the plethora of colorful veggies that decorate our dinner table. Our team at Kosterina is always looking for ways to bring healthy living into your everyday lives. And creating an urban or suburban garden is easier than you might imagine.
If you don’t have a lot of space, the simplest way to get started is by growing vegetables in containers (you don't need an entire garden to get going!). This can be done in a variety of ways, from vertical, hanging gardens, to containers on your windowsill.
An herb garden is incredibly simple. Just get a raised bed garden (something like this is what we use in the Kosterina household) and buy your seedlings from Whole Foods! We grow rosemary, Greek oregano, basil, mint, and cilantro. If you’re up for trying some garden vegetables, here are the four easiest (and healthiest) vegetables to grow:
Spinach
Health benefits: Spinach is a versatile leafy green that's packed with vitamins and minerals. It's especially good for your immune system as it's high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and iron.
How to grow it: Growing spinach at home is ideal, because it loves being planted in pots and can tolerate partial shade. Be sure to give it's roots plenty of drainage!
Tomatoes
Health benefits: Tomatoes are a Mediterranean favorite - they're full of a specific antioxidant called lycopene. It's known for reducing heart disease and even certain types of cancers. Plus, they taste delicious!
How to grow them: Tomatoes require a lot of sun (the more sun, the more harvest!). When planting them in pots, be sure to use high nitrogen soil - or you can even put compost, like egg shells, for extra nutrients.
Basil
Health benefits: Basil is an herb that has so many health benefits - from lowering blood pressure to helping your body detox. Among other minerals, it's packed with magnesium, which allows blood vessels to relax.
How to grow it: Just like tomatoes, basil needs about 6 - 8 hours of sun. The best part? Basil grows like magic - if you cut one, two grow back.
Radishes
Health benefits: Radishes are packed with nitrates and Vitamin C. They also have a lot of collagen, which is great for skin and bones.
How to grow it: Radishes are the 'fastest growing' vegetable. Be sure to keep them cool and pick them quickly - that's the most amount of effort you'll need to grow them!
Share photos of your garden with us! We can't wait to see it.
Peace, Love & EVOO,
Katina
