It's Still Not Too Late to Plant

Gardening is one of my greatest personal pleasures. Puttering around in the dirt lowers your blood pressure and relieves stress naturally. Plus, homegrown fruits and vegetables taste much better than those in the store. 

Most people think that you can only start a garden in spring. But as May draws to a close, there are still plenty of vegetables and fruits that you can grow. No garden space? No problem. You can plant most of these beauties in containers on your patio. 

Onions

Onions are a great starter plant. They're just about impossible to kill, they're right at home in any recipe and they store for a long time.

Health Benefits:

• They regulate blood sugar
• The bulbs are rich in Vitamin C
• The stalks are rich in Vitamin A

Onions can go into the ground any time until the first month of June. Plant each bulb so that there's at least 3 square inches around it. If you're using containers, make sure your container is at least 10 inches deep. 

Wherever you plant your onions, make sure they have access to 6 to 7 hours of sunlight per day. If it doesn't rain, they need 2 to 3 inches of water each week. Transplants mature in 2 to 3 months.

Cabbage

Cabbage is another hardy plant. And its leaves have a subtle flavor that's great in salad, soups and a variety of other dishes. Plant a few heads and you can experiment with recipes all summer long.

Health Benefits:

• It's full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Antioxidants
• It's an anti-inflammatory
• It reduces bad cholesterol
• It promotes digestive health

Plant each cabbage seed shallowly -- about 1/2-inch deep. Leave 12 to 18 inches of free soil on all sides of each seeds. For container gardeners, this means roughly one cabbage plant per container of average size. 

Cabbage likes a full day of sun with shade during the hottest part of the day. Give them 2 to 3 inches of water per week when it doesn't rain. They'll be ready to harvest in August when the heads start to split open.

String Beans

One of my favorite memories is sitting around the dinner table, snapping beans with my grandmother. If string beans are a staple in your home, these are a must-grow. You can eat young and tender pods raw in a salad or steam, boil or pan fry mature beans.

Health Benefits:

• They're full of silicon which promotes bone health
• They're high in Vitamins C, K and A
• They're high in antioxidants

Plant each bean 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches away from its neighbor. If this is your first foray into bean planting, I recommend planting a bush variety. They grow wide instead of tall and you don't have to stake them. 

Place your bean plants where they'll receive full sun. Water them with 2 to 3 inches of water per week. They'll be ready in roughly 75 days when when most of the pods are roughly 3 inches long.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are a great plant for small spaces. They don't take up much space and they produce a lot of peppers. You'll have plenty to cook with, play with and preserve for the rest of the season.

Health Benefits: 

• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Reduces "bad" cholesterol
• Helps regulate sugar
• Lutein for healthy eye development and cataract prevention

Dwarf varieties of bell peppers are best for container gardens. Plant dwarf varieties 12 inches apart and regular varieties 16 inches apart. Plant them in a sunny spot and give them 2 to 3 inches of water when it doesn't rain. They'll be ready to harvest in late summer or fall after 60 to 90 days of growing (depending on the variety).

The best time to start accomplishing your goals is now. Starting a garden may not sound like a life-changing project. But if gardening has always been one of your goals, starting one will bring you one step closer to the ideal "you". So get out there and start planting. Don't see any vegetables you like? Late May is also great for watermelon, squash, tomatoes and lima beans. Got any planting tips that you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments section.