Edible Gardening

Sunday, May 15th was a very important date in our local gardening world; it was the last freeze/frost date for our area. For me, that means one thing - it's officially time for the edible gardening season to begin! Sure, I've flirted with some early greens (lettuce, spinach and arugla) and my pea seeds have sprouted and are working their way up a trellis, but those are simply warm-ups for the summer vegetables to come.

Here at McArdle's, our outdoor area is fully stocked with fruits, vegetables and herbs that are ready to be planted in your garden beds and containers for summer harvest. We have all the popular standbys such as zucchini, cucumbers and peppers (and of course, tomatoes, in a huge selection of cherry, grape, plum and slicing varieties) in addition to vegetables that might be a little less familiar to the home gardener, many of which are grown organically and by local Westchester and Fairfield county growers. Looking for something new to try? I suggest kale - an easy to grow, prolific producer that has a ton of culinary uses (kale chips are deliciously addictive). Don't have a lot of space? Many veggies can thrive in containers as well as beds if they are given sufficent light and water.

Our herb section is filled to the brim as well, with basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, dill and cilantro, which all grow wonderfully in containers. Want to add a pop of color to your herbs? Nasturtiums are always a great choice and the blossoms are delicious tossed in salads. If you're looking for a more unsual herb, email me at molly@mcardles.com
and I can let you know if it is currently in stock or, if not, if we can order it for you.

Ready to branch out and try something really different this year? We have many fruits in stock and ready to grow, including strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, grape, and rhubarb (my personal favorite) plants as well as fruit bearing trees such as apple, pear, plum and cherry.

If you're still looking for ideas as to what to grow or how to grow it, we've got you covered there, too. Head up to the Garden Shop, where we have a huge selection of books to help you with everything from choosing what variety of tomato to grow (Amy Goldman's The Heirloom Tomato is a true work of art, filled with gorgeous photos as well as valuable tips) to how to grow your edibles organically, to cookbooks filled with delicious recipes.

No matter what your edible gardening needs are, from the plants and seeds (it's not too late!) right down to the dirt and compost you grow them in, we've got you covered here at McArdle's. Stop by and we can help you plan your tastiest - and most productive - garden yet!

Happy planting!