I may be a photographer by trade, but I’m a major gardening hobbyist, too! In this blog, I’m sharing my top 5 foods you can grow at home in Portland Oregon, even as a busy mom with very little time!
Before I had children, when I had a full-time office job, I started a garden, only to completely neglect it as soon as I became a mom. I simply had no extra time after working to take care of my premature baby and deal with pruning tomatoes and canning the fruits of any labor I could muster up. Oh, and I started a photography business around that time, too. Full plate.
After a few years of neglect, I finally turned my overgrown beds into a nearly self-sufficient garden that would provide enough produce to make *a little* work worth it. Now days, I have a much bigger garden, but these plants are still some of my best staples for low work input yet really decent output!
1. Blueberries
Blueberries are SO easy to grow in our PNW climate. Plant in partial shade/sun and give it ample water for the first year or two. Fertilize 1-2 times a year if you can, early spring and late spring, and then watch your yield grow year over year! My kids are blueberry monsters, and they love running out to grab fresh berries every morning.
2. Delicata Squash
I can only eat so much butternut squash…most squashes to be fair. I’m good after one zucchini meal for the year. But Delicata? Different story. Sliced and roasted in EVOO with seasonings and parm…it’s in our regular rotation. I grow this squash because, like all squash, it does take up space, but the benefits are worth it! Super easy to grow, and even better, when the squashes are ripe you just pick them, let them sit outside for a week to cure, and then store them away in a cabinet. Check every so often for any squashes that go soft in your storage and eat those right away. It’s May and we’re just finishing up our harvest from last September! Easy growing, easy storage. Lots of delicious delicata for dinners!
3. Rosemary
I love fresh herbs. But I don’t grow the ones that are a waste of space in relation to how often we eat them. I’m not wasting my energy home gardening watering every week imagining I’ll make fresh mojitos every week (although that sounds luxurious it just doesn’t happen). Rosemary is a cooking staple for me, and the hardest part of growing it here in Oregon is keeping it pruned down every few years to the size you want.
4. Thyme
Just like Rosemary, fresh thyme is a cooking staple! I’m using them both multiple times a week in meat rubs, marinades, and soups. So fresh and delicious, and so easy to maintain and actually use. I now plant and use lots of other fresh herbs but in my humble opinion, they all require a bit more maintenance and aren’t quite as hardy as Rosemary and Thyme. I love it that they stick around for me to cut and use all year, even in the winter when I’m making soups frequently!
5. Strawberries
The secret to easy strawberries? Pick a variety that grows well in our area! My favorite is Mary’s Peak, and I have purchased them here online from this Washington State based nursery that specializes in PNW fruit varieties. Plant as many as you can and within a few years, you’ll be able to feed those blueberry monsters of yours, who, if they’re anything like mine, are probably also strawberry monsters!
I wish you all very delightful and tasty gardening this summer! Make sure to let me know if you decide to plant something new on my recommendation so that we can be garden nerds together!
Happy home gardening and mothering, friends!
Emilie
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