How to grow a smoothie garden

This one is highly subjective to what you like to put in your smoothies. I’m listing as suggestions common smoothie/juicing foods, but obviously, if you find yourself buying something regularly for your smoothies that you can grow in your climate, definitely add it to your planting list!

What to plant:

Strawberries: There are two kinds of strawberries. June-bearing strawberries produce one large crop, (in June!) so you can eat your fill then freeze the excess in small quantities -- perfect for smoothies.

Kale: kale is cousin to the cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. The curly, colorful, nutrient-packed leaves are easy to drop into a blender to add a little vitamin zip to any smoothie. Sow kale seeds in early spring. When plants are established, clip leaves often to encourage new growth.

Blueberries: Blueberries grow on shrubs, producing sweet fruits in late summer. They grow best in full sun, well-drained, sandy, acidic soil. There are two types of blueberries: highbush, a tall shrub that can grow over 6 feet, and lowbush, a shrub that grows about 1 foot tall

Cherries: If you want to grow your own cherries for smoothies, you need a sunny spot -- a place that receives at least six hours of direct sun a day. Sweet cherries need lots of airflow around them; this keeps them free of a disease called brown rot.

Cucumber: Just one cucumber plant produces lots of fruit -- for smoothies, salads, and pickles. Cucumbers come in two types: slicers are long and thin, and picklers are short and bumpy. Set cucumber plants into the ground in a sunny spot.

Honeydew Melon: Honeydew melons have a creamy, white rind and light green or orange flesh. Melons are easy to grow, but require a large space. They love full sun. Plant in early spring after frost danger has passed.

Apples: Although it takes three to five years for a newly planted apple tree to produce apples, it’s worth it. Plant now! Apple trees come in dwarf, semi-dwarf, and full-size heights. Small varieties can be grown in containers.

Mint: Mint is one of the easiest-to-grow herbs. In fact, it is so adaptable, it can become invasive. Best practice: plant your mint in a container. This perennial herb produces lots of flavorful leaves, perfect for adding a refreshing zip to smoothies.

Spinach: Easy-to-grow spinach leaves can be raised in garden beds or containers. This cool-weather crop can be sown in early spring and harvested for weeks. You can pull up plants and use them in smoothies, then replant in cooler weather.

Raspberries: These luscious fruits come in red, purple, black, and yellow. There are two types of plants: summer bearing and fall bearing. Raspberries grow on long, thorny canes, and they can reach up to 6 feet tall. Raspberries are perennials and will come back year after year. Plant in full sun. Zones 4-9

Peaches: Peach trees bear fruit two to three years after planting. Trees flower in spring; flowers develop into fruit that grows bigger throughout the summer. Choose varieties that best suit your zone; some varieties, such as ‘Reliance’ are especially cold hardy.