Summer Plants.

LEMON VERBENA

Aloysia citriodora; Verbenaceae
(vervain family)

Why grow it. The lemon scent of the bright green leaves is like nothing else in the garden, and the leaves can be used to make herbal teas, flavoursome cocktails and even ice-cream. The tiny white blooms make lovely cut flowers. You can let it grow naturally or keep it shaped to fit in your garden. If you want to try to propagate lemon verbena yourself, the plants will grow from softwood cuttings taken in spring.

Where to grow it. A location in full sun is best, as this will bring out the oils in the leaves. It will grow up to 3 metres (10 feet) high in the right spot, for example in a sunny garden bed or a pot that’s protected from the wind.

When to grow it. Find it at your local nursery in the herb section. It is often sold at seedling size and will grow quite quickly during the warm season.

How to harvest. Cut off a handful of stems as you need them, always keeping in mind the shape of the growing plant. You can also keep a bunch of these stems in a vase inside, so you can use the leaves for tea; the fragrance of the leaves will fill your home. You can crown lift the shrub to allow more room underneath to grow other plants, if space is limited in your garden. Just cut off all the growth from down low on the trunk and keep the top bushy.

MINT

Mentha species; Lamiaceae
(mint family)

Why grow it. Mint species are perennial herbs that grow best during spring and summer. Common mint, peppermint, native mint and spearmint are some of the mint species that I like to have in the garden. Taste a leaf at the nursery to see if you like it first. You can also grow mint plants easily from a stem with roots attached (a stolon).

Where to grow it. Keep mint in a good-sized pot or planter box, and it will grow into a lovely fragrant specimen with easy-to-pick leaves. This will also keep it from spreading through the garden.

When to grow it. Grow mint in spring or summer from seed, seedlings or cuttings. They are herbaceous perennials, meaning they live more than a year but the above-ground leaves and stems die down in autumn or winter and reshoot in spring. Just cut back any dead or woody stems during winter.

How to harvest. Mint needs to have its leaves constantly cut back to keep the plant bushy and thick and to prevent it flowering and going to seed too quickly.

CHILLI

Capsicum species; Solanaceae
(nightshade family)

Why grow it. You can grow a variety of different chillies – habanero, jalapeño, cayenne, bird’s eye … the list goes on – and the heat/pungency rating of each is measured on the Scoville scale. The flavour changes as they ripen, so pick your chillies as they change colour and enjoy the heat. For me personally, the habanero is way too hot. We use cayenne for cooking, and the mild jalapeños I can eat straight off the plant. We harvested about 300 jalapeños from our last plant; the more you pick, the more they fruit.

Where to grow it. Pots are fine, but place them in full sun if possible. The size of chilli plants varies, but make room for a shrub up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) wide. You can grow chillies as annuals or perennials in warmer climates. The first year seems to be the most prolific for us.

When to grow it. Plant chillies in spring. Buy seeds and have a go at germinating some yourself indoors where it’s warm, then transplant them once the weather warms up.

How to harvest. Cut off the fruits with scissors, and use them either fresh or dried. Keep harvesting to encourage new flowers and fruits.

BEAN

Phaseolus vulgaris; Fabaceae
(legume family)

Why grow it. Summertime means beans. If you have space, you can grow bush bean varieties; if space is limited, however, you can grow climbing beans. A great thing about beans is that they are nitrogen fixers, which means they put nitrogen back into the soil.

Where to grow it. You need to provide a trellis or similar for your climbing bean tendrils to wrap around and clamber up. Full sun with good airflow around the vine is ideal. Plant your rows running north–south, so the sun can shine between the rows as it arcs across the sky. You can plant other taller-growing crops like this, too.

When to grow it. Grow beans from seed. Plant them in spring, when the soil temperature rises above 15°C (59°F).

How to harvest. The more you pick, the more they’ll fruit! Constant picking of climbing beans will encourage more growth. Generally, bush beans will be ready almost all at once. Try succession planting if you have the space. You can use the young leaves and tendrils of climbing beans as a garnish.

BASIL

Ocimum basilicum; Lamiaceae
(mint family)

Why grow it. Sweet basil is just one of the many varieties used in cooking. You could also try growing Thai basil, lemon basil or holy basil (tulsi). Most basil types have green or purple foliage and are best grown as an annual for their fresh, new leaves. The perennial basil you might have seen at the nursery is not really edible and is better grown as an ornamental bee-attracting plant.

Where to grow it. Basil is a tropical plant, so it loves the sun and heat. It does well in pots and garden beds alike. Plant a single seedling so it has room to grow into a compact bush up to 1 metre (3 feet) tall.

When to grow it. Plant in spring and summer, and keep cutting off the flower buds to encourage bushier growth. The flowers also reduce the taste of the leaves, so this is another good reason to reach for the scissors.

How to harvest. Snip off flower tips, cutting just above where the small stems or leaves protrude from the main stem. This promotes lateral growth, making for a bushier plant. Don’t include the flower buds in your salads or cooking, as they are bitter.

PARSLEY

Petroselinum crispum; Apiaceae
(carrot family)

Why grow it. I think this is the most common annual/biennial herb I see growing in home gardens. It is one of the most versatile ingredients, as it adds a fresh flavour to salads, sauces, pastas and more.

Where to grow it. Ideally, plant parsley in a spot with half-day sun to full sun. It will develop a large taproot in its second year of growth, so it will benefit from being grown in deep soil.

When to grow it. Spring and autumn are the prime times to grow it. Most novice gardeners have success with seedlings, but make sure you separate the seedlings carefully and plant them individually. Seeds tend to take three to six weeks to germinate in the right conditions.

How to harvest. Cut the outside stems from the rosette base. You can cut out the centre stem later if it’s going to flower – this will give you a little more sideways leaf growth around the base.

CUCUMBER

Cucumis sativus; Cucurbitaceae
(pumpkin family)

Why grow it. These beauties are easy to grow from seed in summer, once the soil reaches 20°C (68°F). You can expect to get around 15 fruits per vine if you’re growing the Lebanese (short) variety. Try smaller types, such as ‘Lemon’ or ‘Mini White’, for pickling whole.

Where to grow it. They will happily sprawl along the ground, but training your cucumbers to climb up a trellis allows for good sun and airflow, while also freeing up the ground for other plants. Full sun is ideal, as shade and moist leaves can encourage powdery mildew. Cucumbers are best grown in the ground or a deep planter box.

When to grow it. Spring and summer are the prime times to grow it. Keep planting seeds while the soil is warm to maintain your supply of cucumbers.

How to harvest. You’ll be busy plucking these guys off the vines, so if you have an abundance just eat them raw as you’re working in the garden.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Solanum melongena; Solanaceae
(nightshade family)

Why grow it. The eggplant comes from the same family as the tomato, and it’s a common crop to grow during spring and summer. Baked miso eggplant and smoky baba ghanoush (see here) are a couple of our favourite recipes featuring eggplants. Prepare to get a few kilograms of fruits off each plant if it’s the popular ‘Long Purple’ variety!

Where to grow it. Grow the plant in the garden or in a deep pot in full sun. The branches will probably need to be staked to hold the weight of the fruits.

When to grow it. The plant will need four or five months to grow, flower and produce ripe fruits, so get it into the soil during spring for summer harvesting.

How to harvest. Eggplants feel slightly soft when they’re ripe and ready to pluck from the bush.

TOMATO

Solanum lycopersicum; Solanaceae
(nightshade family)

Why grow it. As a kid, I would play among rows of Mum’s giant tomato plants. I distinctly remember the smell of the leaves, as well as seeing the red fruits ripening in the summer heat. However big your space, you can probably manage to grow either some cherry tomatoes in a pot, a short and bushy variety that will stand alone or, if you’ve got a bit more space, the larger varieties that grow more like a vine and will need staking. Unless you’ve found a good supplier of tomatoes at the local farmers’ market, nothing compares to the taste and texture of homegrown, vine-ripened tomatoes. Try growing heirloom varieties for their various colours, wonderful textures and better flavour.

Where to grow it. Tomatoes love sunny open spaces, pots, planters and raised beds. Indeterminate varieties (which are usually the vine types that you need to train and stake) keep on producing fruits until winter, so you’ll have an ongoing supply throughout most of the year. Determinate varieties (which are usually the shorter, bushier types) will have a big flush of fruits at the end of the season, and their size makes them better for smaller spaces. Avoid watering the leaves, as this encourages fungal problems – just one of the many diseases that can afflict tomatoes. You can buy books dedicated to the identification and management of pests and diseases if you feel like being more in control of the culprits.

When to grow it. If you want delicious-tasting, unique varieties, buy seeds online or see what heirloom tomatoes are for sale at your local markets or nursery. Plant them in spring and early summer. Tomatoes found in supermarkets are hybrids that have been bred for transportation and longevity – hard and tasteless fruits are usually the result of this sort of commercial plant breeding. Tomatoes aren’t supposed to be as hard as apples!

How to harvest. Let the fruits ripen on the plant – they will usually fall off in your hand with a light twist. Tomatoes will also ripen once inside if for some reason you need to take them off the vine early (perhaps it’s the end of season and they aren’t getting any riper outside). Place them with some bananas or in a paper bag to speed up the ripening process.

ZUCCHINI (COURGETTE)

Cucurbita pepo; Cucurbitaceae
(pumpkin family)

Why grow it. This is a super-quick grower – you’ll be harvesting your zucchini just eight to twelve weeks after planting seeds. ‘Black Beauty’ is an easy-to-grow variety – just remember to give it plenty of room to ramble along the ground, as it will easily cover 1 square metre (11 square feet) of space.

Where to grow it. I find that allowing these plants to grow over the edge of a raised bed gives you space to grow other food in the bed while the zucchini ripen on the ground below. Any large expanse of sunny space is a good place to let your plants go wild. Remember, cucumbers climb but zucchini such as ‘Black Beauty’ are ground dwellers. Avoid wetting the leaves too much, as this can cause fungal growth. Make an organic spray to prevent fungal problems by mixing one part milk to ten parts water, and spray it over the leaves.

When to grow it. Starting in spring, plant seeds every six to eight weeks for a continual supply over the warm season.

How to harvest. Smaller zucchini are better for eating than the bigger ones. It’s tempting to try to grow a record-breaker, but it might just end up in the compost.