What to Plant in Your Treasure Valley Garden
There is nothing quite like walking outside and gathering fresh herbs, vegetables, and flowers from your own backyard. Gardening in the Treasure Valley can be incredibly rewarding, but it comes with its own set of lessons and best practices. After years of trial and error, we have found a few key things that make all the difference.
What We Have Learned Along the Way
Consistent irrigation is everything. Our climate demands steady watering, and relying on just one source is not always enough. Living in a subdivision with irrigation water provided and maintained by an outside agency, we have learned that pumps malfunction and pipes break. We’ve learned to have a backup plan in case county water supply is delayed or unreliable.
Let the garden have a say. Sometimes plants thrive in unexpected ways. Staying open and adjusting to what your garden wants to do makes the whole process more enjoyable. Letting some of our plants go to seed last year resulted in unexpected yet beautiful patches of parsley carpeting out walkways.
Do not overcrowd. It is tempting to pack everything in, but plants need space to breathe, grow, and produce. For example, when lettuce is planted too tight, it grows tall instead of bushy, and often blocks the sun from getting to neighboring plants.
Create a space to enjoy. The garden is not only about what you grow, it is about making a space where you want to spend time, relax, and enjoy the beauty of what you have built. We put chairs and a small table in ours and now we enjoy our morning coffee in them almost daily.
What We Planted This Year
Everything below came from Zamzows for our raised bed garden. These are varieties and products we have had success with. Save this list for your next nursery trip.
Plant nutrient:
Herbs:
Mint (in its own container!!!)
Italian Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Basil
Vegetables:
Radish seeds
Lemon Crisp or Armenian cucumbers
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes (our faves!)
Yellow squash
Zucchini (produces, but can be a bully)
Jalapeño peppers
Green peppers
Slicer tomatoes
Lettuce head varieties
Pickling cucumbers
Sugar snap pea seeds
Vining green beans
Flowers:
Zinnias
Calendula
Nasturtiums
Petunias
Bee Friend
Marigolds
Hanging pots
Final Thought
A Treasure Valley garden is as much about the experience as it is about the harvest. With good soil, reliable water, thoughtful planning, and a little flexibility, you will not only enjoy great yields, you will grow a place to gather, rest, and enjoy the seasons.
