With the first month of Summer Reading coming to its end, the time has come to harvest our summer gardens. While it is fun to plant veggies and watch them grow, it also paves the way to make healthier choices. Here in Raceland, our community box garden has been nothing short of a success, being tended by the many children and adult volunteers attending our gardening programs. As our summer at LPPL revolves around fitness and health this season, we can also make conscientious decisions incorporating wellness into a general lifestyle. There are four food crops grown in Raceland Branch’s backyard that the community helped produce:
Cucumbers – The crown jewel climbing our trellis boasts beautiful dark green cucumbers. Cucumbers can be planted all spring and summer long with the later plants making an excellent early fall garden harvest. Upon being planted, cucumbers approximate 70 days until the perfect time for picking. With long wandering vines adorned by the bright yellow flowers, cucumbers can be manipulated to grow in various directions. Trellises can be built in whatever shape to allow the vines to climb, otherwise they will spread out and take over the surrounding area which makes for a dramatic ground cover. Packed with antioxidants, this vegetable has regenerative properties for skin, cools inflammation, and sweetens the breath.
Bell Peppers – Being known for a low caloric value, a cup of chopped bell pepper yields around only 40 calories; in that cup you will also ingest your daily quota of vitamins A and C. This means that bell pepper possesses healthy benefits to boost your immune system as well as alleviate pain. Bell Peppers, also known as sweet peppers, are closely related to their spicy chili cousin. Sweet peppers occur in a wide array of colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, “chocolate”, and purple/black. Each individual variety is unique in vitamin content and flavor, but essentially any pepper is enjoyable either cooked or raw.
Eggplant – Also known as “aubergine,” the iconic dark purple color, eggplants don’t much resemble eggs at all. In fact, eggplants aren’t even technically vegetables—they’re giant berries. The name comes from an ornamental variety that is small, white, and oblong. Originating in India, the aubergine would bear uses in all parts of the plant; boiling the roots and leaves was believed to concoct a panacea for myriad ailments including yet not limited to acid reflux, sore throat, foot pain, internal bleeding, anorexia nervosa, toothache, fatigue, etc. Falling into the blue/purple spectrum of horticulture, it is literally quite natural to expect a vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant packed punch in the eggplant.
Tomatoes – Tomatoes are popular summer garden selections both for their ease of cultivation and practical kitchen usage. Any food or plant scientist would tell you that the tomato is the richest source of lycopene which is responsible for the notorious red skin and flesh. Lycopene is excellent for preventing heart disease and protecting the skin from harmful ultraviolet light thus decreasing the risk of developing skin cancers. Tomatoes, like sweet pepper and eggplant, belong to the nightshade family. Also like the eggplant, tomatoes are technically fruit in nomenclature. Approximately 95% of home gardens in the state of Louisiana contain at least one variety of tomato. Tomatoes may be picked prematurely and will redden when stored beside apples—also, storing them stem down will allow them to keep longer.
PRO TIP: Surround your garden with marigolds to create a natural border and organically control pests.