Whether you just purchased one of the new Dallas townhouses for sale and hope to plant a container garden on your porch, or you have a big backyard where you’ve been growing a garden for years, you might want to consider growing one or more of these super plants this year.
Super Plants to Grow in Your Garden this Year
1. Basil
You’re probably quite familiar with basil, especially if you’re a cook, as it can be used in a wide variety of dishes and you’ll be able to take advantage of its fantastic flavors simply by walking out your door and picking a few leaves. Even better, if the warmer weather of spring and summer brings out the mosquitos in your area, you can use it as a natural repellent. It gives off a scent that repels them with the leaves having to be touched or crushed.
One 2011 review published in the Malaria Journal revealed that essential oils from basil leaves provided a very high level of mosquito protection, as much as 100 percent. As it emits an aroma without having to crushing the leaves, you can grow it in pots, placing them strategically in your garden or yard to control mosquitoes.
2. Siberian Chives
Similar to ordinary chives, Siberian chives have beautiful mauve flowers and a buttery onion taste that add flavor and color to a salad. In an herb garden they provide bursts of color for months, and the round, purple flowerheads attract butterflies and bees to help it thrive. The scent of the foliage manages to deter pests as well. When they’re ready to harvest, use them like you would other chives, adding them to a salad, soup, potato dish or Mexican cuisine and you’ll enjoy a wealth of benefits, including an immune system boost while supporting good vision and heart health.
3. Kale
Kale has become one of the most popular super foods, so if you’re not growing it in your garden, it’s time to do so now. It’s one of the best vegetables for fighting off free radicals that are associated with diseases like arthritis, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Dinosaur kale, also known as Lacinato kale, has a wonderfully mild, sweet flavor, especially when it’s harvested at a younger age, and tastes great in soups.
4. Peppers
If you only have a small space or you have a container garden, peppers are one of the best plants to grow. They do especially well in containers and don’t require as much water as many others, like tomatoes. They like sun, but not too much so they’re best placed in an area that receives filtered sunlight throughout the day, or morning sun. It comes in a wide range of colors and flavors that make them fun to use in many dishes while providing all sorts of health benefits, including lowering the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.
5. Echinacea
One of the most popular medicinal herbs as a super immune booster, echinacea is famous for fighting colds. In fact, in Germany, tinctures, extracts, salves, ointments, and other forms of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia are often used to boost the immune system against certain viral and bacterial invaders, uses all backed by extensive research.
Echinacea purpurea, or Purple Coneflower, is the most commonly used, with seeds and plants readily available in most seed houses and nurseries. Growing it also creates a gorgeous display of color, especially when it’s planted among shorter perennials, with the pink, purple and white flowers standing above other foliage.
