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Homegrown Greens: DIY Salad Bowl Planter

Homegrown Greens: DIY Salad Bowl Planter

We love salad at any time of the year, but summer has got to be our favourite time to enjoy one.  All those fresh greens and in-season veggies all at our fingertips makes for a tastier salad experience.  We are so fortunate to live in an area that provides delicious, locally grown produce everywhere we turn, from roadside stands, farmers markets and of course don’t forget Anna’s!  Not only can you stop and get your flower, home decor and gardening needs met here at Anna’s, you can also fill your cart full of yummy produce grown right here in Essex County.  

If you’re like us and have a salad every day as one of your meals, you know that lettuce is always on your grocery list.  Why not grow your own lettuce right at home?  How great would it be to step outside and fill your bowl full of fresh, homegrown greens?  Well, we have the perfect little DIY salad bowl that will not only look beautiful sitting on your patio or deck but will also keep on giving.  Anna’s has everything you need to get this salad bowl made in no time, we offer a great selection of edible greens, planters and potting soil to get you started on your very own mini salad planter.

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 large bowl style planter 
  • Potting soil (we used Lambert potting mix)
  • Your choice of greens

We have chosen to use Kale, Romaine, Spinach, Arugula, Radicchio (a little spicy) and Swiss Chard.  This little DIY planter is great because you can customize it to suit your tastebuds, fill it full of just romaine or mix it up like we did and add a variety of different greens.  

Greens are always a smart and healthy choice, they’re packed full of valuable minerals and vitamins and are among the most nutrient-dense foods with a low calorie count.  It’s perfect for those of us who love a fresh meal that’s jam packed full of a variety of colours and tastes.  Making a salad is always fun, you can get creative or keep it super simple, make it savoury or sweet, or add meat or fish to make it hearty and filling for even the largest appetite.  

This salad bowl DIY is super quick and easy, so you’ll be able to enjoy a fresh bowl of salad right from your back porch in no time at all!  

Let’s get started, here are the steps to complete your very own salad bowl planter:

Step 1:

Fill your planter bowl with dirt, about 3/4 full.  We started with the tallest greens, that being Kale, and placed it in the centre of the bowl.  Dig a hole a little deeper than the soil attached to the Kale plant.  Remove any dead leaves at the base of the plant.  Loosen the roots at the bottom of the plant before planting, this will allow the roots to spread out in all directions and be a good foundation for the plant.  

Step 2:

Decide where you want your other greens placed.  We decided to alternate greens that are taller with greens that have smaller, lower growing foliage, that way it’s visually balanced and gives everyone room to flourish and grow! 

Step 3:

Once you’ve decided where your greens are going, loosen the roots as you plant each one, dig a hole where you want to place your plant and secure it by surrounding it with more soil.  You will need to add more soil as you go to make sure every plant is firmly and securely in its place.  You’ll want to end up with only an inch of space from the soil to the top of your planter bowl.  

Step 4:

Now give those freshly planted greens a big drink of water and place in a sunny location outside.  We’ve placed ours on our back deck, the perfect spot to grow and a convenient location for us to quickly run out, snip some greens into a bowl and start creating a yummy salad.  When cutting off your greens make sure they are between 3-6 inches in length and be sure to leave at least 1 inch above the crown so that the lettuce can continue to grow.

We love that salad is a quick, easy and filling meal that is not only delicious but healthy too.  There are so many different combinations of ingredients that you can use to keep things interesting all summer long.  What are some of your favourite salad combinations?

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