Our Spanish vegetable garden

Since we moved to Spain in the Fall, we had all winter to think about a garden. Shortly after settling in, we realized that Spanish produce is delicious, and everything local is so much fresher, tastier, and less processed than what we were used to in American grocery stores. Even though I grew up on a farm with a pretty good sized vegetable and flower garden, we never planted a garden in North Carolina, because we always had a baby or toddler who would most likely destroy it. But this year, we decided it was time to plant some vegetables and teach the kids a little about gardening. 

Because our yard (on base) has a sprinkler system in the front and back, we didn't want to till the ground ad hit any pipes. So my husband started doing research into container gardening. It did cost a little upfront to acquire the containers, but it also gave us a portable garden that we can move in or out of the sun, and bring into the garage to shelter it on windy days. We bought most of the pots and containers at the local garden store, Viveros El Lago, just outside the Puerto gate. They have a wonderful selection of the beautiful painted Spanish pots and containers, but the plain terra-cotta and plastic containers are more affordable. You can also get creative and use or recycle local materials.  For example, this lettuce bed is made out of 2 pallets stacked on each other, and with a weed-blocking tarp nailed to the bottom.  We picked up the pallets for free, and can reuse them next year. The bamboo that formed a greenhouse frame was also cut down for free. When draped with plastic sheeting, it blocked the wind from our young plants.

We planted throughout the month of April. Tomatoes and some lettuce were purchased as saplings. But the herbs, green beans, asparagus, and other lettuce we planted as seeds. Everything had to be inside at first, since April was still too cold, windy, and rainy to leave seedlings out overnight. As the weather improved, we re-potted, and put the plants outside.They still needed to be watered several times a day, but they benefited from the sunlight. We kept plastic covers or boxes over the smallest sprouts, so that they could be warm in their makeshift greenhouse, and not be blasted by the continual winds that come off the ocean.

We were able to start harvesting much more quickly than I expected. Throughout May, the cherry tomatoes ripened each week, and we had enough lettuce to make salads. By June, everything was producing: tomatoes, green beans, peppers, lettuce, cucumber, and herbs. We water the plants every day, (in the evening) and feed them Miracle Grow approximately every other week. My husband put wheels on cheap metal carts and some extra lumber planks, so that we can quickly wheel the plants into or out of the sunlight, depending how much they need and how quickly they dry out.

So now we always have an assortment of cherry tomato colors to enjoy. The kids love watching for the tomatoes to ripen so they can pick the red ones. I put them in salads, use them to top eggs or chicken dishes, or just eat them warm off the vine. Home-grown tomatoes taste so different from those in the store. They actually have flavor and taste like, well, tomatoes! In addition to the cherry tomatoes, we also grew plum and black tomato plants. We were surprised how tall they grew, and how quickly! For some reason, tomato cages do not seem to be used in southern Spain, so my husband drilled holes into the plastic planters, and fixed pieces of bamboo in each corner, with marshmallow skewers tied across for support. It works very well, but next year we know to build them much higher.

Spanish cucumbers are different from English cucumbers, and are the kind more commonly found in grocery stores. We only have 1 plant because the toddler uprooted the other 3. But so far, that has been the only casualty of raising a garden around children. The cucumbers are very fresh and delicious, wonderful in gazpacho soup!

The lettuce and onions in the pallet bed have really grown! The pallets are shallow, so only certain plants can grow here, but lettuce is a great choice. We have enough to make fresh salads almost every day. It regrows after being picked, so we should continue to have fresh salads all summer. Our 5-year-old daughter is thrilled that she is responsible enough to be sent outside and cut the green onions or the lettuce leaves herself, without supervision. I just tell her what I need, and she comes back beaming. :-)

The pepper plants we found at the local greenhouse are guernica peppers, which are small and green like a jalapeno, but not nearly as spicy. I like to use them in place of jalapenos in salsa, but my husband will put them on sandwiches and salads for some extra zing. It is wonderful to be growing almost all the ingredients I need to make fresh salsa any time. We noticed that the ants swarm all over the pepper plants in particular, but they don't seem to hurt the plants. You can use a non-toxic peppermint spray to keep them away without getting insecticides on your dinner.

The green beans pictured here are bush beans. We also wanted to plant pole beans and make a tent/tepee out of the plants, but maybe we will save that project for next summer. These plants produce a few handfuls of beans every week or so, which I throw into stir fry or roasted dishes. I love being able to pick ingredients for dinner, and my children like helping with the garden too. It has been a fun and rewarding summer project! Even if you move to another country, I encourage you to check out the garden stores, buy local seeds, and see how they taste!