Happy first day of spring! One of the best times of the year (in our opinion) is springtime. Although we are located in California, it does get chilly here too (I can almost hear the back easterners and Midwesterners guffawing). In any case, things are getting warmer and greener all over the country, and it's the perfect time to start planting some veggies.

Growing a veggie garden not only provides you with fresh, organic food, it's also a great family activity that young children can help with. It gets everyone outside breathing the fresh air, and it teaches kids where their food comes from - it doesn't just magically appear on grocery store shelves! 

"But wait!" you might be saying. "What if we don't have a garden?" That's okay. Most of these veggies you can grow right in a pot! Read on to find out what to plant now and if your veggies need a garden or if a pot will do.

Greens

Start planting your spinach, lettuce, and kale. All three of these greens like cooler weather, so you want to start now, before it gets too hot. In milder climates you might be able to grow them right through the summer. Spinach and kale especially are full of vitamins, and kale is even known to be a superfood. All three of these leafy greens can be grown outside in a garden or in a pot on your apartment balcony.

Carrots

Carrots are the perfect snack! Full of Vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium and more, they're easy to grab and go, or to make a fun snack with, like ants on a log (spread peanut butter over one side and put raisins on top!) Plant these in your garden or in a container at least 12 inches deep. These veggies can be harvested in 30 days, no joke.

Radishes

Radishes are rich in antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium. These little guys are easy to grow in a pot, so you can have fresh radishes wherever you live. They are one of the fastest growing vegetables, ready to harvest in about 24 days. This makes them ideal to teach your kids about growing food. Plant the seeds with your little ones, and 24 days later share the magic of pulling out a whole vegetable from the dirt!

Tomatoes

Ah, the tomato. A staple in any vegetable garden. They're tasty, packed with Vitamin A and C as well as potassium, and they can be cooked and eaten in so many ways. Tomatoes can be grown in the garden or in a pot, but either way they'll need a tomato terrace for support (tomatoes are heavy!) If you live in a cold area, start growing them from seeds in starter pots indoors about six weeks before the ground thaws. Then move them outside to the garden or to a bigger pot.

Squash

Squash are excellent for a home garden. They're healthy and tasty and they thrive in the early spring months. There are many kinds of squash to choose from - zucchinis, butternut squash, yellow crookneck squash, cucumbers - and so many ways to eat them. Put them in your pasta sauce, bake them into a casserole, make butternut squash soup! Keep in mind that these guys are not ideal to grow in pots. Rather, you'll want to have enough space to plant them at least a couple feet apart since they like to spread out as they grow.

Beets

Beets are high in fiber and potassium and low in calories. They can be grown indoors or outdoors as long as they have about a foot of space below them for their roots to spread out. As seeds, you'll want to plant them in clusters an inch deep and an inch apart from each other. They are best to harvest between 40 and 80 days of growth, at which point they should be a little bigger than golf balls. Beets are great in salads or making delicious and nutritious juices.

Have fun everyone! We hope your gardening adventures bring you lots of familial bonding time and yummy, healthy foods.