Bonnie Plants

Learn & Grow Library

Tired of Produce Recalls?

The last few years have brought us tainted lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and peppers. You can bypass this by growing your own. Take advantage of winter downtime to plan a garden spot. It can be a raised bed, a bunch of pots, or a larger plot of ground. Now is a good time to plan, gather materials, and work on it as weather allows.

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Bonnie’s Cabbage Program

View 2008 Winners Now!

Winners are posted as they are announced. Check back for frequent updates.

The Cabbage Program is over for this year! Thanks to all the teachers and students who participated and submitted their photos. All photos aren't posted, but many are at the link below.

See what your classmates around the country grew »

Register Your Class Now for the 2009 Cabbage Program.

Why Grow Your Own Vegetables and Herbs?

Planting Veggies

People who have never gardened or those who haven’t in a while are now growing vegetables and herbs for fun, health, and economy.

Garden for freshness and flavor. Most store-bought vegetables can’t match the flavor of homegrown. Vine-ripened tomatoes have fuller flavor, especially varieties for home gardens (not shipping types). Squash is without scratches. Leaf lettuce is perfectly crisp. Basil is fresh and aromatic. The list goes on.
Save on your grocery bill. With so much good produce, you’ll make fewer trips to the grocery store. It’s not just a savings on what you grow, but it’s also what you don’t buy that helps you save. Saves gas, too.
Minimize pesticide exposure. You can grow your own organic produce.
Avoid tainted produce. When veggies are from your own garden, you can rest easy about recalls of tainted produce.
Garden for exercise. Gardening incorporates many important elements of accepted exercise regimes, such as stretching and stance, repetition and movement, and even resistance principles similar to those in weight training. In general, gardening burns about 200 calories an hour!
For your health. A diet rich in vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and may protect against certain cancers. Eating vegetables that are low in calories instead of other higher-calorie food helps cut total calories, too.
It’s social. You’ll have a bounty to share with friends and neighbors. You may also have a chance to introduce a person to how food plants grow.

Are You a New Gardener? If so, read these first.
	Fall Gardens Make Sense Select a Good Site Good Soil Means Good Vegetables These Vegetables Take a Chill So What Happens During a Freeze? How to Grow Lettuce The Secret Life of Broccoli How Much Do I Plant?

Wondering About Our Peat Pots?
Read how to handle transplants grown in peat pots so that they make a seamless transition to your garden. Bonnie Peat Pots are Easy.

P. Allen Smith Talks about Bonnie Peat Pots!
P. Allen Smith recognizes Bonnie Plants' commitment to the environment by using Bonnie Peat Pots in his Garden Home Retreat! Read the whole story...