Our nutrition expert Suzanne Farrell shows us that it’s easy to start your own garden and right now DUG is offering a free garden in a box.

Now is a great time to incorporate more colorful fruits and vegetables into the diet that are rich in important vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Foods boasting of all of these are included in the box such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, broccoli, carrots, onions, squash, snap peas, Swiss chard, kale and red cabbage. All the ingredients needed for fresh summer salads, fresh salsa and grilled veggies. Delicious recipes are also included in the box.

DUG has developed “To-Grow Boxes” filled with seeds, starter plants, and educational resources that mobilizes the community to grow more of their own food. 

The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has partnered with DUG to give 500 of these boxes to families facing food insecurity – that translates to 106,000 pounds of food that will be grown locally and increase the resilience of our communities while reducing food insecurity. 

Here are some tips to grow a garden:

Plant seedlings after the danger of frost has passed. The average last frost date in Colorado is May 15th. 

Include flowers to attract beneficial insects, and certain plants – such as green onions and basil – to repel insects. DUG has included a healthy variety like this in the To-Grow Boxes 

Taller growing plants or vines, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, snap peas and beans, are best grown with a trellis, cage or homemade support structure which  allows more sunlight to produce more leaves and a healthier crop. 

For more gardening resources and information on the work DUG is doing in the community, visit DUG.org.