How to Create a Prepper Garden: The Best Veggies & Herbs to Grow

Preppers garden

Parsnips and mizuna

I'm going to start with my favorite prepper vegetable garden bed at the moment which includes parsnips that are absolutely huge. I also have some mizuna, which looks like it's going to flower a little bit, but that's okay, they're still edible.

Lettuce and pumpkins

Plus, I have some lettuce, which is doing marvelously, and some tiny pumpkins growing too, both of which are some of the best vegetables for a prepper garden.

I did cover this bed with mesh because I keep having birds nibbling on all the leaves. Yes, the leaves, believe it or not.

Gooseberries, blackcurrants, and redcurrants

I've got gooseberries that are doing absolutely brilliantly. And I've got both blackcurrants and redcurrants.

Curly leaf parsley and squash

I had curly leaf parsley, and it's now going to seed, so I'm going to let it seed by itself. And I have some squash. The idea is that they're going to be trailing up the top, going all the way around, and creating a little bit more shade in this area.

Carrots and rocket

I also have a carrot bed, and the carrots are coming up great. However, I have a lot of rocket that has invaded this space as well. I planted the rocket in the corner, but obviously, it has self-seeded.

And to be fair, guys, my motto is if it wants to grow there, I'm just going to let it grow there. Funnily enough, I tried seeding rocket in a different bed, and it barely came up.

Kohlrabi 

I've also got some kohlrabi that's going to go somewhere, and leftover pumpkins that I'm intending to climb somewhere.

Oregano, beetroot, and lemongrass

I've got some oregano. My beetroots are not doing that well, to be fair. And I have a lemongrass plant grown from the shop. Lemongrass grows the same way as normal clumping grass. It just creates little things underneath it and just comes up. And obviously, you eat the bottom part as well.

Ginger

Guys, I'm growing ginger, and this is my first year's attempt. It’s grown ginger from the shop, so we'll see how it goes.

Herb bed

On the other side of my garden, I have an herb bed that has filled out nicely. Oregano is taking over, but I love cooking with it in the winter, so I have no problem with this whatsoever. I have sage that's filling out a bit. I have a lot of mint that's also filled out. I have bay leaf and some chives. I've got lemon thyme and normal thyme.

French beans and peas, Tomatoes and corn, and strawberries

In the middle, I put some French beans and peas. And in another bed, I've got tomatoes and corn. Then there are my strawberries. They seem to be doing lovely. There's not a huge amount of them, but they are doing okay.

Onions and oyster mushrooms

We also have a bunch of onions. They're doing okay considering it's a bit shady. And I have a bunch of mushrooms. At the moment, I am testing out oyster mushrooms.

Broad beans and potatoes, raspberries and peonies, and bay leaves

And all of the herbs and plants are intermingling, including my broad beans and potatoes. Plus, I have my raspberries with peonies. And I've got bay leaf that's not doing so well there.

Preppers greenhouses

I've covered both of the greenhouses with camouflage netting because it's so hot, and we've been having this heat wave for such a long time.

Cucumbers and rocket

I've got a couple of cucumbers and rocket in between. They're doing a bit crap to be fair.

Peas

However, I’ve got store-bought peas that are probably pushing about 35 inches in height right now. And the flowers are only starting to appear.

Cucumbers, basil, lettuce, peppers, cabbage, and broccoli

I've also got cucumbers that are going to be potted up very soon in big pots, and they're going to go in the ground. I have basil, which I'm going to separate really soon. I've got some lettuce that's going to be going outside. I've got leftover peppers. I've got some cabbages and some sprouting broccoli.

Peas

So, on to the second greenhouse. There I have peas that are literally half the size, and they have started to flower already. I have our abandoned corn. We've got an IBC tank in there too connected to the chicken coop.

Marigolds and chili peppers

This greenhouse is slightly chillier because of the shade from the chicken coop. I've got some marigolds that I planted up which are going to be going outside to fill up the gaps. And I have a few chili peppers, which are really, really small. I'm kind of a bit disappointed, but they are all right. Hopefully, they will catch up.

Sweet peppers and leeks

I also have normal sweet peppers. Again, they're pretty tiny at the moment, so I'm not sure whether they’re going to make it this year or not. And, yes, I have some leeks.

Starting a preppers garden

Starting your own preppers garden from scratch is a great way to grow your own food. Keeping in mind every fruit, vegetable, and herb you may need, simply jump right in, get planting, experiment a bit, and cultivate your skills from year to year.

Remember, you won’t be an expert the very first year, but over time you will learn so much from growing a prepper garden. Share your thoughts on growing food for self-sufficiency below.