Top Vegetables for your Picnic

With the impact of the last year and a half, it is essential to reconnect with Local Farms in Caledon. And with fall just around the corner, this is an excellent time to visit nature’s produce havens before they close for the season.

Some plants grow together better than others. Often referred to as companion planting, there’s a rhyme or reason to placing vegetables in your garden and on your table. For almost every vegetable, there is likely a beneficial companion plant that will increase soil nutrients, keep away pests and help you get the most from your meal nutrition-wise.

Here’s a list of vegetables perfect for your picnic table or your home garden.

TOMATOES

Tomatoes and basil aren’t just delicious together in sauces. They also benefit one another in the garden. Basil can help tomatoes produce more fruit, and it repels flies and mosquitoes. Marigolds are another good friend to tomatoes, which help keep away other garden pests. Other friends include asparagus, celery, onions, lettuce, parsley and spinach. Be sure your tomatoes are in nutrient-rich soil and get plenty of sunlight.

Picnic table ideas: Take your picnic to the next level with Bite-sized finger food that packs so much flavour in just one bite. Check out the recipe of Pepperoni Basil Tomato Puffs.

PEPPERS

Basil is also a good friend to peppers, as it deters aphids, spider mites, mosquitoes and flies. In some instances, basil may also improve a pepper’s flavour. Other helpful companions for pepper include onions, spinach and tomatoes. Try not to plant your peppers near plants that grow too tall; they’ll end up shading the plants and not allow enough sunshine through.

Picnic table ideas: Ditch the gluten (bread) and get straight to the meat with this simple pepper sandwich recipe, perfect for your outdoor meal. Check out the Full recipe Open Bell Pepper Sandwich.

CUCUMBERS

To repel aphids and beetles, plant marigolds in your cucumber patch. Other friends to cucumbers are beans, celery, corn, lettuce, peas and radishes. Just be sure you leave enough room for your cucumbers to spread in your garden and produce a high yield.

Picnic table ideas: Try these hydrating cucumber popsicles to cool you down on those simmering hot picnic days. Enjoy the Cucumber-Chili Mexican Paletas Recipe.

CARROTS

Growing carrots is a delicate balance of the right amount of sun and enough space to grow. You can even buy seed tape with the seeds perfectly spaced for better results. Because carrots are extremely sensitive to heat, try planting them near tomatoes to provide a bit of shade. Carrots can help their tomato friends by aerating the soil around the roots, allowing more air and water to reach them. Other friends for carrots are leeks, rosemary, sage and chive.

Picnic table ideas: What’s a picnic without a salad? The food network has you covered with a tasty Carrot Salad Recipe just for you.

BEANS

Corn is a helpful crop to plant with beans because the beans grow up the corn stalks, meaning you don’t have to build a trellis! In return, beans will fix nitrogen in the soil, which is beneficial for the corn. Other bean companions include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, peas, potatoes and radishes.

Picnic table ideas: Don’t just take our word for it, try the recipe Picnic Bean Casserole Recipe . Don't let this summer go by without exploring and enjoying all that Caledon has to offer. From farmer’s markets, rolling hills of sunflowers to corn mazes, there is an adventure around every corner. Check out our Caledon Amenities Map to see more of all the exciting places you and your family can visit in Caledon East.