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Diabetes Friendly Allotment or Vegetable Patch - What to grow?

OK, here's a summary so far :)

There is some crossover with "salad" veg and "normal" veg, but I have only mentioned the items once.

Salad veg:
Lettuce
Radish
Cucumber (Marketmore)
Cherry Tomato
Tomato (Gardeners' Delight or Sungold)

Veg
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Kale
Swiss Chard
Summer Squash
Courgette
Garlic

Low Sugar Fruits
Raspberry
Strawberry
Blackberry
 
DaveH2 said:
Today was my first day volunteering at a new community garden.

There are volunteers that have been there for months and work clearing the ground is progressing. As part of my initiation, I was given a tour around the plot of land and there is space allocated for a pond, a picnic area, a wildlife zone etc., etc.

The part I was clearing is earmarked for being a vegetable plot. I jokingly said they should have a section that is "diabetes-friendly" and the leader of the project thought it was a brilliant idea and now part of the veg plot is to be designated as the diabetes area!

It is a community garden and after it opens to the public, schools will visit to tend the veg plot as well as the rest of the garden.

So, here's a question for the green-fingered out there! What veg should go in the plot, taking into account that it needs to be diabetes-friendly and can be easily looked after by school children?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Chickens?
 
Tipetoo said:
Oregano
Marjoram

I think they need somewhere warmer to grow though...
Click to expand...

Might be a bit too tricky if they need to stay in a greenhouse - there will be a greenhouse and I'm sure someone will grow some, but maybe not in my "diabetic plot" :)
 
I would vote for mangetout. Easy to grow. Lower carb than peas. Versatile, can be eaten raw in salad, (if you manage to get home without eating them all) added to stirfrys and steamed as a side dish. AND expensive to buy.
Could try celariac too. But think that might be prone to pests.
 
Tipetoo said:
Oregano
Marjoram

I think they need somewhere warmer to grow though...
Click to expand...
Marjoram was growing wild all over my garden in uk. Died back in the winter, some survived, others didn't, but new plants appeared self seeded.
Basil won't make it through the winter, will need to be grown from seed each year. Good introduction to the concept of hardy or annual plants. Thyme and sage for contrast are perennials.
 
I'd add gooseberries, black & red currants and rhubarb to my list of suitable fruit; and have a minimum of three varieties of raspberries to cover early, mid and late season crops. (I used to do this but it's so long since I've been "allowed" to grow fruit, I can't remember which ones I had, but try here for lists. Blueberries can be grown - possibly in tubs if soil conditions aren't right. And how about some tiny Alpine strawberries for the children?

Black/moroccan mint or peppermint for mint teas. Growing mint in a tub would prevent it from rampaging...

And don't forget the Brussels sprouts!!:D

Robbity
 
Also, dont grow everything from seed. Talk to local garden centres and see what they could donate. I did a school garden like this. Alongside planting seeds we planted plants like courgettes (although these are easy to grow from seed ) and broccoli as we needed instant green things for the children to see too!
 
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