The last frost of the year just passed, and it’s time to plan– and plant– your 2026 garden. Whether you’re refreshing a raised bed system, sketching up an in-ground plot, or dreaming of a small-space windowsill herb garden, here in the Yakima Valley, there are a few principles to keep in mind when working towards a bountiful harvest that enriches your diet as much as the soil quality.
Practice Companion Planting
Companion planting, also known as cooperative planting, refers to planting multiple different species in the same space. With raised beds, this is the most common way to approach your ideal garden– not only is it a good way to maximize space, but compatible produce can also help each other grow better through providing shade or maintaining soil health.
The Three Sisters of beans, corn, and squash are the most traditional example, with each plant providing a nutrient-based benefit in synergy with each other. Basil and tomatoes are a perfect pair as well. Tomatoes provide natural shade for basil leaves, which are likely to wilt in the full sun that the tomato loves. Basil grows low to the ground, with a maximum height of eight to ten inches, hiding well underneath the usual first batch of tomato flowers. Plus, the flavors are complementary, so you can use your fresh tomatoes and basil together on a homemade pizza or pasta dish.
Other sun-loving companion planting pairs include:
- Radish and cucumber
- Pepper and spinach
- Onion and carrot
- Strawberry and kale
Plant For Consecutive Harvest
Several easy-to-grow vegetables will mature and produce an encouraging harvest several times throughout the season. Keeping an eye– or a note– on your calendar after planting radishes, lettuce, and spinach, and adding a few extra seeds interspersed in your plot every two or three weeks, will set you up for success and a future harvest once your initial crop is finished. Try both early-season and late-season strawberries, which thrive in the Yakima heat, so you can enjoy fresh berries from April through September. Or, if you have a little more space to invest, plant hardy perennials like raspberry bushes, which will give you a bountiful and delicious harvest each year with only a minimal amount of tending.
Focus on Favorites
One of the best ways to approach your garden for sustainable and realistic growth is by looking through your current diet and making small adjustments. Do you currently reach for a simple pasta with red sauce as a weeknight dinner? Plant kale or spinach, and cook them in the sauce before adding it to your pasta throughout the summer. Is jam and yogurt a daily breakfast? Plant berries, such as strawberries, serviceberries, and raspberries, for quick and fresh additions to your yogurt or granola bowls in the morning. Adding zucchini and squash to your garden will set you up for success for quick breads and muffins come harvest time, and planting cucumbers and dill side-by-side makes the perfect starter for homemade pickles.
While a new garden is a great chance to try a new vegetable that you’ve been meaning to incorporate into your diet, it can be hard to remember to care for and harvest the produce if it’s not already a habit.
Specialty Gardens in Yakima
Focusing on a particular group of plants, especially herbs, can yield a wonderful specialty garden with a little care and attention. Planting a combination of lemon balm, mint, and chamomile creates a “tea garden,” whose leaves you can easily harvest, clean (optionally dry for future use), and steep in water for homemade teas. Calendula, echinacea (coneflower), and yarrow are perfect additions to a specialty garden focused on medicinal herbs for healing. “Pizza gardens” highlight basil, parsley, rosemary, and sage, which also helpfully grow well in each other’s company as companion plants.
No matter what direction you plan to take your garden this season, start small and have fun. Take farm-to-table to the next level this season here in the Yakima Valley, as your next harvest of fresh and local produce is waiting!
