Herbs, Vegetables & Fruits
Wide variety of edible plants to add color and flavor to your table.
We pride ourselves on our selection of high quality herbs, vegetables, and fruit (including numerous varieties of tomato and basil plants, melons, peppers, savory herbs, and spices, as well as many varieties of lettuces, kales, and even citrus trees).
Most of our plants come from local growers, many of whom grow exclusively for us, allowing us to offer a selection that uniquely reflects the diverse tastes of the Chicago community.
Edible plants we stock
While our edible plant list changes from year to year, the quality of our material does not. Supplies may not last, especially post-Father’s Day, so call ahead if you are interested in something specific.
Vegetables
Enjoy our variety of cherry and regular tomatoes, hot and mild peppers, lettuces, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and more.
herbs
Available in both premade herb planters and individual herb starters. Rosemary, mint, basil, parsley, sage, thyme, lemongrass, catnip, citronella, and more.
fruits
A select number of fruits are located in the Herbs and Veg yard – Fruit trees are available in the Gethsemane Tree & Shrub Department. Citrus trees and bushes can be found in the Gethsemane Greenhouse.
Custom Herb and Vegetable Containers
We offer both fully custom container designs as well as seasonally changing ‘ready-made’ containers, created to thrive in your unique outdoor environment.
Visit or call us to get started.
Is this your first time planting a container? Before you head to Gethsemane, read over our downloadable container gardening guide. It will assist you in selecting the perfect flowers, edibles, and containers for your space.
Herb and Vegetable Resources
Select fruit and vegetable care guides
useful external links
For information on our local zone hardiness – see the USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Zone Map
For help with planning your edible garden:
- The Old Farmer’s Almanac has an updated Frost Chart available online as well as list of the best dates for planting transplants in our region and the current spring planting dates for Chicago. – Please note that these are approximate dates derived from previous weather patterns and the location of the moon. The Old Farmer’s Almanac estimates that these dates are about 50% accurate, but should provide you with some general guidance.
- Seed Savers Exchange has a very helpful garden planner available for a modest yearly subscription fee of $25.
- Johnny’s Seeds supplies a number of free tools including a Seed Calculator, a Target Harvest Date Calculator, a Fall Planting Calculator, a Seed Starting Date Calculator, and a Succession Planting Calculator
- The University of Illinois Extension offers a guide on Small Fruit Crops for the Backyard
- How to Plant and Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden
- Vegetable Gardening Online
For help with edible gardens in raised beds and containers:
- How To Do Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens
- How to Make a Raised Bed Garden
- Growing Vegetables in Containers
- Container Vegetable Gardening
- From the University of Illinois Extension – Making Herb and Vegetable Containers
For care and maintenance of your edible garden:
- Vegetable Garden Maintenance
- Insects and Diseases of Plants: A Photo Gallery of Insect Pests, Plant Diseases
- Pest Control Library
- The University of Illinois Extension offers a useful guide to Common Problems for Vegetable Crops
For tips on when to harvest your crops: