October 7, 2026
Fall Planting and My First Look at Kirigami Ornamental Oregano
A morning in Helen's flower garden introduced me to Kirigami ornamental oregano. Here's why fall is such a good time to plant in warm Southern climates.
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Garden Journal
Day-in-the-life notes from the garden — tagged by plant and season so you can browse what happened in April or everything we wrote about kale.
October 4, 2026
Growing lettuce in zone 7a in fall
Fall romaine grows fast once the heat backs off. Mine is already headed toward crunchy, sweet Caesar salad territory.
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October 2, 2026
Winter squash planting guide for the South
My winter squash got almost no attention during a hot, dry summer and still gave us a bumper crop. Sometimes the garden really does carry itself.
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September 30, 2026
Pepper planting guide for the South and fall harvest
Cool nights mean pepper season is winding down. I'm picking the last big batch, drying them whole, and clearing space for fall crops.
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September 29, 2026
Butternut Squash Planting Guide for the South
This was a heck of a butternut squash year. A table full of cured squash means plenty for fall dinners and plenty to stash for later.
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September 26, 2026
Mango Season Means a Full Preservation Day
A Nashville grocery run turned into a full day of pickling, grinding, freezing, steaming, and putting good food away for winter.
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September 23, 2026
Why I Grow Flowers With My Vegetables
I used to think flowers were just icing and vegetables were the cake. A gardener friend changed my mind, and this gorgeous bouquet makes the case.
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September 21, 2026
Pepper Planting Guide for the South and Big Harvests
This season's peppers filled my freezer and pickle fridge, with plenty left for friends and bugs. Growing extra turned out to be pretty good pest management.
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September 17, 2026
Pepper Planting Guide for the South and Fall Harvest
The cayenne peppers needed to come out of the garden. Now they're hanging in the shed to finish ripening and dry for homemade pepper powder.
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September 11, 2026
Turning Late Summer Cucumbers Into Homemade Pickle Relish
Those overgrown, slightly ugly cucumbers still have a job. I turn the late-summer odds and ends into pickle relish we eat all year.
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September 9, 2026
Watering the Lawn on a Late Summer Day
Just me, a garden hose, and grass asking for water. Late summer watering doesn't need to be complicated.
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September 8, 2026
Garlic Chives Planting Guide for the South
Garlic chives earn their space. They handle heat and winter, feed pollinators with white blooms, and keep coming back for the kitchen.
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September 6, 2026
Direct Sowing Cool Season Seeds in Late Summer
Fall planting can start long before fall weather arrives. Shade cloth, drip irrigation, and careful timing give cool-season seeds a fighting chance in hot soil.
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September 4, 2026
Late Summer Cucumbers - What to do with them, and when to plant them
That ugly yellow cucumber isn't necessarily headed for the compost. A late, overgrown harvest can still earn its keep as pickle relish.
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September 3, 2026
A Kitchen Garden Lunch and Learn
Our monthly library Lunch and Learn brings local kitchen gardeners together to talk planting dates, clay soil, seasonal crops, and what actually works here.
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September 2, 2026
Growing Thai Basil in the South for Pollinators
My Thai basil is flowering, and the butterflies have found it. I hate to cut those fragrant blooms when they're covered in pollinators.
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September 1, 2026
Pepper planting guide for the South
The orange peppers finally got picked. Waiting for full color took some restraint, but ripe sweet peppers are absolutely worth it.
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August 31, 2026
Romaine lettuce shows what indoor germination can do
Two romaine seedlings, two starts, and a big difference in size. The indoor-germinated plant got a serious head start.
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August 27, 2026
The First Fig Finally Shows Up in Late Summer
A single green fig appears on a tree that spent two seasons struggling in a pot before finding its footing in the ground.
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August 22, 2026
Cat Grass Makes the Table on Caturday
A tray of fresh cat grass turns Caturday into a full garden event - even the cat gets a harvest day.
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August 21, 2026
One Eggplant Plant, More Fruit Than We Can Eat
One prolific eggplant plant, a couple of cucumbers, and basil that reseeds itself - a late-summer harvest that just keeps giving.
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August 20, 2026
A Summer Batch of Fermented Jalapeño Hot Sauce
Colorful jalapeños from the garden ferment into a tangy hot sauce that keeps in the fridge for a year, using nothing more than salt, water, and time.
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August 18, 2026
A Small Gate Opens Onto Our Next Garden
After several summers of raised-bed growing on concrete, a small gate now opens onto a stretch of turf next door - the start of a much bigger garden.
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August 17, 2026
August Vines Escape the Raised Beds Into the Yard
Sweet potato and squash vines have spread past their raised beds into the lawn this August - a sign of a healthy, hot-weather kitchen garden.
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