On Vacationing Without Losing Your Garden, a Skink in My Laundry Room, and A Good Book on Preserving
No. 9 | Summer Gardening in Greenville, SC
One day into summer, and here’s how it is going:
Two nights ago, Siena was up at 12:30am, 2:30am and 4:30am with a stomach bug, and Josiah woke up at 6:30am ready for eggs.
She took a much-needed 3-hour nap late into the afternoon, during which time, I discovered a SKINK in my house… and as I tried to catch it, the little guy ran under my dryer. Siena is the Kratt of our family, and she was down for the count. He has not yet been found.
Last night, TJ was pet-sitting for his dad, so I sat on the couch writing this newsletter after a full day of working and taking care of a sick child on no sleep when I should’ve been folding laundry.
But writing makes me feel like myself, to borrow Kendra Adachi’s phrase, so there I was. I needed to feel like myself! Harvesting garlic would also have worked, but alas, it was already dark.
I have a pined-for beach vacation coming up in 10 days, and I have yet to harvest a tomato. My sister just found her first tomato hornworm munching hers. The horror! This made me reflective on my experience last year, when, surprisingly I took a two-week vacation in the middle of the growing season without losing my garden.
It has not always gone that well. My friend Meghan (who inspired me to start gvlgardening!) went away last year to the beach and came home to an okra crop decimated by caterpillars. It’s enough to make you want to cry.
We need the beach! And we need to eat the fruits of our labor! The two things simply can’t be mutually exclusive.
So I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve learned that can help. You’re clearly not going to come back to a tidy, tended plot after not tending for a while. But that doesn’t mean you can’t come home to *mostly* still-healthy plants.
Tips for Preparing to Vacation from Your Garden
Monitor for pests diligently the week leading up to your trip.
Give this chore some extra attention. Turn leaves over to look for eggs. Pluck off caterpillars and beetles.
Prune, stake and harvest the morning you leave.
Especially for things that can get out of control, like indeterminate tomatoes, prune a little more than you would usually to make sure they stay as supported as possible while you’re gone. Add more stakes or supports if needed. Get the heavy fruit off. Nothing worse than a storm snapping those primary stems in half.
Add a layer of compost and mulch the week before you leave.
Laura at Front Yard Foods turned me onto using Pete’s Soil Enhancer as mulch, and it has worked very well for me.Make a good watering plan.
If you have drip irrigation, set it to every 3rd day so it won’t be over watering if there is rain but still will keep things happy. If you don’t have drip irrigation, can you pay a teenager in your neighborhood to come by a few times while you’re gone and give your garden a soak?Ask a friend who container gardens to babysit your plants.
Or again, a kid or teenager in your neighborhood who wants to make some money! Group them all together to make it easy. Or buy olla watering spikes for the containers and invert full water bottles in them the morning you leave.Ask some friends or family members who like veggies to come harvest what looks ripe.
Overripe fruit going to waste, and even just heavy fruit causing breakage, are things you want to avoid.
You’re going to need to give your garden some extra love when you get back, but this was the approach I took last summer to very good results. I hope it works for you!
If you're downtown tomorrow (June 22) stop by M. Judson to say hi! I'm hosting a pop-up for "The Uncomplicated Gardener" zine in the lobby from 10am - 12pm.
Also! The spring plant swap with Mill Village Farms was the absolute best one yet—Thank you again to everyone who came out. We're hoping to do it again this fall. Stay tuned.
We need the beach! And we need to eat the fruits of our labor!
The two things simply can’t be mutually exclusive.
Summer 2024
What I’m Reading & Listening To
Batch: Over 200 Recipes Tips & Techniques for a Well Preserved Kitchen
Joel MacCharles & Dana Harrison
I love the way this preserving book is organized by ingredient, and emphasizes ways you can “batch” two or more different preserving methods into one afternoon. I’m planning to share more about how my perspective on preserving has shifted in the coming weeks.
Hiding Ugly Things: Garden Design Problem Solving
Tessa Pinner
Have you seen Tessa’s YouTube channel? It’s incredibly lovely. She’s sharing practical monthly gardening updates, a peek behind the curtain into her process as a garden designer, advice on what works well in the southeastern United States, and more—all from here in Greenville.
How to Control Japanese Beetles Organically
Tyrant Farms
I’m hearing from many of you that Japanese Beetles have been a big problem this year. Aaron shares some practical, research-backed methods for controlling them a bit.
What I’m Growing
A list of what is actively growing in my vegetable garden right now.
Blueberries
Carrot: Just one. Ha!
Figs
Garlic: I pulled the softneck last month and it has cured. The hardneck is ready to harvest. Just have to find some time…
Herbs: Oregano, rosemary, thyme, green onion, chives, peppermint, spearmint, applemint, lemongrass, dill and sage.
Peppers: Shishito and cayenne.
Radish pods: I’m pretty much done harvesting pods to eat and I’m letting them go to seed for saving.
Squash: Delicata (I always say I’m not going to grow squash… but here we are. I just love delicata!)
Strawberries
Tomatoes: A cherry variety I save every year called “Blue Berries” and San Marzanos.
Calendula
Chamomile
Cosmos
Lavender
Marigolds
Nasturtiums
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Zinnias
Resources
Plants Map - Paper Routes - Good Printed Things
A map I wrote featuring great places to buy plants locally here in Upstate, South Carolina. Illustrated by Charis JB.
The Uncomplicated Gardener - Good Printed Things
My zine sharing six steps I’ve learned over time that brought me success and joy growing and tending plants without overcomplicating things. Illustrated by Jennifer Bilton.