Edimentals is a new term for growing flowers and vegetables together. Gardens today are often too small to have a separate ‘veg patch.’
22.06.2024 - 01:54 / sunset.com / Garden Basics / Kristin Guy
Wondering what you should be planting, harvesting, and keeping an eye on this growing season? Here’s your summer garden checklist to help you keep on top of garden maintenance.
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Sow for a second flush of blooms. Marigolds, sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, and nasturtiums can be added to beds and interplanted with vegetables to ensure color through autumn while encouraging visiting pollinators. Create a cut-and-come-again salad bar of lettuces in shadier areas of the garden. Shallow roots allow easy interplanting with vining summer-season crops like tomatoes and cucumbers, which will provide sun relief on hot days. Try mixing in a few showy varieties such as Purple Mizuna, Flashy Trout Back, and Rossa Ricciolina tucked in with alliums to keep pests away from tender leaves.
Thomas J. Story
Radishes bolting? Leave the blooms for the bees and wait for tender seed pods to form. Once they’re 1-2 inches long, pick and pickle in your favorite brine for a flavorful, crisp summer snack. We love enjoying them with a little za’atar spice blend and fresh dill on top of a burrata toast. Frequently check beans, basil, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini, and harvest often to promote additional growth and fruit production. Harvest in the morning when vegetables tend to be more sweet, crisp, and juicy—although nothing is better than a warm cherry tomato straight off the vine.
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Summer soil will need replenishing for heavy feeding plants such as tomatoes, eggplant, and squash. When flowers start to form, apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer to promote healthy bloom production. We like to add a combo of Recipe 420 organic fertilizers Ultra Bloom and Recharge, which include biochar, calcium,
Edimentals is a new term for growing flowers and vegetables together. Gardens today are often too small to have a separate ‘veg patch.’
For the first time in decades I heard a cuckoo just the other day, its pealing “Wuck-Koo” ringing out so loudly nearby that I felt a quick, sharp jolt of joy at being so closely in its presence. Once a common sound, the distinctive call of this fleeting seasonal migrant from tropical Africa is traditionally believed to signal the arrival of spring. But as is true of so many other once-common species of birds, its numbers, which are down by an estimated 27 per cent since the early 1970s, have been in slow but steady decline for decades.
Ever wish you had more room to grow? We’ve got a secret to instantly increase your square footage, and we’re growing up, my friends. No matter if you’re planting an expansive backyard plot or just have room for a few clusters of balcony pots, vertical vegetable gardening is the easiest way to maximize your growing while also being a space saver, and increasing yields—not to mention it brings some interesting aesthetic appeal to your outdoor space. The perfect solution for every garden? We think so. Read on for our ultimate guide to vertical vegetable gardens and start thinking up!
In January I visited the world’s largest horticultural show in Essen, Germany, and came away with some great take-aways, but I was especially impressed with the significant trend of pruning, training and grafting certain plants into new and unusual forms.
Blueland
NOBODY WANTS to get the IRS notice in the mail that they’re being audited, heaven forbid. But when it comes to gardens, Rodney Eason believes that the occasional audit is a very positive process, and encourages us to perform one on our own landscape.
When it comes to creating a modern homestead, you probably don’t automatically think of a park-like setting filled with color and texture that you’d like to hide out in for hours.
We’ve all been there. A fern that flopped, a salvia in sad soil, and even a mighty monstera with too petite of a pot. While keeping a close eye on your houseplant and its day-to-day health is part of being a good plant parent, we’re all guilty of being a bit accident-prone or neglectful. Fret not friends! There’s usually time to step in when the green girls are screaming SOS—we’re going to help you build the ultimate houseplant emergency kit to tackle any ailments that come your way. From being ready to pot-up at a moment’s notice to making sure those pesky fungus gnats stay at bay, here are the skills we keep sharp and the tools we’re packing in our at-home horticultural kit.
When it comes to dreaming up her perfect coop, Kate Richards—avid gardener, homegrown cocktail crafter, and wrangler of chickens—always starts with function before deciding on design details. First she figures out run size, roosting areas, number of nesting boxes, and where supply storage will live, and then she pieces together the perfect layout for the space. From there Kate adds details and decor elements that might seem over the top compared to the standard utilitarian set up. She’s known for using unexpected paint colors, patterned wallpaper, and gingerbread trim that make the entire space more aesthetically interesting while fitting in with her own home’s style and architecture.
It’s always tomato girl summer in my garden. I purposefully lean down and focus on what I grow in my spring garden beds to prepare and make room for the eight to 12 tomato plants that are a combination of favorites started from seed and new varieties picked up at the local farm’s heirloom tomato pop-up. It’s definitely taken me many years to perfect my gameplan, but over time I listened to my space and learned what worked best for me. I think that’s what is most important here: to understand that not every garden guide is a strict must-follow. Think of this as just a few new ideas or suggestions in the pursuit of full harvest baskets this summer. From seed starting in soil blocks to homemade trellising that will maximize your yield—I hope you feel inspired to try something new. Happy tomato growing my friends. Here’s to a bountiful season ahead!
Whether you want to set up a springtime garden or explore edible plants—or even just test the waters with houseplants—the prospect of becoming a plant parent can be intimidating. Luckily, there are countless handy apps that hold the answers. Getting started doesn’t have to be so daunting. With just a few taps on your phone, you’ll be one step closer to growing the greenery you’ve always dreamed of.
When one thinks about a production garden designed to yield copious amounts of vegetables and flowers, it’s not often one with perfectly manicured rows overflowing with color and paired with thoughtfully organized spaces for gathering. Practicality and function are usually the focus, not a dedication to stunning surroundings. This is where the team behind Oakland-based Pine House Edible Gardens stands out with their impeccable layout and design philosophies, showcasing the ability to implement important functional garden systems with incredible style.