“We have plowed, we have sowed,
We have reaped, we have mowed,
We have brought home every load,
Hip, hip, hip, harvest home.”
For the last few months, I’ve spoken with some of the nation’s most well-known garden writers, bloggers and personalities about their must-have plants. So, you might just be wondering which plants I can’t live without myself. That’s why this blog post is dedicated to some of my favorite plants.
As you can see above and below, my garden is a rather unruly mix of wildflowers, roses and perennials. The Shirley and California poppies self-seeded themselves from last year, and seem determined to take over my late-spring/early-summer garden.
As garden writer and designer Rebecca Sweet would say, there are a lot of “showgirls” in my garden. These are the plants that bloom outrageously and then disappear in winter. So, I’m working on adding more four-season interest to my new garden, including some lovely little boxwood shrubs which you can’t see here because of all the showgirls. But I’ll be glad to have their evergreen shapes in the winter months. You can hear more about showgirl plants from my Nest in Style podcast interview with Rebecca Sweet.
I’m a big fan of succession planting. So although my raised beds started out with lettuces and radishes of all types in early spring, they were replaced with squash and corn when the weather heated up.
Last year, I grew a bean teepee in this raised bed. This year, I’m growing ‘Blue Jade’ corn that was supposed to grow about three feet. They must like my growing conditions, because they are easily five feet tall now. I’m just starting to pull the blue-colored corn now. Incidentally, it’s always good to plant corn in blocks (rather than rows) so they can self-pollinate themselves well.
.JPG)
Eggplants are a great way to grow attractive, delicious plants in small spaces. ‘Rosa Bianca’ eggplant is an Italian heirloom that will shine in any ornamental garden bed. But I like to grow them in containers too. The flowers are as pretty as the delicious fruit.
-3.JPG)
‘Calliope’ eggplant is a hybrid with attractive, striped fruit. Harvest these eggplants when they reach about 2 to 3 inches in size. Great for northern climates, this eggplant ripens in about 65 days from transplant.
My ‘Little Fingers’ eggplant grew huge in a container, and never stopped producing tiny, black eggplants the size of chubby fingers. This early variety ripens in under 70 days. Incidentally, these containers with eggplants were filled with salad greens of all types in the spring. Learn more about lettuces.
Grow lots of vegetables, and you can make strange faces with your food too. Starting at the top and moving clockwise are ‘Calliope’ eggplants, ‘Patterson Golden Scallop’ squash, ‘Lebanese White Bush Marrow’ squash, ‘Little Fingers’ eggplants and ‘Fairy Tale’ eggplants. Incidentally, ‘Fairy Tale’ eggplants are also excellent in containers, and ripen quickly for northern gardens.
It wouldn’t be summer without tomatoes of all types. That’s why I grew varieties that ripened at different times. Pictured above (starting top left) are cute ‘Yellow Perfect Sugar’ (grown by a friend); ‘Black Krim;’ ‘Green Zebra’ (grown by a friend); ‘Black Sea Man’; ‘Isis candy’ cherries; ‘Tomacchio’ and ‘Principe Borghese’ varieties for drying; as well as ‘Stupice’ which ripened easily a month before the others. Plus, some ‘Osmin’ purple basil. Tomato growing tips. Six tomatoes for cooking and preserving.
Beans are another favorite vegetable for us. And we especially love the ones that aren’t green. Above are beautiful spotted ‘Dragon’s Tongue;’ pinkish ‘Red Swan Bush;’ and yellow ‘Pencil Pod Wax Bean.’ Alongside the beans are flowering oregano stems that make the bees in my garden very happy. More about beans.
The weather is gradually growing colder, and there are only a few more weeks to enjoy these summer vegetables. But I’m already planting carrots, radishes and salad greens for the fall. There is nothing better than delicious food out in the garden, even in the colder months.
Meanwhile, what are some of your favorite must-have plants in the garden?
{ 13 comments }
I should know better than to read your blog at dinnertime (I'm HUNGRY!). I wish you the best of luck choosing your 'must haves' and am thrilled you're thinking 'four season' interest! Thanks for the shout-out, too! And make sure to let us know what you choose!
Thanks Rebecca. I'm definitely taking your advice — more winter interest and less showgirls. That is… if I can get those girls to stop taking over the garden beds on their own. 😉
I, too, am working on more shape and form in my garden, but the "showgirls" will always have a a place here.
Great plants. I love your little veggie person in the picture! Carla
Thanks ladies. I know just what you mean, Connie. The showgirls are so easy to love, even if they don't last forever. And I adore when pretty plants reseed themselves. Carla, I'm delighted you liked my veggie man. These vegetables were so attractive, I just had to play with my food. Appreciated your comments. All best, Teresa
Great post Teresa! Love your veggie face!
Also your list of "must haves"!
Theresa, loved this post and your garden style!! Those flamboyant "showgirls" just throw their good looks around for us all to drool over, LOL! That mix of California poppies and yarrow? is just eye-popping. Bet you have tons of butterflies!
Ellen
Thanks Ellen, Kim and Victoria for your comments. I do have lots of butterflies, bees and birds. Plenty of bugs too … the good and the bad. LOL. Hope you'll stop by again. Teresa
I love a good "show girl" myself so I rely heavily on garden architecture for the bones of my garden. Rosalind Creasy's personal garden was a huge inspiration to me! Lot's of arbors, walls, containers and raised beds.
Teresa,
May I ask what size are your raised beds? Board size? The soil you use?
Or garden is so inviting looking. You just need a bench there to watch the bees and butterflies.
Hi: I’m actually about to redo my raised bed area. But my raised beds are about 3 feet by 3 feet. I would definitely recommend you invest in the best compost, aged manure, worm castings and potting soil to fill your raised beds. And yes, I did finally order a glider so I can rest a bit. Finally. 😉 Thanks for your message. Teresa
Can you tell me what size pots you used for your eggplants? Also how many plants in each? thanks for any info
Hi Kris: I use pots around the 15 gallon size, and plant one eggplant in each pot. Use the same type of fertilizer as you would for tomatoes and peppers, as they are all related. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by! Teresa
Comments on this entry are closed.