The Patio Farmer

Tell me it's May without telling me it's May 🫛 I took a little stroll through my growing space yesterday evening and was so pleased with all the things. Snap peas are THRIVING, tomatoes and carrots are thriving next to one another, cucumber seeds have sprouted, new growth on my orange tree (there is never enough citrus to go around, I have like 10 citrus trees lol), and blueberries are starting to ripen! It truly is the most magical time of year.

And how about you, my friend... How are your plants doing? What's new in your growing space?

What's a better caption? 🍅

"Bloom where you are planted" 💐

OR

"Life will find a way" 🦖

YES that is a tomato plant growing through two slabs on concrete... Like, how??

Happy Friday!

Drought Restrictions ☔ when what we really need is RAIN! Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, and Stanly Counties are now seeing the worst drought conditions in over 50 years.

Mandatory lawn watering and other residential use restrictions are in place starting this month. Luckily we can still hand water and use irrigation systems for landscaped beds and edible spaces -- phewww!

Water mindfully and be a good steward of the precious resource y'all. We all share it, and need more of it right now 🩵

WBTV's invited me on the show last weekend to chat about caring for plants during drought times... While we have been blessed with rain this week, our plants can still feel stress until precipitation is more consistent!

Use the link in my bio to catch the 5-minute segment and gain tips for watering when rain showers are few and far between ☔

Free lunch season 🍽️ strawberries, fresh collard greens, snap peas, and lots of yummy herbs (those chive blossoms though) were collected from my growing space yesterday for lunch. What a delightful plate!

I seared a piece of wild-caught salmon (ok, so lunch was not 100% free 😂), wilted a bunch of greens with a handful of snap peas, and made a tasty herby vinaigrette with chive blossoms, tarragon and lemon thyme to drizzle over the hot fish.

My heart and belly are full of gratitude and joy when I eat plates like this. Cheers to many more to come!

Berries galore 🍓🫐 I am anticipating a hugely successful berry harvest this spring and summer! With the early heat, berry plants of all kinds have been quick to set flowers, and fruit. Most of the blackberries, blueberries, and strawberry plants I'm seeing right now already have fully formed fruit waiting to harvest! It's incredible!

What berries are you growing? Or which ones would you love to grow at home?

Spring is springing 🌱 take a gander at my growing space!

After two weekends of work I have reached a HUGE spring milestone... a complete weeding of my beds, aisles, AND laying a thick layer of mulch to keep my pathways clear and my weeding workload minimal this growing season. It brings me such joy to look out and see clear, beautifully defined, pathways!

My spring crops are thriving... the peas are setting flowers and pods will be here soon. Radishes are pickable. The chives are blooming and I'm harvesting flowers for garnishes and vinaigrettes. Kohlrabi (my favorite) is almost ready. Handfuls of arugula and collard greens daily. The strawberries are running away with themselves and the blueberries are bursting at the seams.

On Sunday I planted tomatoes in between the carrots and in an open bed. As well as potatoes and seeded cucumbers over the radish patch. Peppers were added in between the kale. I am certainly making the most of my small space!

I also added a sweet little sign that my mother-in-law gifted me at Christmas time... it makes me giggle, hee hee.

How is your spring space coming along? Need a hand or have some questions? I'm here for you! Pop into my DM's or visit the link in my bio to explore services, like Consultations, etc.

Seed or Seedling 🌱 what do you think works best for summer veg?! Below is my cheat sheet as you are getting ready to plant all the things!

Seed:
- Cucumber
- Green Beans
- Melon
- Okra
- Squash (Summer & Winter)
- Zucchini

Seedling:
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Perennial Herbs
- Tomatoes

Seed or Seedling (both are great):
- Basil
- Dill
- Edible Flowers (including Marigolds)
- Parsley

I find that when I grow things that are quick to come up and quick to get big and bulky (like the first list under "seed") my plants are happier and healthier throughout the season.

The crops under the "seedling" list take an exception amount of time to mature and produce fruit, and do well when transplanted which is why I like the extra time of a seedling that has already started growing.

The crops in the last list are growers choice! If you have the time to give these plants, I always prefer direct seeding. Otherwise, find some seedlings and get to planting!

I talked about using seeds and seedlings in my WBTV segment on Tuesday for National Gardening Day. The link is live and posted in my bio if you want to take a peek!

Happy National Gardening Day 🌱 I'm celebrating with a segment on this morning at 9am followed by a full day of planting tomatoes!

How are you celebrating this beautiful day??

Went to the farm yesterday 🌱 got a truckload of plants! I have missed the smell of tomato dust!!

Are you planting this weekend? What's on your must grow list this spring?

Big shout-out to for these Certified Organic seedlings!!!