When we finally moved into our house several years ago, our primary emotion was relief. After several months of waiting, we could finally settle and get back to living in our own space. It wasn’t until we walked out the front door for the first time that we realized the real work had just begun. We had a home surrounded by white builder’s sand, good old South Carolina clay, and a few splotches of crab grass here and there. Beyond that - an unfathomable number of pine trees with a few hard woods sparsely mixed in. There was no landscaping included in our contract. We had no idea what we would do to fix this barren mess. A few weeks later, my aunt introduced us to a local plant exchange. We had no idea what we were getting into. Not wanting to go empty handed, we dug up some crowded red canna lilies from my parents’ yard and headed to the swap. After eyeing some shrubs and common perennials, we took our places amongst skilled and eager gardeners lined up across a parking lot on a crisp spring morning. The lead organizer used a bullhorn to quiet the crowd. A delighted gardener accepted a potted plant from the raffle. Shortly after, the rules were laid out for newcomers, and the crowd waited in anticipation. The sharp trill of the whistle served as an invitation for the participants to break free of their ready stances to collect their wares. This experience- the excitement of mingling amongst gardeners of all ages, sharing knowledge about how plants grow and what they need- was the most exhilarating introduction of my family into the world of gardening. We gathered so much that day in plants, dirt and gardening wisdom that we didn’t miss that community plant swap for several years. It became a family tradition. We soon spent part of the winter holidays, searching for other opportunities to share and grow our garden through plant swaps and exchanges all over the city. Here are a few of our favorites around the South Carolina Midlands. Each one is organized quite differently, so I encourage you to visit their websites to learn more. There are other plant exchanges sponsored by organizations throughout the year. Check the public library system in your area for possible gardening events. Native Plant Societies and Master Gardener Associations are also great sources. We picked up spiderwort (tradescantia) at a local beekeeper’s meeting several years ago. So, you may sometimes score free plants in odd or unexpected places. Maybe you could even organize one for your own neighborhood or community. You don’t have time for these structured events? It’s okay. There are several Facebook groups that offer members more impromptu opportunities to swap by mail or porch-pick-up for safe, contact-less trades. In South Carolina, Plant Swap Columbia has come about with members offering pop-up swaps and plant meets all over town. You can find one nearly every weekend during the warmer months. Another popular group is Upstate SC Plant Swap. Gardeners are some of the most generous people on the planet. So, if you are itching to add something new to your space, you don’t necessarily need to go out to the nearest big box store to spend money. Dig up extra bulbs, flowers, grasses, or even shrubs that are screaming to be divided. Place them in clearly labeled bags or pot them up, and head on out to a local plant exchange to share your beauties with others.
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Nothing beats the excitement of planting vegetables and fruits for your family to enjoy. Preparing gardening sites or raised beds is one of the most loved moments of spring cleaning on the homestead or in the backyard garden. But…it is time-consuming! What if you only had to do it once? Growing perennial fruits and vegetables can cut back on the amount of time you spend planning and preparing your garden, rebuilding soil, starting seeds and babying tender seedlings all winter long. You may need to cut back some old, dead foliage and maybe add a little compost or mulch, but that is about it. By taking the time to learn more about the perennial vegetables, herbs and fruits that grow well in your area, you can have your family eating from your yard all year long with very little effort. This may be a great way to ease into gardening if you are working full-time and simply don’t have the extra moments it takes to tend a full garden, but you want to make some changes here and there to get you started. . Perennials come back year after year, so you just need to put in some work early on to get them started. Here are a few vegetables my family grows that may give you a few ideas about where to begin as you plan your own perennial garden. Perennial Vegetables While most vegetables that fill our plates are grown as annuals, there are several perennials that will make an encore appearance if given the opportunity. These are a few that have permanent homes on our property. Asparagus Asparagus can live 15 to 20 years once established. Although you can start them from seed, it is best to begin with two- or three-year-old crowns planted in hills six inches deep. It takes about three years for the plants to mature enough to harvest healthy spears. If you purchase crowns, it is best to let the spears come up and flower the first year to get the roots well-established. You should be able to harvest some healthy spears the following year. Asparagus can be harvested early spring through summer. When it gets too hot, let them go wild so they gather energy and nutrients needed to push up thicker stalks for you during the next growing season. Maintenance: Top the bed with some fresh compost early in the spring to keep them flourishing through the season. Cut the spears when they are 8-10 inches long. If they become much taller, it’s best to leave them and allow them to leaf out. They will continue to develop new spears. Kale Considered a biennial or soft perennial, kale produces greens for two years before setting seed. However, there are some varieties that are true perennials that can live for 5.to 6 years and are propagated by root cuttings. Start kale from seed by direct sowing into your garden, or start them indoors about a month before you want to set them out. In southern zone 8a, we planted them indoors in February for early spring planting and in July for fall and winter. Our fall garden continued to produce straight through winter and early spring. White flies and other pests can be a bother during the warmer months, but you can still get a good crop using preventative measures. Maintenance: Fertilize greens with 10-10-10, compost or organic matter that is high nitrogen such as aged chicken manure. Remove the outer leaves and any brown or dry leaves to encourage new foliage. Walking Onions Egyptian Walking Onions are quite versatile with a scallion-like flavor. They are perfect for the backyard garden since they multiply so freely. Another name for this type of allium is multiplying onion; one bulb can grow up to 8 new onions! The walking onion can be harvested from both ends. In fall, it forms a bulb underground. In the spring, the early shoots can be harvested as scallions, and later, smaller bulblets are clustered at the top of the plant. The taste resembles shallots. If these topsets are not harvested, they grow larger and heavier. The top of the plant will eventually topple over and root, forming new plants. Hence the name- walking onion. Maintenance: If planted in an open area, just let them grow. However, if your goal is to contain the in a particular space, it would be wise to snip drying stalks in the fall and harvest the bulblets for your table or plant them in more desirable areas in your garden. These are just a few of the perennial vegetables we grow. There are many others that may better suit your palate. Begin with one or two of your favorites and try a few new ones each year. Check back for the next post in this series, Perennial Herbs. |
AuthorI'm a wife, mother, daughter, educator, writer and hobby farmer. Welcome to my world of simply living. Archives
December 2023
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