Category Archives: Garden Advice

Grow Eggplant this Year

With tomatoes and peppers ubiquitous in vegetable gardens, eggplants are often the nightshade left out. But even if your summers are on the cool side or the short side, you too can have homegrown eggplants. On our farm in central Virginia, shorter season varieties are often our best performing when summer is unusually cool or wet, and their faster-maturing fruits are the first to arrive at the table.

Southern Exposure sells four early-maturing eggplants: Applegreen (65 days, green-white skin), Early Black Egg (65 days, Japanese origin, deep-purple skin), Morden Midget (65 days, Canadian origin, deep-purple skin), and Ping Tung Long (62 days, Taiwanese origin, lavender skin).

I’m partial to long skinny eggplants (I like chopping them into thin half-moons), so Ping Tung Long is my favorite. I find that Asian varieties substitute well in Italian and European recipes. The lavender skins darken with cooking to a purple-tan color.

My current favorite eggplant recipe follows: a Sicilian Caponata. Caponata is vegan and gluten-free, and so full of flavor that no one will notice.

Sicilian Caponata

Adapted from David Lebovitz’s blog. Lebovitz requires deep-frying the eggplant in batches. This oven-roasted version cuts the oil somewhat, and is so much easier, and I think tastes just as good.

6 celery stalks
2 pounds eggplant (Italian or Asian types)
olive oil
salt
1 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced (yellow or white will work but red is best)
1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce (as a variation, make a quick, fresh sauce by simmering 3-4 diced Roma-type tomatoes in a small amount of water with salt to taste for 20-30 minutes.)
1/4 cup vinegar (red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (or to taste)
Chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley for garnish

Roast the Eggplant:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Trim the stems off the eggplants, halve lengthwise, and slice into 1/2-inch pieces (half-moons work well for long-types, otherwise 1/2 inch cubes).
3. Toss the eggplant pieces with 1/2 to 1 tsp salt and 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil (it will soak up quite a lot). Spread on a baking dish and cook for 30-45 minutes, until the eggplant pieces are soft (easily pierced with a fork) and the skins have begun to darken.

Assemble the Caponata
1. Boil a medium-size pot of water. Cut the celery stalks into 1/2-inch slices. Simmer the celery until just tender, around 7 minutes. Drain and immerse in cold water to stop the cooking.
2. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently until translucent, around 7 minutes. Add the drained celery, olives, capers, tomato sauce, vinegar, and honey and bring to a low boil.
3. Add the eggplant and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently.
4. Taste and add additional salt and vinegar as desired. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl to cool.

Serving: Allow to cool before serving, or refrigerate and serve the next day (this gives the flavors time to meld). Garnish with the chopped parsley to serve. May also be served as bruschetta — spread on bread slices that have been spread with olive oil and oven-toasted.

Get Your Kids Involved in the Garden!

By Jordan Charbonneau, photos by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Depending on their age an interest level involving children in garden activities can be a challenge. Older kids would rather be inside playing video games and young children sometimes do more harm than good in the garden.

However teaching kids to garden is so important! It gives them time to be active and experience nature. It can also be a great tool to teach valuable life lessons. Children who garden develop a bit a self sufficiency, a knowledge about where their food comes from, and patience. They also learn science. They can measure how far apart to plant seeds, learn about the life cycle of plants, find out about how bacteria decomposes compost material, and so much more.

The best way to start your children’s gardening career is to inspire them.

While many young children enjoy being involved in any adult activity for older kids it might be necessary to provide them with a reason to get out in the garden.

A great way to start is read age appropriate books that talk about gardening with them. When I was a child my mom read Little House on the Prairie to me and when we worked in the garden I would pretend that we were pioneers living off the land. You could try coloring books too. They make some awesome garden/nature coloring books that will help with the introduction.

Make gardening their project not just something they’re helping you with. Let them have a hand in planning the garden from start to finish. Ask them what they’d like to grow and let them start their plants from seed. For older kids you can get their input on garden layout too. Make sure they’re involved in the garden’s care throughout the summer and then help them do something with the finished product. You can help them look up a recipe and prepare a meal with what they grew or help them try to sell a bit of produce. When other kids in my neighborhood set up a lemonade stand I set up a tomato stand and I absolutely loved it.

One of the best ways to ensure everyone has a good experience is to make your garden child friendly.

Keep a few child size tools on hand. Trying to use adult size tools can be frustrating for small children. By giving them they’re own set you can help them feel like they’re a real member of your gardening team.

Try to design your garden with distinct paths or raised beds. Paths and raised beds are great for a number of reasons but they can be really handy when gardening with kids. It’s easy to show children where they can walk (or run!) through the garden and where the plants that shouldn’t be stepped on are.

Have a separate kids garden. For children who are too young to differentiate between weeds and crops and what’s ready to be harvested or not, it may be advisable to create a small separate children’s garden. Of course you can still supervise them in your main garden but in this area they could plant whatever they want and go wild without you worrying about your crops.

Grow a fort! Create bean teepees and leave an opening as a door or set up tunnel trellises like those made from cattle panels. When the plants are mature the kid’s will have a shady little retreat. This is a great process to involve kid’s in too.

Plant fragrant varieties! Kids love to smell plants and it doesn’t just have to be flowers though those definitely work. As a child my favorite parts of my grandmother’s garden were her patches of mint and creeping thyme. Other great options are sage, basil, or rosemary.

Let them graze! If there’s fruit or veggies they want to munch while they meander around the garden let them go for it even if you wanted to harvest them for later. You’re cultivating a love for healthy food straight from the earth. 

Teach them about local wildlife.

Have them help make or at least fill bird feeders. There are many easy bird feeders that can be quick children’s projects. For example putting strings on a few pine cones and then coating them in peanut butter and rolling them in bird seed.

If the bird feeder was a hit you may also want to try a bird bath. They’re fun for kids to fill up and watch birds in or if you’re ready for a challenge try making your own.

Insect hotels and pollinator or butterfly gardens are also fun projects for kids that can really help local pollinator and beneficial insect populations which helps you and your children have a more successful garden.

With any of these projects helping the child identify and learn about what species are visiting can be rewarding. For older children a kid’s guidebook to local birds or insects might be a great option.

Pick projects that are easy for kids and peak their interest.

Many children are easy to get excited about projects but for some picking up plants from the hardware store and popping them in the ground just isn’t that cool. Teach them how to start plants from seed and they’ll be in awe about how big their plants are by the end of the summer. For and even better effect take photos along the way for you to look back on together. You could also choose fast growing crops like radishes for added excitement.

Plant a themed garden. Pizza and salsa gardens seem to be popular but there’s plenty of other options. You could plant a garden as habitat for a specific species or try a rainbow (plants with every color) or alphabet gardens (plants with names starting with every letter of the alphabet). Another great option is a fairy garden or garden they design for one of their favorite book or movie characters.

Especially if you have multiple children or a child’s friends over making concrete stepping stones can be a great project. They can personalize a stone and help you create a pathway that will preserve memories for years to come. For more crafty garden project ideas try browsing Pinterest.

Assign age appropriate tasks. It’s frustrating to try to get kids who can’t reliably tell the difference between a tomato seedling and a dandelion to weed the garden. However even for kids who are too young to weed without tearing up the garden or can’t be trusted to harvest on their own can be given a small watering can to help water the plants. They can also help with processing food once it’s harvested. Many people probably remember sitting on the porch shelling peas or shucking corn as kids.

For those trying to garden with very young children you may just have to have them sit beside you or ride in a backpack to get some fresh air and take in the sights and sounds while you do the gardening.

You can also make sure to include some fun easy to harvest crops in your garden. Plants like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are always a big hit as long as you don’t mind missing a few! If you have loose soil carrots, radishes and other root crops can be fun for kids to pull. Gathering potatoes after an adult forks them up can be a good option too. Other large fruiting crops like beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers can be a good job for children as long as they’re gentle enough.

Many children also enjoy planting large seeded crops like sunflowers, squash, and cucumbers that are easy to hold and place. You could also have them try planting garlic or potatoes. My favorite for kids to plant is onion sets because they can plant them anywhere in the garden and they can be harvested as green onions if they end up in a tight space.

If they like planting you can consider introducing them to seed saving. My favorite plant to start with is sunflowers. It’s a lot of fun for kids to remove the seeds from the sunflower head in the fall and then you can remind them of their hard work when they plant them in the spring.

Let them get dirty.

Know that children are going to get way dirtier than necessary in the garden. If you’re worried about it you may want to set a few pairs of clothing aside just for “garden days.”

Teach them about compost. It can be fun for kids learn about how a compost pile breaks down. Let them hold the earthworms. Invest in a thermometer and teach them about how compost heats up. They’ll be amazed.

Another fun project is teaching them to make compost tea and fertilize the plants with it. They can go wild mixing and then you can show them how to apply it to certain plants. For older kids it could be a great science lesson about plant nutrient requirements.

Keep your kids safe.

Obviously backyard gardens are generally pretty safe places. However there’s a few things to ensure your children have a safe gardening experience.

First take the time to teach your children to properly use tools. Learning things like not leaving a rake on the ground tines up seems simple but can save little bare feet.

Also be aware of anything toxic. Young children have a tendency to put things in their mouth. Be sure to watch them if there’s garden amendments or toxic plants like rhubarb leaves within their reach. Also if you use any powdered amendment (even organic) be sure children aren’t breathing it in.

In today’s world there’s a severe disconnect between children and nature. They don’t get outside enough. They have little education about plants, wildlife, or where their food comes from. Gardening with your kids is one of the best ways to fix this. Gardening with kids affords them so many great opportunities and though it may be stressful at times it certainly won’t be dull. Even if they pick your unripe strawberries or “weed” out the peppers you just transplanted it’s still worth it. They learn and grow and might even remember to thank you later (probably not).

Planning a Pollinator Garden

By Jordan Charbonneau, photos by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly on Bergamot (Bee Balm)

Thankfully it seems people are coming around to the idea that our pollinators are in trouble. Wildflower packets and seeds bombs are “in” right now. While they may provide some relief, saving our precious bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects is going to take a little more than tossing a seed bomb into an empty garden bed.

Pollinators need food sources all season long from very early in the spring to late in the fall. In many areas native wildflower and meadow species have been replaced by monoculture lawns and select ornamental flowers. While this isn’t the only reason our pollinators are dying it certainly is a contributing factor. If you truly want to help pollinators it’s important to learn to plan a garden that offers an abundance of food sources all summer.

Timing

Figuring out how to have a garden that’s always in bloom can be a bit tricky. You’ll need to plan your plantings to maximize your garden’s potential.

Start Plants Early

Butterfly Weed

For many hobby gardeners flowers get planted when all danger of frost is past. Unfortunately many pollinators are active early and need flowers as soon as it’s warm enough to move around. If you don’t start flowers ahead of time there won’t be any flowers when they need them most.

The easiest way to start flowers early is to start them indoors. The Southern Exposure Beginner’s Growing Guide is a great resource and can help you get a jump on the season.

Another great way to have early blooms is to plant perennial flower varieties like Butterfly Weed or self-seeding varieties. These are often sooner to bloom than the annuals.

Succession Planting

Some families may already practice succession planting in their home vegetable garden. Just like it’s better for families to have summer squash spread throughout the season than a ton all at once pollinators do better if you’re plants’ bloom times are staggered too.

To help pollinators with this problem it’s simple to start flowers in small batches, every two-four weeks depending on the variety so that they’re not all blooming at the same time. This can be done indoors in seedling trays or direct sowing in the garden.

For example single stem sunflowers generally only have pollen for about two weeks. To extend your harvest you can sow batches every two weeks. Just take into account your chosen variety’s “days to harvest” to ensure all of your plantings will bloom before fall frosts.

Selecting Varieties

Everyone has trouble picking out seeds. There’s so many varieties and so little time and space! For your pollinator garden there’s a few special considerations to help you narrow down your list.

Bloom Period

Typically flowers are selected for their looks and smell but for your pollinator garden you’ll want to consider when varieties flower, what time of day they flower, and how long they flower.

Some plant varieties offer much longer blooming periods than others. Often these varieties are favorites for cut flower growers but they can also be helpful for pollinators. Some great long blooming flowers include Cosmos, Zinnias, Bergamot, and Poppies.

Sadly moths are often forgotten in the pollinator conversation. Moths are beautiful and absolutely play a necessary part in the ecosystem. To give them a helping hand plant varieties like Four O’Clocks or Evening Scented Primrose which bloom in the evening.

Native Wildflowers

Another consideration when planting for pollinators is to be sure and include native species. Those free promotional wildflower seed packets are great but they may not include varieties that are essential to the survival of your local pollinators.

Native wildflowers are also well adapted to your local climate meaning that they can do well with much less watering and maintenance. They’re great for pollinators, the environment, and you! What’s not to love?

Some of my favorite native wildflowers from Southern Exposure include the Appalachian native Lemon Bergamot, the aptly named Butterfly Weed, and Texas native Red Drummond Phlox.

Dual Purpose Flowers

Echinacea

If you’re like me your garden is all about practically. While helping pollinators is obviously important to having a successful farm I still like to squeeze extra productivity where possible. I often pick varieties of flowers that are edible, medicinal, or can be used for dye. If you’re all about making the most of your garden space check out these varieties.

Edible Medicinal Dye
Bachelor’s Button Anise-Hyssop Coreopsis
Bread Seed Poppy Bergamot (Bee Balm) Hopi Dye Sunflower
Grain Amaranth Calendula
Johnny-Jump-Up Chamomile
Mexican Mint Marigold Echinacea
Nasturtium Feverfew
Red Clover Hyssop
Sunflowers Lavender

Other Ideas

Aside from a carefully planned flower garden there are several ways to incorporate more blooms into your property.

Save Seed

You may think that plants like lettuce and radishes offer little benefits to pollinators because they’re harvested before they flower. However if you choose to save seed they’ll flower before you harvest your seeds.

Cover Crop

Never leave soil bare! Not only does it contribute to nutrient depletion and erosion it’s also a waste of valuable space. If you’re letting a section of garden rest for the season consider a cover crop like alfalfa or clover which fix nitrogen in your soil and flower for long periods. When you finish with an early crop like radishes, arugula, or peas consider quick to flower, cover crops like Buckwheat.

Leave Un-mowed Areas

If you have a larger property than you use for gardens a great way to help pollinators and many other native species is simply to leave areas natural. Without constant mowing many native species will flourish.

Sometimes all the world’s problems can be a bit overwhelming but small actions can really make a big difference. Following these tips can help you create a beautiful garden that will give pollinators a helping hand. With a little extra effort you’ll be helping moths, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators and beneficial insects.

What’s your favorite flower variety?