Herb your gardening enthusiasm

Welp, it’s officially June. The sun is hot, the Magnolia trees are in full bloom, + local farmers markets are ripe for the picking. While you can head out + buy produce any day of the week, there are many benefits to growing your own fruits + veggies– and no, you don’t need a green thumb or a backyard.

In addition to having all of your salad fixings on hand, gardening is actually considered moderate exercise. Don’t believe it? Head over to your local gardening center, load a few 50 lb. bags of topsoil into your trunk, + think of me while you’re wiping the sweat from your brow. 😅 Gardening gets your muscles moving, can be a form of stress relief, helps with hand strength + dexterity, supports immune regulation, and has even been found to have therapeutic benefits + alleviate depression. No wonder Old McDonald always seemed so cheerful!

As tomorrow is National Gardening Exercise Day– a day observed by gardeners each year to encourage lovers of produce to maximize the physical + mental benefits of weeding, digging, planting, + pruning your own food right at home– we want to help you reap these benefits + impress your friends the next time you throw a dinner party.

Whether you live in a condo downtown, an apartment in Mount Pleasant, or have a backyard in Summerville, we have the ways for you to garden right at home.

Whether you’re planting in the ground of your backyard, or in pots on your urban balcony, the first thing you want to consider is the first + last frost dates for the year. Why? If you plant too early in the spring, you risk killing your seedlings. If you don’t plant at least 8 weeks before the last frost date, you may end up with a late harvest, or potentially be wiped out by a surprise early frost. (Based on the South Carolina Last & First Frost Dates, the last frost was Mar. 28, 2018, while the first frost occured on Nov. 10, 2017).

Frost dates aside, due to the Lowcountry heat, it’s difficult to cultivate your crops in the month of June. But luckily, Charleston produces two full gardening seasons, which means– if you missed out on the spring blooms– you can still get down with the broccoli crowns + start your late summer garden.

View the guide below to learn more about what to plant + when.
* Indicates veggies which are are great plants to grow in pots if you do not have a backyard

Vegetables

🌱Beets
Start your seeds: Early September (direct sow outside)
Harvest: Late November

🌱Broccoli
Start your seeds: Mid-August
Plant outdoors: October
Harvest: Mid-December

🌱Cabbage*
Start your seeds: Early September
Plant outdoors: October
Harvest: Mid-December

🌱Carrots
Start your seeds: Mid-September (direct sow outside)
Harvest: Mid-December

🌱Cauliflower
Start your seeds: Early September
Plant outdoors: Mid-October
Harvest: Mid-December

🌱Cucumber*
Start your seeds: Mid-August
Plant outdoors: October
Harvest: Late November

🌱Herbs (Basil, Cilantro, Oregano)*
Start your seeds: June
Plant outdoors: July
Harvest: Until the first frost

🌱Kale*
Start your seeds: Early October (direct sow outside)
Harvest: Late December

🌱Lettuce*
Start your seeds: Mid-September
Plant outdoors: October
Harvest: Mid-December

🌱Okra
Start your seeds: Mid-June
Plant outdoors: July
Harvest: Mid-August

🌱Peas*
Start your seeds: October
Plant outdoors: November
Harvest: Mid-December

🌱Peppers*
Start your seeds: Mid-July
Plant outdoors: Late September
Harvest: Late November

🌱Pumpkin
Plant outdoors: July 1
Harvest: Late October

🌱Spinach*
Start your seeds: Mid-September
Plant outdoors: Late October
Harvest: Mid-December

🌱Squash*
Start your seeds: Mid-July
Plant outdoors: Mid-August
Harvest: Mid-October

🌱Tomato*
Start your seeds: Mid-July
Plant outdoors: Early October
Harvest: Late November

Fruit

Fruit trees that do best in the Lowcountry are:

🍑 Peach

🍋 Citrus

🍈 Fig

A few things to keep in mind:

For most plants, you should start your seeds indoors. You can do this by using small pots or even an empty egg carton with some soil.
Check your hardiness zone to understand which plants will thrive in your specific climate.

Having transplanted here from New York, I had a difficult time adjusting to the Charleston gardening season, which starts in January. But I was thrilled to know I could still get my green thumb on by beginning my garden in the late summer.

As I am still going through trial + error in my own backyard garden, if you have any gardening tips, I would love to hear them! Reply to this email and let me know your favorite late summer + fall crops.

-Justine