Garden Journal
An open book of musings, inspiration, seasonal tasks, our recent projects and big ideas. Browse the latest articles below or search for a topic that interests you. Leave a comment and join the conversation.
Q&A: Should I clean up the leaves that have fallen into my garden?
The why and when on removing fall leaves from your veggie beds.
End of Year Garden Shut Down Essentials
Ladies and gentlemen, now is the time to tackle your garden shutdown list. No really. You must. Every spring, we get so many phone calls from clients with busted pipes, broken hose nozzles, fractured irrigation lines and cracked watering cans, but it’s all avoidable! The few chores that are left can be squeezed into an hour or two on the weekends. You will grateful that you did this task list next spring, when, instead of looking at a long repair list, you can dig in beautifully composted soil and poke new seeds into the ground.
How to Preserve Your Fall Harvest Before First Frost: Our Favorite Recipes and Cookbooks
The peppers are piling up and frost is on its way. Before it hits, here’s how we hold onto the harvest: a favorite recipe and cookbook pick from each of us. Whether you’re making pickles, tomato sauce, or freezer vegetables, here’s inspiration to preserve your fall harvest in Middle Tennessee.
Q & A: When do I bring my citrus and other frost-sensitive plants inside?
Wondering when to bring your lemon tree and other frost-sensitive potted plants inside in Middle Tennessee? The short answer is well before the first frost, which averages around the end of October. Learn why citrus doesn’t go dormant like our native trees, what to expect after the move (leaf drop, spider mites, and winter blooms), and how to ease your tree back outside in spring.
Late-October Garden To-Do List
What to plant, harvest, and tend in your late-October garden.
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me…
September was not particularly kind to our fall gardens. Between the relentless heat, disappearing seedlings, and hungry squirrels, there was plenty to be frustrated about. But now that the temperatures have finally dropped, I've found myself spending more time in the garden and accomplishing considerably less. This week, a few thoughts on slow mornings, neglected tomatoes, and finding a little room to enjoy the garden without another to-do list.
Q&A: When are my sweet potatoes ready to harvest?
Not sure when to dig your sweet potatoes? You're not alone — it's one of the most common questions we get, right alongside carrots and regular potatoes. Since you can't see what's happening underground, it's tempting to pull them early just to check. This guide breaks down the real signs to watch for (hint: it's not just the calendar), why frost is the deadline that actually matters, and how curing is what turns bland, starchy roots into the sweet potatoes you're picturing.
Early October Garden To-Do List
What to plant, harvest, and tend in your Early-October garden.
Q&A: Did I miss my chance to plant a fall garden?
Did the heat wave wreck your fall garden? It's not too late. Here's what you can still plant in Middle Tennessee this fall, from quick greens to garlic.
Late-September Garden To-Do List
What to plant, harvest, and tend in your late-September garden.
Q&A: What’s the difference in raised beds versus smaller containers versus in-ground gardens in the fall?
We’ve posted a lot about fall gardening on Instagram recently, and we’ve gotten some thoughtful questions about how our garden advice applies to fall plants in smaller containers or directly planted in the ground. Although raised beds are certainly our jam, the difference in growing plants in raised beds, container, or in the ground really matters in the fall, and it can be helpful to dive deeper. All three approaches can produce a beautiful crop of lettuce, kale, carrots, herbs and other cool-season vegetables. But the soil around those plants behaves differently depending on how much of it there is—and how exposed it is to the air around it.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
September Is the Other New Year’s
It's been a hot, tired season — but September is a fresh start. Here's what our team is doing to make the next three months count.
Mid-September Garden To-Do List
What to plant, harvest, and tend in your Mid-September garden.
Q&A: My plants dying before summer is over! Did I do something wrong?
When a plant dies before we think it should, our first instinct is often to search for the mistake. Did I water it enough? Did I water it too much? Did I miss a pest? Should I have fertilized it?
Sometimes there is something we could have done differently. But more often than not, a plant’s decline is the result of weather, disease, or insect pressure that no gardener can completely prevent. Learning to separate what is within our control from what isn’t can make us better gardeners—and keep us from taking every dead cucumber personally.
Here’s how to tell the difference.
Early September To-Do List
What to plant, prune, and watch for in your Middle Tennessee garden in early September — this year's to-do list, Dolly-style.
The Busy Gardener's 2-Hour Fall Power-Planting Session
Only have two hours this weekend? Here's exactly what to do first for a thriving fall garden in Middle Tennessee — no wasted time.
Overcoming the Summer Recipe Rut: What to do with the next batch of zucchini
Tired of BLTs, pickles, zucchini bread, and fried okra? These late-summer recipes take the vegetables filling your garden and turn them into something new, unexpected, and worth cooking again.
Q&A: What Should I Plant in My Fall Garden?
Fall gardening in Middle Tennessee is one of the best seasons in the kitchen garden — and after six years working with clients across Nashville, we' love that their question is no longer whether to plant a fall garden, but what to plant and how to make it work for their lives right now. From quick salad greens you can direct sow this week to showstopping Graffiti cauliflower and Romanesco, we've organized our full fall planting list by effort level so you can find your fit and get growing.
Mid-late August Garden To-Do List
Mid-August in Middle Tennessee is the perfect time to savor the summer harvest, refresh your garden, and gear up for fall planting. From picking peak-season produce to tackling pests and planning for cooler weather crops, this to-do list will keep your garden thriving through the late-summer heat.