Not sure whether to pull your cool-season crops or hold on a little longer? The answer depends on your garden, your appetite, and your timeline. In Middle Tennessee's long growing season, a slow transition almost always beats a hard reset. Pull plants that are bolting, pest-ridden, or simply finished. Leave anything that's still healthy, producing, and ending up on your plate. And don't overlook creative overlap strategies — like planting tomatoes beside a pea trellis before the peas are done, or tucking a pepper in next to your lettuce to serve as living mulch. Your garden can shift seasons gradually, and so can you.

Spring greens aren’t just a seasonal trend—they’re some of the most nutrient-dense foods we eat all year.

And right now, they’re growing in your garden.

Here’s why your body is craving them—and how to harvest, eat, and store them in a way that actually preserves their benefits.