Plants and Strategies to Attract Bees, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators

The late summer garden can still be a vibrant hub of activity. For gardeners and nature enthusiasts, this period offers a crucial opportunity to support and attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. These creatures are vital for the health of our ecosystems and the productivity of our gardens. 

The Importance of Pollinators

Pollinators play a pivotal role in the reproduction of many plants, including those that produce fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other insects transfer pollen from one flower to another, facilitating the fertilization process. This not only results in the production of seeds and fruits but also maintains biodiversity and the health of ecosystems. However, pollinator populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. Creating pollinator-friendly environments can help reverse this trend.

Late Summer Blooms: Key Plants for Pollinators 

To attract and sustain pollinators in late summer, it’s essential to provide a variety of flowering plants that bloom during this period. Here are some top choices: 

1. Echinacea (Coneflower)

   1. Description: Known for their large, daisy-like flowers with a prominent central cone, echinaceas are a favorite among bees and butterflies.
   2. Benefits: These hardy perennials provide nectar and pollen from late summer into early fall, ensuring a food source when other flowers have faded. 

2. Solidago (Goldenrod)

   1. Description: Often unfairly blamed for hay fever, goldenrods are excellent nectar sources for late summer pollinators.
   2. Benefits: They support a wide range of insects, including bees, butterflies, and beetles, with their bright yellow blooms. 

3. Helianthus (Sunflower)

   1. Description: These towering plants with their cheerful yellow flowers are not only beautiful but also highly attractive to a variety of pollinators.
   2. Benefits: Sunflowers provide both nectar and pollen, and their seeds are a bonus food source for birds.

4. Sedum (Stonecrop)

   1. Description: Sedums are succulents with clusters of star-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer.
   2. Benefits: They are particularly attractive to bees and butterflies, offering rich nectar supplies.

5. Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium)

   1. Description: With its tall stature and clusters of pinkish-purple flowers, Joe-Pye Weed is a magnet for butterflies.
   2. Benefits: This native perennial provides abundant nectar during late summer, supporting migrating monarchs and other butterflies.

Strategies to Enhance Pollinator Habitats 

Providing the right plants is just the beginning. Implementing effective strategies can further enhance the attractiveness of your garden to pollinators. 

1. Diverse Planting

   1. Approach: Plant a variety of flowers with different shapes, colors, and blooming times.
   2. Impact: This ensures that pollinators have access to food throughout the growing season and attracts a broader range of species. 

2. Native Plants

   1. Approach: Incorporate native plants that have co-evolved with local pollinators.
   2. Impact: Native plants are often more attractive and beneficial to local pollinator species compared to exotic plants. 

3. Pesticide Reduction

   1. Approach: Avoid using pesticides, or opt for organic and pollinator-friendly options. 
   2. Impact: Pesticides can be harmful to pollinators, so reducing their use helps create a safer environment. 

4. Water Sources

   1. Approach: Provide shallow water sources, such as bird baths with stones for landing.
   2. Impact: Pollinators need water for hydration, especially during hot weather. 

5. Habitat Features

   1. Approach: Include features like bee hotels, brush piles, and bare patches of soil.
   2. Impact: These features offer nesting and shelter opportunities for various pollinators. 

By focusing on late summer plants and adopting strategies to create a pollinator-friendly environment, gardeners can play a significant role in supporting these essential creatures. The rewards are not only a more vibrant and productive garden but also the satisfaction of contributing to the health and diversity of our natural world. 

As the vibrant summer days give way to the cooler fall temperatures, gardeners find themselves transitioning from the hustle of planting and harvesting to the quieter tasks of garden maintenance. One crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect of this seasonal shift is the care and storage of garden tools. 

Properly cleaning and storing your tools not only extends their lifespan but also ensures they are ready for use when spring rolls around again. 

The Importance of Tool Maintenance 

Garden tools are the unsung heroes of any successful gardening endeavor. From shovels and pruners to hoes and rakes, these implements bear the brunt of physical labor, battling dirt, moisture, and plant residue. Without proper care, tools can rust, dull, and even break, making gardening tasks more difficult and less efficient. Regular maintenance is not just about preserving tools; it’s about enhancing gardening productivity and ensuring safety.

Step-by-Step Cleaning Guide

Step One: Gather Your Tools

Start by collecting all your garden tools. Lay them out in a well-ventilated space where you can easily access water and cleaning supplies.

Step Two: Remove Dirt and Debris

Use a stiff brush to scrub off soil and plant residue from your tools. For stubborn dirt, soak the tools in a bucket of warm, soapy water for about 10-15 minutes before scrubbing. Pay special attention to crevices and joints where dirt tends to accumulate.

Step Three: Clean with Vinegar Solution

For metal parts showing signs of rust, soak the affected areas in a mixture of white vinegar and water (1:1 ratio) for a few hours. The acetic acid in vinegar helps dissolve rust. After soaking, scrub the rusted areas with a wire brush or steel wool.

Step Four: Disinfect

To prevent the spread of plant diseases, it’s essential to disinfect your tools. Prepare a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water and soak the tools for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can use rubbing alcohol or a commercial disinfectant. Rinse thoroughly with water and dry completely. 

Step Five: Sharpen Blades

Sharp tools make for cleaner cuts and more efficient work. Use a sharpening stone, file, or a specialized tool sharpener to hone the edges of pruners, shears, and hoes. Follow the original bevel of the blade, and remember to wear protective gloves to avoid accidents.

Step Six: Oil to Prevent Rust

Once clean and dry, coat the metal parts of your tools with a light layer of oil to prevent rust. Linseed oil works well for wooden handles, keeping them smooth and splinter-free. For metal parts, a light machine oil or a silicone spray provides a protective barrier against moisture.

Storing Your Tools

Proper storage is just as important as cleaning. Here are some tips for storing your garden tools effectively: 

1. Choose the Right Location: Store your tools in a dry, well-ventilated area. A shed, garage, or dedicated tool storage unit is ideal. Avoid damp basements or outdoor spaces where tools can be exposed to the elements.
2. Use Tool Racks and Hooks: Organize tools by hanging them on wall-mounted racks or hooks. This keeps them off the ground, reducing the risk of rust and damage. It also makes it easier to find and access the tools when you need them. 
3. Protect Wooden Handles: Wooden handles can dry out and crack over time. To keep them in good condition, rub them down with linseed oil before storing. This adds a protective layer and helps maintain the wood’s integrity.
4. Keep Small Tools Together: Use a toolbox or a bucket to store smaller hand tools like trowels, hand forks, and pruners. Adding a layer of sand mixed with oil at the bottom of the bucket can help keep the tools clean and rust-free. 
5. Label and Inventory: Consider labeling your tools or taking an inventory. This helps you keep track of what you have, reducing the chances of misplacing tools and making it easier to identify if something needs replacing or repairing.

The Long-Term Benefits 

Investing time in proper tool maintenance pays off in the long run. Well-maintained tools perform better, making your gardening tasks smoother and more enjoyable. They are also safer to use, reducing the risk of accidents caused by blunt or broken tools. Moreover, taking care of your tools is an environmentally friendly practice, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing waste. 

We survived the crushing heat of June and early July and, thankfully, were greeted with some welcomed rain—and our gardens are soaking it all in. If you’re anything like us, you may have noticed some late bloomers—squash taking longer to come in, tomatoes ripening slower—but with the steady rain we’ve received over the last few weeks gardens are finally coming in in abundance!

Don’t miss our July garden checklist if you need to play a bit of catch up.

Indoors

August is prep month for a fall garden, if you’re planting one. Start seeds indoors for brussel sprouts, broccoli, and other Brassicas. This is also a great time to order onion, shallot, or garlic bulbs so they’re ready to be planted in the next month. You can also research and order your spring flower bulbs at this time.

August continues to bring a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables. Use this time to preserve the excess by canning, freezing, or drying your produce. This not only reduces waste but also allows you to enjoy garden-fresh flavors year-round.

Outdoors

Peas can be directly sown in mid-to-late August for your fall garden. One thing to note, however, is that your pea harvest will be about half as productive as your summer harvest—so you may want to plant more than you planted in the summer to make up for the deficit. 

Spinach, swiss chard, beets, carrots, lettuce, kale, and radishes can all also be directly sown in August for your fall garden. You can succession plant spinach, kale, and lettuce for a continuous harvest—even up to two weeks before the first frost of the season.

If you’ve grown raspberries, prune your raspberry canes after your last berry harvest to ensure a healthy return next year. Prune the old flowering canes and leave only three to four young canes per foot.

Harvest squash regularly to keep the plants producing, and harvest cantaloupes once the stem separates from the fruit with only a gentle touch. Keep deadheading your flowers.

Keep your lawn healthy by mowing it regularly, but avoid cutting it too short. Grass that is cut too short can become stressed and more susceptible to heat and drought. Water your lawn deeply and less frequently to promote deep root growth.

By following this August garden checklist, you’ll keep your Zone 7A garden thriving through the hottest part of the year. Stay diligent with watering, pest control, and planning for future planting to enjoy a productive and beautiful garden all season long.

July is a pivotal month for gardeners in Zone 7A, a time when summer is in full swing and the garden requires both maintenance and preparation for future seasons. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to ensure your garden remains healthy and productive through the heat of July.

Don’t miss our June garden checklist if you need to play a bit of catch up.

Indoors

As the summer peaks, it’s a great time to start planning your fall garden. Review seed catalogs and order seeds for fall crops such as broccoli, kale, and carrots. Planning ahead ensures you have everything ready when the planting season arrives.

July often brings a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables. Use this time to preserve the excess by canning, freezing, or drying your produce. This not only reduces waste but also allows you to enjoy garden-fresh flavors year-round.

The hot and humid weather can stress houseplants. Ensure they are not exposed to direct sunlight, as it can scorch their leaves. Increase humidity around your plants by misting them regularly or placing a tray of water nearby. Check for pests and treat them promptly to prevent infestations.

Outdoors

Consistent watering is crucial in July. Water deeply and early in the morning to reduce evaporation and prevent fungal diseases. Consider using soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems to deliver water directly to the roots and conserve water.

Refresh mulch around your plants to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. Organic mulches like straw, wood chips, or grass clippings break down over time and improve soil quality.

Inspect your garden regularly for pests such as aphids, spider mites, and caterpillars. Use organic pesticides or natural predators to manage pest populations. Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings to keep harmful insects in check.

Keep on top of weeds to prevent them from competing with your plants for nutrients and water. Regular weeding sessions will make this task more manageable and prevent weeds from going to seed and spreading further.

Many summer vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans will be at their peak in July. Harvest them regularly to encourage continued production. Overripe vegetables can attract pests and reduce overall yields.

July is an excellent time to plant late summer crops such as beans, cucumbers, and summer squash. These fast-growing vegetables can provide a second harvest before the cooler weather sets in. Additionally, start seeds indoors for fall crops like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.

Keep your lawn healthy by mowing it regularly, but avoid cutting it too short. Grass that is cut too short can become stressed and more susceptible to heat and drought. Water your lawn deeply and less frequently to promote deep root growth.

Prune summer-flowering shrubs after they have finished blooming to encourage healthy growth and more blooms next year. Remove any dead or diseased branches to maintain the plant’s overall health.

By following this July garden checklist, you’ll keep your Zone 7A garden thriving through the hottest part of the year. Stay diligent with watering, pest control, and planning for future planting to enjoy a productive and beautiful garden all season long.

Conservation Landscaping Best Practices

By: Lindsey Cline-Shrader

Conservation landscaping blends aesthetic appeal and ecological responsibility. It creates spaces that are not only visually stunning but also conserve resources and create havens for wildlife. The key to enchanting, low-maintenance gardens are also conservation landscaping best practices, such as dense planting, no-till gardening, and plug planting.

Dense Planting

The benefits of dense planting are manifold. Dense planting minimizes the space available for weeds to grow, a needed “win” in Virginia summers. A dense network of root systems enhances the soil’s ability to absorb water, reducing erosion and runoff, improving soil structure, and promoting deep infiltration. 

Dense plantings can increase the number and variety of plants, supporting a range of pollinators and beneficial insects and reducing the distance they must fly for nectar. Furthermore, dense planting provides shade and reduces temperature fluctuations in the soil. It also allows plants to signal to one another about threats from insects or diseases, creating a stable environment for growth and more successful plants. 

Dense planting may bring English cottage gardens to mind, but it can be adapted to various styles. Try a single ground cover grass species between forbs (herbaceous flowering plants) in modern gardens, or a mix of plant textures for added interest in shade gardens, or overlapping plant blocks for simplicity and artistry in Arts and Crafts style gardens.

No-Till Gardening

Another conservation landscaping practice, no-till gardening, preserves soil structure and the life within it. Traditional tilling disrupts soil microorganisms, depletes organic matter, and leads to erosion. No-till gardening maintains the natural soil structure, allowing deeper water infiltration and root growth. Undisturbed soil holds more water over time, helping plants withstand drought.

No-till also protects the habitat of beneficial soil organisms, such as earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi, which recycle soil nutrients. 

When creating new beds, use sheet mulching or cover crops. Sheet mulching involves layering organic materials (like compost, topsoil, or mulch) to suppress weeds and build fertility. The “lasagna” method uses cardboard to smother turfgrass, followed by topdressing with organic materials. Studies show cardboard slightly reduces carbon and oxygen in the soil, but those levels rebound in less than a year.

My favorite method for creating new garden beds is to mow the grass as low as possible and then compost in place by layering grass clippings and leaves in two-inch-thick layers. This builds soil and smothers most turfgrasses within several weeks. 

I recommend steering clear of solarization with plastic and landscape fabric. Solarization with plastic tarps generates microplastics and pollutes soil. Landscape fabric hampers the exchange of air and water in the soil, reducing soil health and decreasing plant vitality. Most weed seeds are wind-dispersed, allowing them to germinate on top of fabric, rendering it useless. Fabric can strangle trees and shrubs and typically becomes trash after several years.

Plug Planting

Plug planting establishes gardens efficiently, particularly perennials and native plant species. Plugs are small, young plants typically grown in deep but narrow containers—allowing strong root growth with minimal height. Plugs require smaller planting holes, minimizing soil disruption and root damage. 

Young plants adapt quickly to their environment, establishing roots more rapidly than larger, more mature plants. Plug planting allows for precise placement, enabling the intricate patterns recommended for dense plantings. Plugs often cost less than larger plants, allowing you to cover larger areas with less investment. 

Plugs are planted directly into the ground like larger plants, though a narrow spade creates less disturbance and awakens fewer weed seeds, encouraging a smoother first-year garden.

Additional Conservation Efforts

Efficient water management is essential in conservation landscaping. Although our area has an abundant water table, capturing water during rainy spells can protect our water supply during summer droughts. 

Adding rain barrels to downspouts not only provides extra water in hot, dry summers but may reduce overflow into city storm water drains. Rain gardens, beautiful spaces in their own right, reduce erosion and pollution by capturing and filtering water runoff. These gardens slowly absorb rainwater, promote groundwater recharge, and create unique micro-habitats in damp to wet soil. 

One final touch in conservation landscaping are accessories that provide food, water, and shelter to turn your garden into a habitat haven. Bird feeders, birdbaths, nesting boxes, berry-producing shrubs, and small water features support wildlife. Brush piles, logs, and dead trees provide shelter, breeding sites for reptiles and amphibians, and food sources for birds like woodpeckers. 

By implementing these practices in our own landscapes, we can support biodiversity, conserve resources, and enhance beauty. We have a role in nature, and our collective efforts can make a significant difference. 

Top 5 Native Plants for Rain Gardens

1. Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) attracts monarchs and other pollinators with clusters of pink to mauve flowers. 

• Full sun to partial shade and wet to moderate soils

2. Joe-Pye Weed
(Eutrochium purpureum) attracts pollinators and adapts to clay soils with large cluster or pink to purplish flowers.

• Full sun to partial shade and moist to wet soils

3. The Lobelias:
Cardinal Flower
(Lobelia cardinalis) & Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) attract hummingbirds and butterflies to their vibrant red and blue tubular flowers on tall spikes.

• Full sun to partial
shade and consistently moist soils

4. New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) provides height to borders and late-season nectar for bees and butterflies with vibrant fuchsia flowers.

• Full sun to partial
shade and moist,
well-drained soils

5. Blue Flag Iris
(Iris versicolor) provides showy blue-purple
iris flowers among
sword-like leaves.

• Full sun to partial shade and wet, boggy soils

The Importance of Kids Spending Time Outside

By: Shannon Kelly  |  Photos Courtesy: Jill Waugh

Nature is healing,” said Catherine Eubank, founder of ONE Forest School near Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County. 

Her sentiment echoes myriad studies on the healthful impacts of spending time outdoors—and studies that examine what can happen when there is a lack of connection to the natural world.

“Nature deficit disorder” is a term coined by Richard Louv in 2005, in his book, Last Child in
the Woods. In an interview with Jill Suttie for Greater Good Magazine, Louv said the term
“is not a medical diagnosis, but a useful term—a metaphor—to describe what many of us believe are the human costs of alienation from nature: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, a rising rate of myopia, child and adult obesity, Vitamin D deficiency, and other maladies.”

Louv further said urban planning and loss of green spaces contribute to diminished engagement with nature.

Some places in and around the Lynchburg area aim to remedy that.

ONE Forest School

Located near Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County, ONE Forest School is an accredited forest school and is also accredited by the American Camp Association for the summer camp program it offers. Launched in 2017, the school operates on a 10-acre campus on Deerhead Nature Preserve.

Open to children from preschool through eighth grade, ONE Forest School’s curriculum and setting aims to address what Eubank said is a root cause of school and workplace violence, substance use issues, and suicide rates, particularly among young people: a lack of knowledge on how to healthfully manage strong emotions, and how to communicate them appropriately. 

Part of addressing this issue starts with acknowledging its connection to nature deprivation.

“If you’re in the middle of the forest, and you are not surrounded by anything but sticks and twigs, and beautiful images, and the birds tweeting, it’s a natural sedative. It’s been scientifically proven, the endorphin levels rise in your brain, and all the things that you need to quiet your mind are already right there,” she said.

Eubank has seen the transformative difference nature immersion makes on children as they learn to acclimate to more time outside—building sure-footedness and tuning in to nature rather than manufactured noise and artificial stimuli.

Playing with sticks, making mud cakes, working the garden, putting on skits, making crafts, sharing in talk circles, and spending time in the sand box are all part of the holistic experience. Students learn to identify the flora and fauna by touch, sight, and smell. 

“The kids that have been in public school, and were made to sit down, and made to be quiet have a really hard time also adjusting to our way of things, where we don’t sit down, and we’re moving around, and we’re investigating, and looking, and touching, and feeling, and speaking, and communicating. We have to use that time as an unschooling process,” Eubank said.

More details about ONE Forest School can be found at oneforestschool.org.

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center

In the City of Lynchburg, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah is a 47-acre nature oasis that, according to its mission statement, “serves emerging social needs through the process of engaging children, families and community in meaningful outdoor experiences.” In 2021,
the camp expanded on that mission by placing 42 of its acres under a conservation easement and rebranding to a new name: Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center.

Featuring a large field, creeks, and some pools, the property is predominantly wooded. Pollinator and sensory gardens are tended there, along with native plants. Students and campers who participate in certain programs have the opportunity to help in the vegetable garden, harvest their own food, and cook with it, learning about nutrition and how to make healthy meals that benefit physical and mental wellbeing. 

Being outside tends to make one want to learn, said Amy Bonnette, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah’s executive director. 

“Not 100 percent, but the majority of the behavior issues or challenges you might see in a traditional classroom setting just disappear, and a lot of children who might struggle in a traditional academic atmosphere can really thrive and succeed, and are willing to ask questions, and willing to share, and are able to use their hands to explore and to learn,” said Gage McAngus, program director at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center. “It’s been really phenomenal, because in discussions we’ve had with teachers, they’ve seen a completely different side of their children.”

Further initiatives underway at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center include building renovations, handicap accessibility improvements, addition of a kitchen and event space, and the organization is working toward the goal of breaking ground for a new amphitheater. The nonprofit camp also has scholarships available for a limited number of eligible kids.

“I want people to find their place in the woods,” Bonnette said. The experiences at the nature center help develop confidence and self-esteem in the children who participate, building community, exploring new interests and activities, cultivating listening and communication skills, and developing compassion for other living things as they interact with the natural world and with each other. Leadership and mentoring opportunities are also available for teens through the camp’s programming.

“There seems to be a real kind of gentleness when it comes to nature that you might not get from the anxiety that can come from being in front of a screen, playing a video game, or watching a show that’s going to end after 20 minutes with an ad in the middle.

They really are able to take time to breathe, and to calm down, and to appreciate just the beauty of what’s around them every day,” McAngus said. 

There are a few public access points around the property to walking trails, athletic fields, and pollinator gardens the community can enjoy. The KinderWoods area is also open to the public every day from 9 a.m. ’til dusk when summer camp is not in session.

More information and a calendar of events is available online at campkumbayah.org.   

Raised bed gardening has surged in popularity, offering gardeners a controlled environment to cultivate a variety of crops. Among the techniques that optimize the use of these compact spaces, intensive planting stands out for its ability to maximize both yield and efficiency. This method not only enhances productivity but also contributes to healthier plants and more sustainable gardening practices. 

Understanding Intensive Planting

Intensive planting is a gardening technique that focuses on growing a large number of plants in a relatively small space. Unlike traditional row planting, which often leaves significant gaps between plants, intensive planting seeks to utilize every inch of available soil. This approach is particularly suited to raised beds, where soil conditions can be carefully controlled and optimized.

The core principle of intensive planting is to minimize wasted space. By reducing the distance between plants, gardeners can increase the density of their crops. This not only leads to higher yields but also helps in suppressing weeds, as the tightly packed plants leave little room for unwanted growth. Additionally, the close proximity of plants can create a microclimate that reduces water evaporation and promotes healthier plant growth.

Benefits of Intensive Planting in Raised Beds

Raised beds offer several advantages that make them ideal for intensive planting. First and foremost, the soil in raised beds warms up faster in the spring, allowing for an earlier start to the growing season. The elevated structure also improves drainage, reducing the risk of waterlogged roots, which is crucial for the success of densely planted crops.

Another significant benefit is the ability to create a custom soil mix tailored to the needs of your plants. By filling your raised bed with a rich blend of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite or perlite, you can provide an optimal growing environment that supports intensive planting. This well-draining, nutrient-rich medium is perfect for supporting the dense root systems that are characteristic of intensive planting.

Moreover, raised beds are easier to manage in terms of pest control and maintenance. The defined borders of a raised bed create a barrier that can help deter pests, and the higher planting density can make it more difficult for pests to move between plants. Maintenance tasks such as watering, weeding, and harvesting are also more manageable in a compact, organized space.

Techniques for Successful Intensive Planting

To achieve success with intensive planting in raised beds, it is essential to follow a few key techniques. One of the most effective strategies is square foot gardening, which involves dividing the raised bed into a grid of one-foot squares. Each square is then planted with a specific number of plants based on their mature size. For example, one square foot might accommodate one tomato plant, four lettuce plants, or sixteen carrot plants.

Companion planting is another valuable technique in intensive planting. By selecting plants that thrive together, you can enhance growth and deter pests naturally. For instance, planting basil alongside tomatoes can improve the flavor of the tomatoes and help repel aphids. Similarly, pairing beans with corn can provide mutual benefits: the beans fix nitrogen in the soil, while the corn offers structural support for the climbing beans.

Succession planting is also crucial in intensive gardening. This involves planting crops in a sequence to ensure continuous harvests throughout the growing season. As soon as one crop is harvested, another is planted in its place. For example, after harvesting early spring radishes, you can use the same space to plant summer beans or fall greens.

Challenges and Solutions

While intensive planting in raised beds offers numerous benefits, it also presents some challenges. One of the primary concerns is ensuring that plants receive adequate nutrients. Because plants are grown closely together, they can quickly deplete the soil of essential nutrients. To address this, it is vital to amend the soil regularly with compost and organic fertilizers. Additionally, practicing crop rotation can help prevent soil nutrient depletion and reduce the risk of disease.

Another challenge is the potential for increased pest and disease pressure due to the high plant density. Regular monitoring and prompt intervention are key to managing these issues. Implementing organic pest control methods, such as using insecticidal soaps, neem oil, or introducing beneficial insects, can help keep pest populations in check without harming the ecosystem.

Watering can also be more demanding in an intensive planting setup. Plants in raised beds tend to dry out faster than those in traditional gardens, and the high density of crops can exacerbate this issue. Drip irrigation systems or soaker hoses are highly recommended to ensure consistent and efficient water delivery to the plants.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, intensive planting in raised beds offers an exciting and rewarding path to maximizing your garden’s potential.

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Everything you need to do for a successful growing season

When Andy Williams sang, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” we’re pretty sure he was talking about gardening season, not Christmas. If you planted early spring crops like lettuces, snap peas, and radishes, you’ve likely been harvesting and indulging for a few weeks! But there’s still plenty left to do as the start of summer approaches.

Don’t miss our May garden checklist if you need to play a bit of catch-up.

Indoors
While summer gardening is in full swing and most of your tasks will be outdoors this month, now is a great time to start planning your fall garden. Get your seed stash organized and pre-order shallot and garlic bulbs if you plan on planting them.

Outdoors
You’ll have dirt under your fingernails all month—nature’s manicure, right? While much of your May planting won’t be producing this month, June is all about damage control and preventative maintenance. Potato beetles, cucumber beetles, cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles, aphids, and squash borers are all your worst enemies this month. Keep brassica crops covered with a removable row cover to protect them as much as possible. If you spot aphids, give plant leaves a strong jet spray of water to dislodge the pests and invest in an organic-approved insecticidal soap to keep the aphids at bay. And, it’s less-than-ideal work, but hand-picking aphids or squash borer eggs is the humble job of every gardener.

But there is fun work to be had, too! You can continue direct sowing sunflowers, nasturtiums, marigolds, borage, and basil. Did you know that nasturtium is a powerhouse plant to have in the garden? Not only is every bit of it edible, but nasturtium is a “trap crop” meaning it attracts harmful pests like aphids and keeps them away from your more vulnerable vegetable plants.

You can also still direct sow squash, cucumbers, and beans. For an ample bean harvest all season, consider succession planting every two weeks for a crop that will be continuously producing.

Water your garden thoroughly once a week and aim to weekly or more to stay on top of it and keep the task more manageable.

If you have a thriving lilac or hydrangea, June is also an ideal time to take softwood cuttings to start new plants.

Give your compost pile a good turn or two on warm-weather days. Or, if you haven’t started a compost pile yet, start one—you’ll be cutting back on food waste and doing your soil a favor.

Foraging and Food Forests Resurge as Locavore Trends Take Root

By Lindsey Cline-Shrader

Virginia’s lush landscapes contain a cornucopia of edible treasures. Like much of our evolving local food system, the art of foraging has undergone a renaissance, capturing the imaginations of foodies, homesteaders, and environmentalists. From upscale eateries’ haute cuisine to grassroots gatherings, foraging offers culinary delights and a pathway to health and sustainability—and, of course, this path sparks debate.

In modern culture, foraging has resurged with every back-to-the-land movement starting in the 1930s, 1960s, and early 2000s when, rather than subsidizing, foraging joined a broader movement of sustainable food systems and permaculture design. The current ease of information sharing is building a new generation of wild food advocates. Foraging experts and online influencers like Alexis Nikole and Gabrielle Cerberville translate in-depth wild food knowledge into quick, digestible videos for their respective 1.7 million and 359,000 Instagram followers. 

Viewers already educated in the flaws of a chemical-heavy industrial food system are ready for the good news. While more people get outside to taste and test, a growing awareness of responsible foraging practices has taken root.

Wild ramps are the poster child for a well-loved and occasionally over harvested wild food. In early spring, this edible onion carpets the forest floor of the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Ramps are prized for their unique flavor profile, which adds a spicy, earthy depth to dishes. For decades, foragers and chefs were beckoned to the hills to bring ramps to high-end restaurants in DC and beyond. 

While ramps often grow in patches of hundreds, they take up to seven years to produce flowers and several more years for the seeds to germinate. This slow growth, coupled with their particular growing conditions, led West Virginia to ban harvesting in many parks and recreation areas as wild populations began to disappear. Responsible harvesting now includes taking a leaf or two from large plants and rarely, if ever, harvesting bulbs. 

The lesson from ramps has led some farmers and gardeners to revive the concept of sustainable cultivated food forests. This ancient practice, a lesson from Native American culture and cultivation practices, means planting in multiple layers, which builds an ecosystem and creates more food per cubic foot. For example, a canopy top layer might consist of nut trees like oak and chestnut, followed by understory fruit trees like pawpaw and persimmon, interplanted with berry bushes like elderberry and blueberry. The herbaceous and ground-cover layers can include your favorite hardy edible perennials like wild strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, sorrel, Jerusalem artichokes, mayapples, or wild violets.

My food forest would first and foremost contain yaupon holly, the only caffeinated plant that grows wild in Virginia and across the South. Yaupon seems to be a lightly caffeinated wonder plant full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and theophylline and theobromine, the “pleasure molecules.” 

Since it’s locally grown, yaupon has a smaller carbon footprint and causes less environmental stress compared to coffee farms. Project Communitea, a Richmond-based company, grows and sells yaupon tea regionally and online.

Treasures like the pawpaw, a custard-like fruit, tempt some palates (and decidedly not others) with their creamy sweetness. Despite their delicious fruit, pawpaws refuse to submit to the conventional horticultural industry. The first challenge lies in their flowers, which emit a faint musky odor that fails to attract many critical pollinators for fruit production. Additionally, the fruit’s delicate nature makes it unsuitable for shipping and storage, limiting its commercial viability. 

Thus, pawpaws remain wild, found in thickets along bottomlands and streamsides, leaving us to celebrate and preserve wild populations and enjoy the fruits where we find them. Or, for the adventurous, to cultivate pawpaw trees in gardens. If this entices you, remember that pawpaws are dioecious, so you’ll need both male and female trees for fruit set and pollination. Edible Landscaping in Nelson County grows and sells pawpaw trees and a variety of edible plants. 

Beyond this hidden gem, more commonly found herbs and plants offer nutritional value right outside your door. The humble dandelion, often considered a nuisance, reveals its charm in everything from teas and tinctures to infused oils, syrups, and vinegar. Roots can be stored in a dirt-filled basket in a shed or basement to provide a steady supply of greens throughout winter.
Dried, mature leaves make a medicinal tea full of vitamins A, C, and K and many minerals. The bloom is the main ingredient in dandelion wine, for which there are nearly as many recipes as winemakers. 

Other flavorful and spicy greens include the common horseweed, which can be thrown into salads or blanched and added to soups. Chickweed grows abundantly in moist, shaded areas and can be eaten fresh or brewed into a tea for soothing medicinal properties.

While it’s easy to dismiss wild food as lackluster, renowned chef René Redzepi proved that foraged foods hold their own. He prioritized indigenous ingredients in his culinary creations and earned three Michelin stars for his Danish restaurant, Noma. 

Chefs like Alan Bergo, a former chef in fine-dining restaurants, left the kitchen to write the popular The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora, which eventually spawned a TV show and earned a James Beard award.

Virginia’s landscape offers edible wonders waiting to be discovered and savored. The resurgence of foraging in our evolving local food scene reflects a broader cultural shift toward sustainability and connection with the land. Let’s hope the allure of wild foods continues to inspire us to revere and appreciate nature’s bounties.  

Your May Garden Checklist
Everything you need to do for a successful growing season

Another planting month is upon us! Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, watermelon! All of the glorious summer garden produce goes in the ground this month. We always advise to wait until Mother’s Day to get these warm-weather crops in the ground, so early May is the perfect time to visit a nearby farmer’s market or local plant store for heirloom and organic varieties.  

Don’t miss our April garden checklist if you need to play a bit of catch-up.

Indoors
Continue starting okra, squash, cucumber, melons, and watermelons indoors. Sow vining crops (like watermelon and cucumber)  in individual peat pots as they do not transplant well if roots are disturbed.

Outdoors
Lots to do outside this month! Just after Mother’s Day, almost everything can be planted outside. Houseplants can also be moved to a shady spot in the yard to give them an extra boost of Vitamin D.

Beans, okra, squash, sweet corn, Southern peas, and watermelon can all be sown directly from seed. For a continuous bean and corn harvest, only plant a partial row of each and continue to direct sow seeds every week or two—this will ensure you are harvesting throughout the season rather than just all at once. Sunflowers, nasturtiums, marigolds, borage, and basil can also be directly sown from seed. Tip: Nasturtium is a trap plant, meaning it attracts harmful pests like aphids. Consider planting nasturtium near your kale, cabbages, or tomatoes to keep aphids off of those plants. Plus, every part of the nasturtium plant is edible—win, win!

Once the soil has completely warmed—toward the end of May if we’ve had warm weather—sweet potato slips can be planted in the ground. 

Establish a trellis or support system for your tomatoes now rather than wait until they’re growing tall.

Harvest any leafy greens—lettuce, spinach, kale—before it gets too warm and your plants begin to bolt.

Give your compost pile a good turn or two on warm-weather days. Or, if you haven’t started a compost pile yet, start one—you’ll be cutting back on food waste and doing your soil a favor.