The 2023 Redleaf Garden Plan
Spring is here and it's time for the 2023 Redleaf Garden plan walkthrough! I am so excited to get back in the garden this year. Winter definitely hit hard this season but making my garden plan really helped get me out of my depressive slump.
Last year was the most abundant the garden has ever been but something I wish I took more into consideration was ensuring that I had enough bounty to get us through the winter season. I focused a lot on introducing flowers to the garden. So much so that it took away from planting certain vegetables like corn and squash. So this year I am totally making up for it and I'm planting a lot, and I mean A LOT of corn and squash. Honestly, it was pretty depressing getting through the winter months without being able to enjoy anything from the garden. I grew an abundance of food but I still haven't mastered the art of preservation so I wasn't really able to store much. The beautiful thing about corn and winter squash is that it preserves really well on its own so I’ll be far more prepared next winter.
With that said, let's walk through our garden plan. Let's start in the center bed. Now I don't know if I just enjoy suffering but I am going to try brassicas in the spring again. Here in Tennessee, we face the dreaded cabbage worm, which as the name suggests is very fond of cabbages and its cousins. They are relentless. I'm going to be planting a ton of cauliflower and Chinese cabbages with beautiful King Tut purple peas intermingled as well as dill. I have these wonderful wooden obelisks that’ll make a perfect support for all the peas. Peas make a really great companion plant to brassicas because they don't take up that much room if given the proper support and they fix nitrogen back into the soil to help replenish the nutrients that the voracious brassica's feed on throughout the season. Now I'm really excited for my Chinese cabbages because I've been seeing yummy kimchi all over social media and I want to try making my own. I intentionally interplant dill with my brassicas because they attract parasitic wasps that feed on cabbage worms. The only tricky part is timing it just right so the Wasps actually have enough time to lay their eggs within the cabbage worm to help control the populations. Dill usually grows later than cabbage so until we get to that stage, I'm going to be placing little cages over the tender little seedlings and hand picking any cabbage worms I see myself. I'm very excited to see how this bed performs throughout the season especially since it's one of the first beds to come to life in the spring. I also planted a ton of spring bulbs like tulips and allium so I'm really excited to see how the splashes of color float above the cruciferous leaves.
To the left of the center bed we have what used to be the home of my golden apple trees but unfortunately they were consumed by cedar apple rust so we decided to replace them with figs. Figs are tough and highly productive. Although, I planted the figs pretty late in the season last year so I'm curious to see how they come back. I don't see signs of life just yet but I still have high hopes. Mixed in with the figs, I'm going to be focusing a lot on leafy greens, so I’ll have sorrel, borage, pink amaranth, and some Tuscan kale planted as well.
In the bottom left corner of the garden we're going to have our very first corn bed. When I told Dom that I wanted to plant corn in this bed specifically, he was a little concerned that the height of the corn would block the view of his beautiful perennial beds, which you can see surrounding the vegetable garden. I told him I was determined to grow corn in this bed so I compromised by deciding on planting a dwarf variety so it wouldn't block the view. *flips hair* I will have my corn. Blue jade dwarf sweet corn is a smaller growing variety of corn and I'm excited to crunch on those sugary blue kernels. Last year I asked you, my community, to decide what I should plant in this bed and the majority voted on wildflowers for our local pollinators. Thanks to you all, I went ahead and planted some swamp milkweed, echinacea, coreopsis, helianthus, and native daylilies. I had never grown helianthus schweinitzii before so I was very surprised by its growth habit. I expected it to grow tall and compact but it ended up bushing out and taking over the entire bed. Unfortunately, space is precious in the garden so I'm going to rehome this helianthus and dedicate the space left behind to the dwarf variety of corn. I will be leaving the other wildflowers to create a lovely balance of pollinator friendly plants and veggies.
Right above this bed I'm going to be dedicating this area to tomatoes, my favorite! After a few years of growing a wide variety of tomatoes I know for certain I can't go another season without growing my costoluto florentino tomatoes. They are a must-have in the garden from now on. I'm going to be repurposing our rustic arch trellises into this bed to support the varieties of tomatoes I'll be growing here. I'll also be interplanting zinnias and basil to help repel any unwanted pests and of course the basil for its culinary use. In the far corners of this bed I will dedicate the space to varieties of peppers as they make great companion plants for tomatoes as well. This year, I’m especially excited for an abundance of Jimmy Nardello peppers. They were a favorite last year but I only planted one. *sheds tear*
Venturing beyond the tomatoes, we'll find another corn bed. Unlike the first corn bed that's interplanted with native wildflowers, in this bed I'm going to be practicing the three sisters planting method. The three sisters planting method is a famous grouping of plants cultivated by Native Americans which involve corn, beans, and squash growing in harmony so they can reach their fullest potential. The key to the three sisters planting method is timing. First the corn must be planted so that it can grow to the height it needs so it doesn't get overshadowed or overrun by the beans or squash. Once the corn has grown over a foot, it's safe to plant your beans and your squash. Ideally you'd want to plant your beans three to six inches away from the corn and your squash about three to four feet away from the corn because they are going to crawl and can quickly take over if too close. To get the absolute most out of this bed I'm also going to be interplanting nasturtiums, cosmos, and dill to act as repellents to any unwanted pests. Nasturtiums do a great job of managing aphids and cosmos actually repel corn earworm. They're both stunning and highly functional. In this bed I'll also be introducing the first variety of squash I'll be growing, the black futsu squash. Last year my squash was devastated by vine borers. I did what I could to prevent them from ravaging my squashes like wrapping the stems in aluminum but unfortunately the vine borers won. To combat them this year I'm simply going to plant varieties that are naturally resistant to them. I will have squash!
On the trellis wall in the back of the garden I'm going to be planting tomatoes yet again. I hear a lot about the importance of rotating your crops in the garden and I do that to some extent but because I introduce such a wide variety of plants in a single bed I don't feel that it's absolutely necessary. As long as I continue to amend the bed and introduce a diverse variety of plants I think I'll be fine. The diversity of plants introduces a diversity of chemicals and microbes to the soil, so it should hinder any diseases or problematic explosions of microbes from thriving. The diversity helps keep it all balanced. A variety of tomato I'm especially excited to grow this year is the upstate oxheart tomato. They produce such giant juicy fruits! This bed is also where I’m going to introduce one of four new arch trellises in the garden to home a few varieties of winter squashes. I’ll be making my arches with cattle panels and t-posts. Cattle panels are great because they’re cost effective and durable. Tomatoes and squash make good companions as long as the bed is well amended with a lot of nutritious compost or worm castings. These babies gotta eat. My vision for the squash is that they'll start in this bed, trail over the arch, and hang their voluptuous fruit below. In order to support the heavy pods of squash I'm going to create little hammocks using eco-friendly mesh canvas bags. I've never tried this before so I'm really curious to see how it plays out. Also mixed into this bed we're going to have a midline of peppers and basil followed by a border of nasturtiums.
Heading on over to the center arch, I hope that my hardy kiwi finally produces fruit this year. It's the kiwis' third official year growing in the garden and I can feel it's ready to take over and burst with abundance. I don't want to overwhelm the kiwi so I'm going to be interplanting some winged beans as well as cucumbers to make good use of the negative space. The Japanese winged beans are really unique and they have gorgeous purple and blue flowers. To the right of the arch, I'm going to be mirroring the tomato and squash combination from the opposite end.
At the end of the tomato wall on the right side, we're going to find a long row of corn. I'm planning on planting three larger groupings of corn with individual lines of stalks in between. I know it isn’t ideal to plant singular stalks of corn because they pollinate better in larger groupings, but I’m ready to step in and pollinate them myself when the time comes. I’ll simply snip off a few tassels and brush the receptive silks below. To balance the nutrients in the soil that the corn will be feeding on I'm going to be planting beans alongside each individual stock so that they can use the corn as support while fixing nitrogen back into the soil. I envision a beautiful display of vibrant flowers growing up the stalks of corn. At the very front of this bed I'm going to have my long neck summer squash growing to feed us through the warmer months.
I am determined to grow County Fair worthy cabbages this year! To the left of our long row of corn we're going to have two beds dedicated to sapporo giant cabbage. These cabbages are going to take up a lot of room so I'm sure to interplant leafy greens that don't need a lot of room to grow like mizuna, lettuce, and chard. I'll also be adding geraniums to the mix because they're said to repel cabbage moths. In between the two cabbage beds, I have my bounty of garlic growing that I planted in late November. Garlic needs nine months to fully mature so I plan on harvesting in mid July right during the peak of summer. To maximize the space in this bed I'm also going to be interplanting nasturtiums, dill, and kale.
Now let's venture all the way to the far back flower bed. This was a very experimental bed and I played a lot with many different varieties of native flowers and hybrids. Many of them were perennial, meaning they'll come back year after year, but I'm curious to see what will actually return. Just because something is perennial doesn't mean it's going to survive the winter, especially since we just had one of the coldest winters ever here in Tennessee. Temperatures dropped below zero degrees Fahrenheit! That’s unheard of here. That arctic wave was something many of the plants were not used to here and we can definitely see the impact it had. The reason I opted for perennial plants was to help take some of the workload off with replanting every single year. The real magic of perennials happens when they get old and become very established. Each year they grow larger and dazzle us with displays more glorious than ever before. I'm hopeful many of them will come back, but if not I'm already prepared with plenty of seedlings started in the greenhouse. A few of my favorites that I planted for the first time last year were bee balm, switchgrass, maximilian sunflower, guara, and allium. By the looks of it, it seems that all of them will be coming back bigger and better this year. Some of their fresh tips are already poking through the soil. I also planted a lot of spring bulbs in this bed so I'm excited to see the tulips already popping up to welcome in the new growing season. To the far right of this bed I also planted my very first pear tree and while I was busy clearing this bed up I noticed it's very first flowers! Fingers crossed we get some fruit this year. At the very back of this bed, I'm going to be introducing two new arches for more squashes. In the far left of this bed I have my mulberry tree which grew so much this past year, I'm actually quite surprised with its growth. If it gets any bigger, I might have to rethink this entire side of the garden. It gave us quite a bit of fruit last season so I'm expecting an explosion of berries this year. Another plant that really surprised me was its neighbor, the elderberry. Now a few people have warned me that they can get pretty wild but I had no idea they could get as big as this has. It must’ve reached at least eight feet in height. I introduced a new arbor right at the foot of this bed to have a nice recreational area to relax during the garden season. I planted some passion fruit in a container right next to the arbor with the hopes that it would grow up the lattice and give us a natural cover from the sun. Unfortunately, the passion fruit took quite a bit of time to get established but the elderberry stepped in and shaded the entire arbor perfectly. Some of my fondest memories of the garden season last year have been sitting under the arbor while the elderberry was in full bloom, surrounding us with its beautiful white carpets of fragrant flowers.
If we make our way to the right of the garden by the steps, this area is forever devoted to sunflowers. In my first year of planting sunflowers I tried to companion plant some cucumbers alongside them only to learn that sunflowers secrete a chemical that hinders other plants from growing around it. My cucumbers barely made it beyond sprouting. Because of that I have no choice but to dedicate this very special spot just for my sunflowers. I also have some evening primrose that have made themselves very comfortable at the foot of these giants. The chemical released by the sunflowers actually keeps the primrose from completely taking over, but they’re still able to grace us with a few showy blooms.
Going up the steps to the chicken coop, I'm actually going to be replacing this long bed with a new corten steel bed, generously provided by epic gardening. If you shop their website using our special promo code ‘Redleaf5’, you'll get a special 5% discount on your purchase. Once this bed is ready, I plan on dedicating it to some more herbs like rosemary and oregano but what I'm most excited about is introducing the gorgeous white butterfly pea flower. I actually just got back from a trip to Costa Rica not too long ago and the retreat I was staying at had a ton of butterfly pea flowers growing all around the property. It felt like a sign and I just have to plant them in the garden this year. They'll provide tasty flowers, pods, and plenty of shade for the chickens as it grows all over the run throughout the summer season.
Just a ways down I have my large circular bed which I'm going to dedicate to potatoes this year. This bed is large, deep, and well established. What used to be dense red clay underneath has now become soft and loose soil. I have no doubt potatoes will have a very easy time growing all of their tubers here. Last year, I also found that kale makes a wonderful companion to potatoes. I found it hard to believe at first because of how heavy of feeders kale and potatoes are. All that means is I have to make sure the bed is well fed with plenty of worm castings or compost. The shallow root system of kale gives potatoes free reign over the earthy depths. I’ll also sprinkle in mizuna for some added color, texture, and tasty greens.
Below the potatoes in this rounded corner bed, I'll be dedicating more space to the vibrant variety of double red sweet corn. I'm looking forward to this bed because I'm going to be pairing the corn with scarlet runner beans. I'm hoping for a fiery display of flowers climbing up the strong stalks of the corn. To make good use of the extra space in this bed I'll also be interplanting cosmos, peppers, and marigolds.
I cannot wrap up this walkthrough without talking about the gorgeous border of perennial plants that my partner Domonick has curated. He is a master landscaper and it's incredible to see the combinations of plants that he decides to introduce to the garden. Something that his work has really inspired within me is the impact of grasses. Grasses add a beautiful texture in any landscape and they really are the finishing touch to any garden. On top of that, they make an incredible beneficiary plant for the local wildlife who feed on their seeds through the fall and winter. The grasses are planted to complement all of the other plants but they are truly a star all on their own. I love watching as they sway through the season mirroring the murmuration of birds above. Alongside the grasses, Domonick interplants gorgeous Asiatic lilies, native rattlesnake master, hibiscus, echinacea, and so much more. It is such a gift being able to experience the gardens that he creates and watch as it attracts a plethora of native wildlife like beneficial pollinators and predatory insects.
Thank you so much for joining me on this walkthrough and I truly hope you enjoyed this read. My hope with these walkthroughs is that they leave you inspired and motivated to build the garden of your dreams! On March 20th, I’ll be launching our brand new membership subscription, Redleaf+! It’ll be a digital space that will host exclusive LIVE classes, the Redleaf Garden Club, the Redleaf Book club, and so much more! One of the very first LIVEs I plan on having will be an exclusive virtual walkthrough our garden plan where I’ll answer any of your questions. On top of that, members of Redleaf+, which will be called Sprouts (so cute ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶), will receive a special discount on all of our beginner garden guides. I am beyond excited to meet my Sprouts! It’s going to be a special place where we can cultivate a dedicated gardening community where we uplift and inspire one another to lead a life of abundance. Sign up to our newsletter and stay up to date with all the happenings! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or tips to share for what I'm growing this year. Thanks to my garden plan I can already envision all of the abundance to come. Happy growing!
Love and light,
Brian