In the Garden - June 2023

As a busy mom, for the past three years I have been experimenting with underplanting my Pink Jasmine and grape vines. In attempts to create a low maintenance and efficient garden.

My goals are to get more bang for my buck in each square inch of garden, no bare spots, in order to lessen the time and amount spent watering. So I used my imagination to mimick nature.

Strawberry Tower

Husband’s solution to Rolly-pollies. So far so good. I adde chives of course.

This spring has been windy and wet. It’s been one of the coldest springs in a long time. The forecast shows more rain and days in the low 60’s. I was too busy with a newborn and toddler to sow seeds this year. I imagine it must have been a great year for carrots and celery. 

Since tiny people pull out my plants I haven’t wasted efforts planting. If anything survives and fruits I am grateful. This year, we have been blessed with chard, artichokes, Yukon gold potatoes and strawberries. Our Swiss chard bolted earlier than usual, but our corn is growing right on track to be knee-high by fourth of July.

Self Seeding Harvests

Crops that thrive in self seeding have been:

• Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Strawberries
• Potatoes
• Chives
• Radish
• Swiss chard
• Cilantro
• Sage
• French lavender
• Chamomile
• Calendula
• Marigold

In our self seeding garden, we let everything bolt, collect seeds and of course make plans for future planting. 

We also spend a lot of time evaluating our garden space. Observing where the helper birds have dropped seeds in places we never imagined for a crop only to have it thrive better than ever. I must add that there is still some work to do in a self seeding garden: weeding, watering and companion planting. 

The seeds we are gathering this year are:

• Swiss chard,
• Romaine lettuce
• Broccoli 
• Cabbage 
• Watermelon Radish 
• Cilantro
• French lavender

Underplanting Experiments

Underplanting Jasmine with strawberries. 

My pink Jasmine requires lots of water so I moved my strawberry bed at its base. Strawberries are a great indicator plant and a delicious living mulch. For better strawberry pollination and visual interest, I also added: snap dragons and petunias under my jasmine. 

In years past red lettuces have done beautifully under my Jasmine. However the strawberries are my favorite low maintenance addition.

Another plant thriving with the jasmine is mint. Another herb that would be great for strawberries is chives and read it is compatible with Jasmine. 

I will also under plant my pink jasmine with my mini rose. 

Underplanting grapes.

Grapes are a Mediterranean plant. I grow a red flame variety in a half wine barrel. The plants look beautiful with abundant grape harvests coming in. I have underplanted my grapes with:

• Common sage
• Lavender
• Snap dragons
• Strawberries
• Thyme

I must add that sage just has never done well in my garden, until I moved it into the wine barrel with my grapes. Our common sage plant blossomed into a real beauty with bright purple flowers.

Van Gough has been on my mind this spring, particularly Irises, showcasing his use of complimentary colors. I often have a hard time deciding what color flowers to plant and where, but in mimicking Van Gough, it’s a no brainer: my purple sage looks best with yellow snap dragons. Purple and yellow, red/pink and green, blue and orange are my color combo goals. 

June Garden bouquet 

• Radish
• Calendula
• Chamomile 
• Cilantro 
• Jasmine