Give vegetables, herbs, and flowers a lift to simplify gardening and boost yields.
Instead, focus on compact growers like lettuce and spinach.
This is why raised beds are so beneficial for carrots.
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Radishes
Radishes are a cool season crop planted in spring and fall.
Many gardeners plant radishes in succession, sowing seeds seven to ten days apart.
Both heading and non-heading or loose-leaf lettuces are available.
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Lettuces can be sensitive to heat as the days begin to warm.
Also look for heat-resistant varieties.
The colorful foliage and stems combine beautifully with flowers, herbs, and edibles.
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Chard leaves tend to taste bitter in the heat of summer.
Refresh plants in fall by harvesting and discarding the outer leaves to initiate new growth.
From a space-saving standpoint, green onions work very well.
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They are sown close together and harvested when they are just the diameter of a pencil.
This allows plants to be tucked into even the tightest spaces.
Beans require warm soil to germinate and are sown in late spring after the threat of frost has passed.
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These plants require well-draining soil to thrive, which is why they work so well in raised garden beds.
Mediterranean herbs are heat and drought tolerant once established.
Garden Sage
Robbie Caponetto
Many Mediterranean herbs produce gorgeous foliage and sage is no exception.
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Sage benefits from trimming in spring and summer to limit woody growth and promote young, tender new shoots.
Remove six to eight inches, or up to one-half the total height of the plant.
Harvest leaves as needed throughout the growing season.
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Thyme foliage remains evergreen throughout much of the South where winters are mild.
Cut back plants that overwintered in the garden, trimming them to about six inches in early spring.
Several varieties are available with growth habits ranging from mounding to upright to sprawling.
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Rosemary can also be pruned as a topiary, allowing for many unique shapes to accent the herb garden.
Plants produce lovely blue flowers (or white in some varieties) that attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Keep plants in this ideal growth stage by cutting them back regularly before flowering.
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Oregano retains its flavor very well when dried and can be harvested anytime for fresh use.
The aromatic foliage and flowers are used in everything from sachets and potpourris to tea and cookies.
The long-lasting flowers are also great for cutting in fresh or dried arrangements.
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Many flowers provide benefits to nearby crops, such as attracting pollinators or protecting plants from pests.
Plant them among edibles to boost pollination and promote natural pest control.
Flowers bloom in cheerful yellow, orange, pink, purple, and red hues for unrivaled color.
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They make wonderful cut flowers.
Nasturtiums flowers also attract beneficial insects, including pollinators.
All parts of the plant are edible.
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The leaves and flowers are commonly added to salads for their peppery bite.
Nasturtiums have a somewhat trailing habit that looks lovely spilling over the edge of raised planting beds.
Calendula
Calendula or pot marigold is grown as a cool-season annual in Southern gardens.
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Plants produce sunny yellow and orange blooms that attract pollinators and other beneficial insects to the garden.
The flowers themselves are edible, with a bitter pepper flavor, and make good cut flowers.
in the spring or fall garden.
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cornflower) have a long history as companion plants.
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