It’s a foggy mid-May morning here at Serenity. Yesterday I worked in the garden planting more zinnias, marigolds, chard, and my mystery seedlings that turned out to flax. I also picked snow peas, harvested greens off young beets and carrots, snagged a few clover blossoms, peppermint for a relaxing foot bath after shearing this morning, then harvested a full row of spring onions for the dehydrator and pickles, and then immediately replanted the row with our storage onions I initially began in modulars back in early February. It occurred to me that even though I know what to plant when, I have never set that knowledge down to paper. So here is what I recommend to plant in your Victory or Homesteading Garden in Zone 7 which encompasses much of TN. To find your zone, hop on over to the USDA website by clicking HERE. Just put your zip code in and it will tell you your zone like magic. I’ve added Zone 6 for the rest of the state as well. I’ve listed the most common foods that people grow. There are of course many more, but for the sake of time, I went with the most readily available crops.
Zone 7
Vegetables:
Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Squash, Eggplant, Green beans, Corn (check days to maturity), Okra, Lettuce (heat-tolerant varieties), Kale, Swiss chard, Radishes, Beets (for greens, don’t expect good roots), Onions (sets or transplants)
Herbs:
Basil, Cilantro (I suggest transplants at this late date), Parsley, Dill, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Mint, Chives, Savory, Lovage, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Cumin
Fruits:
Melons (watermelon, cantaloupe), Strawberries (transplants), Raspberries (transplants)Blueberries (transplants)
Flowers:
Sunflowers (English and Mexican), Zinnias, Marigolds, Cosmos, Nasturtiums, Petunias, Snapdragons
Zone 6
In Zone 6, which typically experiences cold winters and moderate summers, you can consider planting the following crops in your homestead garden in June:
Vegetables:
Tomatoes (transplants), Peppers (transplants), Cucumbers (transplants or seeds), Zucchini (seeds), Squash (seeds), Green beans (seeds), Corn (seeds), Lettuce (heat-tolerant varieties, transplants or seeds), Kale (transplants or seeds), Swiss chard (transplants or seeds), Radishes (seeds), Carrots (seeds), Beets (seeds again from my experience don’t expect too big roots this late in planting), Cabbage (transplants), Broccoli (transplants or seeds), Onions (sets or transplants)
Herbs:
Basil (transplants or seeds), Cilantro (seeds), Parsley (transplants or seeds), Dill (seeds), Oregano (transplants or seeds), Thyme (transplants or seeds), Rosemary (transplants or seeds), Mint (transplants or seeds), Chives (transplants or seeds)
Fruits:
Strawberries (transplants), Raspberries (transplants), Blueberries (transplants), Apples (dwarf varieties), Pears (dwarf varieties), Plums (dwarf varieties), Cherries (dwarf varieties)
Flowers:
Sunflowers (seeds), Zinnias (seeds), Marigolds (transplants or seeds), Cosmos (seeds), Nasturtiums (seeds), Petunias (transplants or seeds), Snapdragons (transplants or seeds),
No matter which Zone you are in, no article beats firsthand knowledge of your area, your home’s microclimate, or the experience of lifelong gardeners in your specific area.
Happy planting!
Moriah and the Flock
Kind Fibers 