Summer months bring forth far more than cookouts, family gatherings, and fun in the sun. With the outdoors heating up, so should our skills in the garden. If you aren’t blessed with a green thumb or want to step up your design layout for the right amount of sunlight, We Grow With The Flow has a few tips and advice to help you redesign your garden for this season.
We Grow With the Flow
Founded by Kanani Burns, a mom of 4, lover of plants and rabbits, community cultivator and individual who aims to break generational traumas, We Grow With The Flow is a black family owned brand that is all about helping people start community, recreation and learning opportunities, and quality homesteading. This Huger, South Carolina brand began with a natural way of thinking. From gardening and yoga to bunny snuggles and garden beds, We Grow With the Flow does incredible work and has shared great tips to help you become skilled in summer gardening.
Tip 1: What grows? What thrives?
When asked about the first step or question you should have when planning your summer garden, Kanaia Burns stated “I usually start planning my summer garden in the Springtime (or sooner!) and the first question is what grows well and will thrive in my planting zone for this time of year.”
Become familiar with your planting zone; and answer these questions
- What do you want to grow and ultimately harvest?
- What’s the purpose of your garden?
- Do you want to grow veggies, fruit or cut flowers?
Burns says, “whatever your answer is, do a preliminary Google search of what to grow in x month in Zone x? And that will help get your planning off to a good start.”
Tip 2: Gardens Can Get Dehydrated Too
When planning it’s always great to check one, two, or even three times about your water access and Grow With the Flow agrees. This brand states “When planning your summer garden, triple check your water access and water plan. Our southern summers are HAWT and being able to water your garden with ease is important. If your budget allows, an irrigation system is key but at the very least your hose should be able to reach the far end of your garden. Believe me, you don’t want to lug a garden hose between poorly placed garden beds and damage plants by accident trying to lug a hose in our often 90 degree and up heat! Rainwater catching is a great garden practice. Save money on watering your garden and gardening sustainably.”
Tip 3: Location Matters
We Grow With The Flow stated “When planning your garden, get a compass or download a compass app and determine what direction your house is facing and plan what plants will go where and thrive. Certain plants do better on certain sides of your home. For example, fig trees prefer the south side of the house to help avoid cold stress in the cooler months since the south side of the house gets the most sun. Meanwhile, if you’re planting on the North side of your home, you’ll want to be planting plants that tolerate shade like begonias, caladiums, lettuces, potatoes, chives, mints and parsleys.”
Tip 4: Map Out Your Garden Plan
We Grow With The Flow encourages you to “Draw out your plan, even if it’s chicken scratch on a napkin!” This black owned brand believes “that’ll help visualize what you want to plant within the space you have. However, remember “when drawing, visualize how each plant will look and behave by the time it reaches maturity. Will it grow tall, straight up, steal the show? I call this a thriller. Will it sprawl and crawl across the ground? I call this a filler. Will it vine and climb? I call this a spiller. You can plan an aesthetically pleasing bed with a simple technique of making sure the garden beds have a thriller, spiller and filler in a bed to give it balance, depth and personality”
Where can black southern belles find inspiration to start their garden?
Black Southern Belles can find inspiration to start their gardens all around them. From We Grow With the Flow to other online groups like the ones below. Inspiration is everywhere!
Edible Gardening for Black Girls
Black Girls Gardening in Containers
However, If you’re gardening and have chickens or considering chickens, We Grow With the Flow recommends their online community: Black Chicks with Chickens
Black Southern Belles remember that redesigning a garden is possible and a solid foundation is key. Despite the mistakes you may make, grow while you care for other plants and flowers to grow. Take these tips provided by We Grow With Flow and go for it!
Comments
