Welcome to the sixth and final edition of our Spring 2026 Country Living Garden Club series.
Hello, fellow gardeners!
I’m a trained cook, and after college I spent a summer working on an organic vegetable farm in Maine, so growing food has always been part of my life. (See a few of my favorite harvest photos below!) So, our inaugural Country Living Garden Club spring newsletter series wouldn’t be complete without an edition about vegetable gardening.
Since moving South, vegetable growing has become a bit more of an adventure. Between months of intense heat and humidity, persistent pests and diseases, endless watering, and the occasional late frost that wipes out carefully planted seedlings, gardening here can feel like a full-contact sport. This past winter, I added a raised bed and was rewarded with a wonderful crop of tender lettuce, mint, and cilantro. Now I’m looking forward to experimenting even more!
Below, I chat with a garden expert about how to keep your vegetable garden thriving while you’re away, share my trick for growing potatoes, and finish things off with a fresh tomato juice martini. Summer gardening season is officially here!
—Charlyne Mattox
Food & Crafts Director, Country Living
1. Companion Plants for the Win
I’m a big believer in tucking companion plants into a vegetable garden wherever I can. Ginger, lemongrass, basil, and marigolds don’t just look beautiful mixed among vegetables—they also help attract beneficial insects, deter pests, and make the whole garden feel healthier and more abundant. Plus, I love that many of them are useful in the kitchen.
READ MORE ABOUT COMPANION PLANTS
2. How to Keep Your Vegetable Garden Alive While You’re on Vacation
Jill McSheehy started her first garden in 2013 and has since turned a desire to reduce her family’s grocery bill into a full-fledged business, The Beginner’s Garden, through which she offers classes and hosts a podcast. We recently talked about the steps you can take to help your vegetable garden thrive while you’re away on summer vacation:
Q. How should you adjust your watering schedule before leaving for vacation?
A. If you don’t already have it, setting up irrigation that runs on a timer is one of the easiest ways to keep plants healthy. There are smart timers, rain gauges, and weather stations that can be adjusted remotely, so if it’s particularly hot while you’re away, you can increase the amount of water or [watering] frequency. And, if it rains enough, you can turn the irrigation off.
Q. Which vegetables are most vulnerable to drought stress while you’re away?
A. Any young plants and shallow-rooted crops are usually the first to suffer. If you’ve recently planted your fall vegetables, they’ll be especially vulnerable because they’re trying to establish roots during the hottest part of the year. Cucumbers can also become bitter if they don't receive enough moisture, and corn requires a consistent supply of water.
3. Three New Plants to Try in Your Vegetable Garden This Year
I love nasturtiums for their lily pad–like leaves and cheerful, trumpet-shaped edible flowers. They can make even the simplest salad look fancy! This new variety has striking blue-green leaves and bright crimson blooms. So pretty!
I haven’t grown corn in many years, but I’m excited to try this new supersweet variety. The stunning color fascinates me, and I can already picture it paired with yellow and red tomatoes in a fresh summer corn salad.
I love summer squash, especially the denser pattypan varieties, which are great for grilling or roasting. This new variety has such fun colors, and its buttery flesh sounds perfect for all kinds of summer squash recipes.
4. Out of Garden Space? Grow Potatoes in a Crate
We have a stack of milk crates at our house, so I decided to use a few to grow potatoes on my back patio. This space-saving idea works great—just look at how green and healthy my leaves are!
To Plant: Simply line the bottom and sides of a milk crate with straw, fill it with soil, then add 4 to 5 seed potatoes. Add potato fertilizer (I like this one), then cover everything with more soil and straw. Once the leaves die back, you’re ready to harvest. Check back later to see my haul!
5. Vegetable Garden Finds I’m Adding to My Cart Right Now
Here are three things I’m adding to my cart this week for my vegetable garden:
Nutscene Garden Twine Set: I love the colors of this garden twine! Made from 3-ply jute, it’s strong enough to support zucchini and tomatoes—but flexible enough not to pinch tender stems. The colors are so pretty that I also use it for wrapping presents.
Bamboo Stakes: Because of my limited garden space, I’m trying to grow my zucchini vertically. I picked up these stakes to help keep the plants upright, and I’m curious to see how it goes. My hope is that better airflow will help cut down on disease, since Alabama’s humidity usually means dealing with plenty of downy mildew.
Hori Hori: This is a tool I’ve been coveting for quite a while. It can dig holes (its name roughly translates to “dig dig”), slice through weeds, and even harvest squash. I especially like that this version comes with a holster, so I can attach it to my shorts or my Japanese gardening vest (which I’m wearing above).
6. Vintage Cabbageware Dishes
Long before cabbageware became a staple of Southern garden parties, potters in Europe were turning vegetables into whimsical works of art. The most famous cabbage dishes originated in Portugal in the late 1800s, where ceramicist Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro transformed humble cabbage leaves into colorful tableware. As a gardener and a cook, I love that these playful pieces celebrate the beauty of one of my favorite vegetables, and prove that cabbage can be just as impressive on the table as it is on the plate.
7. Garden-to-Glass Tomato Martini
I love a drink served in a pretty cocktail glass (I just learned about Nick and Nora glasses, which are perfect for this drink). Shake up a few of these before a summer dinner full of fresh fruits and veggies from the garden. To me, nothing could be dreamier.
To Make: Place 1 cup red grape tomatoes in a liquid measuring cup and muddle until all the juice is released. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (you want 1/2 ounce liquid); discard the solids. Combine 1 1/2 oz. gin, 1/4 oz. dry vermouth, tomato juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake until very cold, about 20 seconds. Serve immediately, garnished with a tomato.
