The Accidental Bounty: Embracing the Rhythm of a Small-Town Summer Garden

May 27, 2026

There is a distinct moment in late May when the garden starts moving faster than we can keep up with. 

Earlier this year, after a brutal cold snap, I wasn't even sure our greens would make it. Yet, most of them bounced back with a vengeance, and now 

you look out at your beds and realize that despite the unpredictable weather, a late frost, and changing plans, you are absolutely swimming in green.

Lately, I’ve been navigating that exact transition in my Virginia garden. If you’re currently staring at rows of leafy abundance or wondering what to plant next as the heat rolls in, here is a little dispatch from the trenches on embracing the rhythm of a small-town garden.

Navigating the "In-Between" Season

Right now, we are in a fascinating gardening window. The traditional cool-season stars—like new collards and kale—need to wait until August so they can mature into the sweet, crisp air of autumn.

But a waiting window doesn't mean empty beds. While I've chosen to skip crops I just don't enjoy eating (looking at you, volunteer Malabar spinach!), I’m pivoting to heat-lovers that thrive in the June sun. My purslane seeds are ready to hit the dirt, and my sweet potato starts are on the way.

Gardening tip: Late May to mid-June is actually the sweet spot for sweet potatoes in Zone 7. Planting them now in the thoroughly warmed soil means they won't sit around shivering, and they’ll produce perfectly sized, tender tubers by October instead of giant, woody monsters. Plus, you can harvest the tender vine tips all summer long for a fantastic cooking green!

The Reality of the "Garden Economy"

This spring, I had high hopes for selling my extra greens through our local online farmers market. But small towns have their own rhythm. Around here, the market is a slow burn; folks tend to wait to shop until the "heavy hitters" like tomatoes, sweet corn, and summer squash arrive in full force.

On top of that, let’s be honest: packing up, hauling crates, and running an in-person market stall takes a massive amount of physical energy. Sometimes, protecting your peace and saying "it's just not worth it to me" is the smartest gardening decision you can make.

So, what do you do when the market is slow but the garden is overflowing? You lean into the true community garden economy.

Oinks, Neighbors, and protecting Peace

Lately, my harvest baskets have been packed with beet tops, Swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, and broccoli leaves (an insider favorite for a garlic sauté!). My cabbages took a hard hit from an early cold snap, and while I lost the red ones, a few green ones toughed it out. Even if they don't form picture-perfect heads, those loose outer leaves taste incredible.

Since I'm not selling them, this beautiful, chaotic abundance has found its true purpose:

• The Best Stuff: Enjoyed fresh on our own dinner table, and packed into bags for my mom, my neighbors, and friends at church.

• The Rest: Sharing the Trimmings and bruised leaves with the compost, chickens and down the road to a pig kept nearby.

One of my favorite things about having a large garden is being able to share the wealth with the neighborhood. Lately, our surplus cabbage and broccoli trimmings have been making their way over to a neighbor's pig. He absolutely loves the fresh, crisp treats, and honestly, it’s just as rewarding for me to bring them over as it is for him to eat them. It’s a wonderful way to ensure nothing from the garden goes to waste.

At the end of the day, a garden doesn't have to be a profitable business to be a massive success. When we stop measuring our plots by the dollars we make and start measuring them by the connections we build, everything changes.

My garden is keeping my family fed, bringing joy to my community, and keeping local livestock happy. As we head into the deep heat of a Virginia summer, protecting my energy and sharing the wealth feels like the perfect way to grow.

What's overflowing in your garden right now? Are you pivoting to summer crops, or just trying to keep up with the greens? Let’s chat in the comments below!

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