From 300 Seedlings to Full Garden Beds: My June Garden Update!
By TigreBlume
Trays of green, lush, and healthy plants (vegetables, flowers & herbs), all started indoors from seed. Courtesy of TigreBlume.
Hello, Gardening Friends!
It is officially the most wonderful time of the year! I hope your gardening season is off to an incredible start and that the visions and goals you spent all winter dreaming up are finally starting to come to life.
Earlier this year, I set out with a massive mission: to grow a maximum quantity of onions, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, beans, brassicas, leafy greens, root vegetables, and herbs indoors from seed to support a personal self-sufficiency goal for my family. On top of that, I challenged myself to grow 90% of my own annual flowers and herbs.
As a result, I ended up starting over 80 different plant varieties indoors, managing more than 300 individual seedlings in my small, minimalist grow room. Looking back, it’s hard to believe I was delicately balancing the light, water, and fertilizer needs of several hundred plants at once in such a tight space. But guess what? We made it through the absolute chaos of peak seed-starting season!
Take a look inside the grow room: Look through the gallery below for a photo montage of the seedlings I’ve nurtured over the past few months!
From the Grow Room to the Garden Gate
Last month, the outdoor transformation officially began. I planted out a vibrant display of petunias, geraniums, violas, and other gorgeous annuals (all started indoors from seed) in containers across my front and back yards. I am absolutely loving how they are finally starting to fill out and show off their color combinations. Take a look below for a quick peak!
Just last week, I moved the very last remaining plants from my indoor grow shelves out to the greenhouse for hardening off. Closing that chapter means I have officially transitioned to planting out the garden and creatively building productive, vigorous growing spaces!
Thankfully, the weather is finally warm enough to start shifting the summer vegetable crops and heat-loving flowers into their permanent homes. And boy, have I been busy filling up garden beds, vertical planters, containers, and fabric pots!
The Strategy: Maximizing Every Square Inch
Lately, I’ve been practicing a new routine: revisiting each growing space about a week after planting to identify hidden gaps or unused space. This year, my focus is all about being proactive—filling out floral containers for a lush, overflowing display, and getting strategic with companion planting in the vegetable beds.
Because I have a relatively short growing season, maximizing space is everything. Here are a few intentional combinations I'm using to grow more food this year:
Peppers: Interplanting with carrots and bush beans.
Zucchini: Pairing up with dill to deter pests and attract pollinators.
Trellises: Combining cucumbers with sugar snap peas or pole beans to utilize vertical space.
The June Hustle: Planting, Pests, and Protecting the Harvest
The month of June is a critical, high-stakes time in my garden. Not only am I planting out a massive amount of summer crops, but I'm also working double-time to preserve and maintain what I planted back in the spring.
This is usually the time of year when pest pressure starts to ramp up. I have to stay incredibly vigilant—checking the undersides of leaves and addressing pest issues before they get out of hand.
Consistency with watering is also vital right now. Temperatures are starting to creep into the 80s with intense full sun and high humidity. While the summer crops love it, this weather can be incredibly stressful for my cool-weather favorites like broccoli, cabbage, and leafy greens.
Looking Ahead
This month, I am so excited to take you along for the ride. I’ll be sharing everything I’m planting, diving deep into how I build high-yield growing spaces for maximum harvests, and giving you an honest look at what’s working well—and, of course, the garden challenges that are keeping me up at night!
What's Growing in Your Garden?
Now, I want to hear from you! What goals did you set for your garden this year, and what are you most excited to plant this month? Are you trying out companion planting, or tackling a tight space like me? Drop a comment below and let’s chat!
Until next time, happy gardening!
