Yards, Gardens and Porches: A Southern Home Staple
Photo by Katrina Barrow
Well-manicured yards, gardens and porches are staples of any good southern home, but they do require a little maintenance. Fall officially began on September 22nd, but there are still plenty of ways to freshen up your yards, gardens and porches throughout the rest of the season and into winter!
Gardens
If you have a vegetable garden, you’ve probably already planted your seeds or sprouts for this year. They may still need some tender loving care! The best veggies to grow during the fall in South Georgia are carrots, collards, lettuce, turnips and many more. There’s something magical about watching your food grow and shopping in your own backyard for produce. On Thanksgiving, you can brag to your family about how you grew the veggies on everyone’s plates!
If you’re behind on your planting, it’s a great time to head out to your local seed store. You can go pick out your seeds and plants for your fall garden. Liberty County has quite a few places that can help with maintaining your garden. No matter if you want to go full vegetable or opt for flowers only, there is somewhere for you. Stacy’s Florist (yep, they’ve got a nursery out back), Dawson’s General Store, HLH & Co., Nursery and Design and Harris Ace Hardware are some of the ones we’ve frequented.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a green thumb. Local farmers have done the work for you, and you can pick up some local, garden-fresh veggies and fruits at the Fleming Farmers Market. They now have two locations: one in Fleming and the other in Midway. It’s a great place to bring the family! You can pick out some healthy foods and take them home to enjoy with everyone.
Porches
As far as your porch is concerned, most Southerners consider it the second family room of the house. If you live in South Georgia and have live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss in your yard, you may get quite a few leaves and piles of moss on the porch. Make sure you sweep once or twice a week. When you’re done, have a seat to enjoy the view and sip some iced tea. Of course, you need some good seating on your porch and this can range from rocking chairs to hammocks to a classic porch swing. Set a little table by the side with a small arrangement of fresh flowers from Florabelle and you’re good to go.
Once you’ve got your porch all fixed up and your garden tended, it’s time to invite over some guests. Who doesn’t love sitting on the front porch to admire all of the hard work that they’ve put in to make the yard look pretty? Don’t worry about how fancy it is. Less is always more. All that you need is a good place to sit, a cold beverage, a few snacks and a pleasant breeze to enjoy some nice fall weather here in Liberty County.
For more things to do this fall in Liberty County, check out some of our events and outdoor activities!
