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There’s just something about getting your hands in the dirt when the weather starts to turn warm. It feels like the beginning of something—slow, simple, and full of promise.
Last year, my summer garden didn’t start with a trip to a garden center… it started out at the old dairy barn.
Cowboy and I went “shopping,” pulling together old tractor tracks, metal milking buckets, and cow watering troughs—giving them a second life as planters. A few drilled holes, a little shaping, and just like that… we had the start of something special.
Last year’s rustic farm garden continued into this year, doubling in size.
This isn’t a perfect garden. It’s a real one. And that’s exactly how I like it.
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🛠 TOOLS FROM THE GARDEN SHED
Potting soil + all-purpose garden soil
Drill (for drainage holes)
Pine straw
Sevin (for bug control)
Grass & weed killer
Repurposed planters (tractor tracks, dairy buckets, troughs, etc.)
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Prep & Transplant:
Start by filling your planters with fresh soil and giving everything a good foundation.
Transfer any existing plants into new containers, and don’t be afraid to reuse what you already have. I was even able to bring my geraniums back after keeping them inside all winter in a dormant state.
Take time to prep your space:
Spray for weeds
Add bug control
Lay pine straw
It may not be the prettiest part—but it makes everything else easier.
Finish this step by adding in anything meaningful—like I did with shamrocks from a special family celebration.
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Planting the Garden:
This is where everything starts to come to life.
Add your flowers first for color and personality:
Celosia
Petunias
Lilies
Dianthus
Hostas
Pin Cushions
Your favorite annuals and perennials
Then move onto your vegetables:
Tomatoes (I planted a mix gifted from friends)
Squash
Okra
Jalapeños
Broccoli
Use containers, buckets, or anything you have on hand. It doesn’t have to match—it just has to grow.
Water everything in well and take a step back. This is where it starts to feel real.
Bonus: water at sunset for stunning views, my favorite part of the day, plus it prevents leaves and flowers from burning.
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Adding More (Because I Wasn’t Done 😄):
Just when I thought I was finished… I added more.
We filled additional troughs with soil (with a little help from the dogs 🐾), then planted:
Green beans
Butter beans
Bell peppers
Watermelon
Added an arch for the beans to climb, moved a few veggies around, and kept building.
I also brought out an old metal farm sink and gave it a new place in the garden.
Then came the biggest addition—old tractor tracks placed under the windows to become future planters.
They’re not planted yet—but they will be soon.
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💡 NOTES FROM THE GARDEN
Not everything has to match to be beautiful
Use what you have
Don’t overthink it
Gardens don’t have to be perfect to grow
A little chaos (dogs included) is part of it
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This garden didn’t come together all at once.
It was built in pieces—old planters, new soil, shared plants, and a whole lot of just going for it.
The most wonderful thing about gardening:
It’s not perfect.
But it’s growing.
And I’m not done yet.
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🍅 FROM GARDEN TO KITCHEN
This is just the beginning.
Before long, what’s growing out here will make its way into the kitchen—fresh tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and whatever else decides to thrive.
And if you know me… it’ll probably end up in a skillet before long.
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🌺 Filling Out the Garden:
This round of planting finished out the centerpiece planters around the outside of the house- The Tractor Tracks.
We loaded up the Jeep with mulch, flowers, and more plants, then spent a couple hours or so, filling out the tractor track beds around the house. Apologies for no dirt filling footage, I wasn't home when Cowboy completed that portion of the project 😔.
In the front beds, I planted hydrangeas for a softer farmhouse look and because the front of the farmhouse gets morning sun. Plenty for the hydrangeas to grow on but not too harsh when the Georgia heat really turns up. Around back, the tractor tracks got filled with canna lilies for a little height and color through the summer.
After all the planting, I did a full walk around the house, flower beds, and vegetable garden—and it was a humbling feeling, seeing the vision in my head growing life.
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And the biggest addition might be what’s coming next.
Cowboy’s genius idea. I love it when he’s genius 😄.
He and a buddy used a tractor and pulled an old rusted Chevy farm truck out of the pasture with plans to turn it into another flower bed—planting in the truck bed and even under the hood where the engine used to be.
So apparently… we’re still not done with our Summer Gardens this year 😄
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