VIDEO: Growing Veggies and Herbs 🍅🌿🥕 with Summer Rayne Oakes

Matt Dauphinais · Aug 25, 2025

Summer Rayne Oakes of Flock Finger Lakes is back in her gazebo garden, where she refreshed her raised beds with Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil, giving her fruits, veggies, and herbs a nutrient-rich foundation.

From basil to beans, this garden is brimming with variety—and Summer shares her best lessons she learned along the way.

6 Quick Tips from Summer’s Garden

Refresh your soil each season – Even healthy beds benefit from a fresh top-off of organic soil like Espoma Organic All Purpose Garden Soil to replenish nutrients and structure.
Try companion planting – Marigolds tucked near tomatoes deter pests like hornworms and invite pollinators to the party.
Prune and plant tomatoes deeply – Snip off lower leaves and bury stems a little deeper so they develop stronger root systems.
Mix in perennial herbs and crops – Plants like sea kale, rhodiola, and schisandra return year after year, offering beauty and resilience.
Stagger your sowing – Succession planting of quick crops like radishes, lettuce, and calendula ensures continuous harvests and blooms.
Grow what you’ll actually use – Whether it’s sweet potatoes for soups or basil for summer salads, plant to fit your kitchen habits.

A Garden That Nourishes All Season

From tender greens to black goji berries, Summer Rayne shows how diverse plantings and thoughtful soil care can make a small space abundant. With Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil supporting strong roots and steady nutrition, her gazebo garden is set to thrive all season long.

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