The growing season here in Georgia is super long & hot for summer veggies. April through October yields lots of produce.
Few memories of mine are more pleasant than those of my childhood in the garden with Dad – salt shaker in hand. We would spend hours out there. Fresh, homegrown, heirloom tomato plucked off the vine, and then devoured with a sprinkle of salt is as good as it gets.
In small spaces, I have grown some fantastic produce. I’d like to share 5 of my favorites discovered over the past seven years, chosen for best growth in small spaces, tastiness of produce, and quantity of yields.
#1. Tomato- top two varieties
Best Cherry Tomato Award goes to
These indeterminate plants are super sturdy and aptly named as “husky.” They are tall, strong vines that need minimal support, and just keep producing the most delicious little 1 inch delights. I am instantly transported back to being a kid in the garden, with all the possibilities of the world ahead of me when I eat a fresh , homegrown tomato plucked from the vine.
While I don’t have the huge, in ground gardens Dad & Mom always made, I do have nine , 4′ x 8 raised wooden beds, a collection of containers, and a small patch of sunshine that the mighty oaks & hickories don’t shade out completely. I get 5-8 hours of sun per day in most of my beds, so they might produce better if I had more sun!
Best sandwich slicing Tomato award goes to
Parks Whopper Improved, Rutgers, & Husky Cherry Red Toms 
First Harvest 2020 
late July Harvest
#2 . Peppers Please!
Chili Pie Pepper
All American Selection Chili Pie Pepper is a fabulous slightly hot, mini bell shaped pepper that reddens as it ages. These plants produce loads of peppers. They need a bit of support as they spread a little wide. There are somewhat shorter plants however and are well suited to raised beds.
More Jalapenos for poppers 
Look at al those Jalapenos!
I could go on for hours about my love of Jalapenos. But, I already have many times on this blog before. So, I will just say they are tall and beautiful plants that produce an incredible amount of peppers in one season. A Bonnie Plants 6 pack grown in my raised beds in about 10 square feet of bed produced over 200 peppers last year!
#3. Herbs
My two favorite herbs
Annual-Basil
Genovese Basil 
Basil Babies Pinch those blooms 
Keep Harvesting for better plants 
2020 Cinnamon Basil, Blue Lake Beans, Lola Peppers
Oregano
Perennial Oregano is a fantastic drying herb, and gives lots of leaves for many years from one plant.
I dry oregano every year and we use it so many things we cook. I bought one plant 7 years ago when I first began blogging and raised bed gardening. I harvest it and prune it back in the early spring before new growth. It is beautiful and very good for you. Oregano has been used for many thousands of years to enhance flavor and is touted for its herbal medicinal qualities as well.
#4. Beautiful Beans -Two Varieties
Kentucky Wonder, Cherokee Wax Beans 
Bean Blossom 
Boil 10 mins, then saute with olive oil, sesame seeds, and salt & pepper. Yum.
Pole Bean Kentucky Wonder
was my Dads favorite and also one of mine. Check out this UGA publication on best home garden green beans for Georgia.
#5. Crunchy Cucumber
is a fantastic pickling cucumber. Vines are very productive, with delicious firm cucumbers.
Arkansas Little Leaf Cucumber 
Homemade pickles made from Arkansas Little Leaf Cucumbers
Quick Link to my Best Raised Bed Construction post & Also to Espoma Fertilizer -my favorite fertilizer.
