Scott Stiller

Hi Harold.
I made some calls after reading your comment. The fellow I bought my crushed concrete from retired and moved to Myrtle Beach.🏖️
I did some searching and found several places it can be purchased in bulk around NC. I can’t speak for any of them though. I hope you’ll be able to find some close to you.

Hi Justin!
If you have access to crushed concrete look no further. Our farm had several long, steep driveways. Gravel kept washing away and then we discovered crushed concrete. There are two grades here in NC. One is solid, small chunks. The cheaper variety is solid chunks with a lot of small bits. Those bits work their way into the mix and become quite hard. Even on the very steepest parts we did no maintenance for three years.
Even the higher grade concrete is much cheaper than gravel. Hope it goes well for you!

Hostas are a really great idea! They’re also edible and delicious. How much sun would they receive in this new garden?
I love herbs like thyme, rosemary and lavender but only for dry/poor soil conditions. These herbs grow with ease in a neglected environment. If the soil is any good at all they may not survive.
I used to own a 16 acre permaculture farm. I planted the herbs I listed on rocky outcroppings where nothing else would grow.

Strawberries are great companions to rhubarb and onions. I planted an entire swale with all of these and asparagus. Once established it was zero work except for the harvest.

I tried growing a lot of different plants in and around my elderberries over the years. There were only a couple that survived. Walking onions did phenomenal directing under the elderberries. They actually did better there than anywhere else.
I could ramble on for sometime about elderberries but I’m here to talk walking onions. 🧅

I was able to grow a nice patch a few years ago here in central NC. The only problem here is the clay. They do great in sandy soil which I didn’t have. I did have plenty of compost piles at the time and decided to just grow in a couple of those. They did magnificent and were easy to harvest. Just don’t try to eat them right after harvest. They’re pretty nasty. 😂

I grew these and Hansen cherries for at least a decade. The Hansen’s were larger but the Nanking’s more prolific. I had Nanking’s I was able to divide by root division but others never tried to spread. They’re one of the main species I miss from my farm.

Hi Em.
I would first start by checking the season to sow some of your plants. Radish, turnips, lettuce, spinach, cilantro and most onions are cool season crops. In central NC all of these can be sowed now or at least started inside.
By the time you harvest the cool season crops you can be planting your favorite summer vegetables.
I would consider planting oregano in a pot and keep it harvested. It spreads pretty easily and may take up a whole square before long.
I’d start pepper plants inside soon. Peppers like poblanos take a longer season  you will have in western NC.
In the fall I would definitely sow Austrian winter pea for nitrogen fixation during the winter. Its natural lifespan doesn’t end in your location until June. If planting before then just chop and drop a week or two before planting. It’s such a great cover crop that it will keep the soil temp to low for direct sowing. That’s why it should be chopped and dropped a couple weeks before planting.

Thanks Carla. I hope you enjoy them if you make a batch! I just happened to have a couple ripe bananas so I had them today.

Here’s my new favorite. They taste like banana bread.
2 ripe bananas,
3 eggs,
1/2 cup almond flour,
1/4 tsp baking soda,
1/2 tsp cinnamon,
1/4 tsp nutmeg and ground cloves.

Mash bananas then combine everything with a mixer.
I no longer eat grains so these are my go to when I have a sweet tooth.