It was a gorgeous Saturday in Michigan, so I took full advantage and tackled some long-overdue tasks in the yarden. Gardening is a constant learning curve, and this weekend was a masterclass in the two extremes of water management: not enough, and way too much.
Troubleshooting Sprout Failure: The Hydrophobic Soil Problem
I was starting to worry about the beets and carrots I sowed back on April 4th. No sprouts, no green—just dirt. As it turns out, my fancy new garden soil had become hydrophobic. Because Renewed Earth Veggie Delight has a high peat moss content, once it dries out completely, it actually repels water instead of absorbing it. Even with our recent Michigan rain, the moisture was just sliding off the top. It’s exactly like a bone-dry sponge; you can’t just mist it; you have to soak it until it becomes pliable again.
The Fix:
- I gently watered all six beds.
- I let it soak, then repeated the process until the soil was fully saturated.
- The Result: Overnight, the sprouts finally said hello! Going forward, if it isn’t actively raining, I’m going to be out there watering.
Given the fact that these beds were bone dry, I roughed up the soil where I’d sown bunching onions and reseeded that area thickly. I imagine they will be much happier now that they’re being watered correctly, cue the giant eye roll. The snow peas were also not doing as well as I’d hoped, so I put in a second trench and watered everything in. This morning the peas I trenched in back on April 4 were sprouting happily. As long as I’ve been gardening, this was a rookie move and I’m just glad I was able to fix it early on.
The “Anaerobic Mess” and the Great Shovel Fest
Then again, you can definitely have too much of a good thing. During the ‘Great April 4th Shovel Fest and Back Pain Clinic,’ I filled my new resin planters but completely forgot to knock out the drainage holes. I eventually went in with a hammer and screwdriver to fix it, but the damage was done—one of the covers failed during a heavy rain, leaving me with a three-foot-tall pot of stinky, anaerobic mud.
It was a swampy, plant-killing mess.
Since that “death mud” would kill any plant it touched, I shoveled it out onto a tarp to let the sun and air dry it back out. Once it’s aerated and healthy again, it’ll be perfect for my upcoming potato sets.
Greenhouse Updates: Squash, Melons, Mints, and Cute Fence Pots
I spent some quality time in the greenhouse, finally moving my cabbage and broccoli starts out to their respective raised beds. The Brussels sprouts weren’t nearly robust enough to face the elements yet, so I left them in their trays to beef up for another week or so.
In their place, I started a new tray of Honeynut butternut squash and Sugar Baby watermelons. Honeynut is a modern hybrid cross between a full-sized butternut and a pattypan; it’s the ideal size for a single serving when roasted. Then there’s the Sugar Baby, a traditional icebox melon that stays between 6–10 pounds, perfect for one or two people. It’s an open-pollinated heirloom, which means it’s packed with seeds, but the upside is that I can save them and grow them next year with no surprises.
I put my hanging fence pots together as well. These live on the fence in my backyard and delight me when I’m laying in the hammock or working at the patio table. I visited my favorite plant source, Schuring Greenhouse in Portage, MI, and bought a flat each of marigolds and coleus. I also bought one each of chocolate mint, spearmint, and rosemary.
The mints, being the weeds that they are, easily divided into two new plants so I was able to get two of each mint potted up. The rosemary took up another pot, and the remaining five each got a vividly colored coleus! Right now they’re hanging on the raised planter since my backyard season hasn’t really got rolling quite yet, and these small pots, while cute, do need regular watering.
I also created a hanging basket of the coleus, and tucked marigolds into my raised beds for a pop of color and to deter critters who get past the netting.
The Main Event: Blueberry Row
The best part of my weekend was getting Blueberry Row built. I’ve bought blueberry plants before, and of all those plants, there’s just one survivor still standing.
This year I decided to buy smarter and looked at local blueberry farms to see if they sold their own stock. Friends, you cannot go wrong with DeGrandchamp’s Blueberries out of South Haven. I was extremely impressed with the pricing and quality of these plants, and since they’re grown in the same USDA zone as the yarden, zone 6b, I feel confident that these can handle Michigan’s weirdo weather.
I purchased a three plant set specifically for USDA zones 5-7. I opted to include fertilizer and soil acidifier, even though I have Espoma’s Holly-Tone in the garage, because I figured that DeGrandchamp’s knows best how their plants behave.
The Value Breakdown:
- Price: The set was $39—much less than I’ve paid in the past for much lower quality.
- Shipping: They packed them on a Thursday and they were at my door via UPS the next day.
- The “Buddy System”: A dear friend who is just starting her gardening journey bought a set of three as well, which helped us save on shipping costs.
Quality Matters: Virus-Tested and Berries All Season
I love the assortment I ended up with. These appear to be solid second-year plants, and a huge selling point for me is that they come certified as virus-tested. When you’re investing time and yard space into a “Blueberry Row,” starting with clean, healthy stock is half the battle. These aren’t the spindly twigs you sometimes get in the mail; these are solid, healthy plants that feel like they actually belong in a Michigan garden.
DeGrandchamp’s chose varieties that provide an early, mid, and late-season harvest, so you have berries all summer long rather than one giant burst you can’t keep up with.
The attention to detail extended to the shipping, too. They were packed carefully in boxes with shredded paper, and despite the journey, there wasn’t a single broken limb on any of the plants we received. It’s clear these were handled by people who actually care about the plants’ success in your garden.
But Amy, what kinds did you get?
Heard!
The Early Bird: Chanticleer (Mid-June)
The earliest producer in my row will be the Chanticleer, which starts coming along in mid-June. It was bred in New Jersey in 1986 specifically to be the earliest blueberry on the market.
What makes it a winner for Michigan is that it’s incredibly frost-hardy. Even though it is the first to flower, the blossoms can handle a bit of a chill much better than many other early types. The flavor is slightly tart-to-sweet and very refreshing—it just tastes like the beginning of summer.
It’s a highbush type, which means it grows upward more than outward. They can get to be 6-8′ tall, but since mine are potted, they likely will not be that big. If you’ve ever bought a pint of blueberries at the grocery store, you were almost certainly eating highbush berries. They were bred to be large, easy to pick while standing up, and sturdy enough to handle being packed into containers.
The “Michigan Mystery” Survivor: Top Hat (Early July)
Next up is the random blueberry left from years past. The tag is long gone, but I’m willing to bet it’s a Top Hat that will produce in early July. This is a “half-high” hybrid (a cross between wild lowbush and highbush) that was born right here at Michigan State University.
The MSU trials for this one began in the early 1960s, and it was released in 1977 specifically for home gardeners. These are smaller, manageable plants that produce berries with that tangy, wild punch.
The Heirloom Legend: Jersey (Late July)
Coming ripe in late July is Jersey—my absolute favorite blueberry. This is a highbush heirloom released in 1928, and it was the backbone of the Michigan blueberry industry for most of the 20th century. When you plant a Jersey, you’re planting a piece of Michigan history; it’s the variety that put South Haven on the map. These are deep blue, sweet berries with just enough of an “edge” to keep them from being all sugar. It’s hard to describe, but if you every get them, thank me later.
The Grand Finale: Liberty (August)
The last berries of the season will pop in August when the Liberty comes calling. This is a modern highbush developed in 2004 at MSU by Dr. Jim Hancock (the same person who gave us Top Hat!). They are gorgeous sky-blue berries with firm flesh, which makes them the gold standard for freezing because they won’t mush up. I have some in my freezer right now, and they are outstanding in yogurt—sweet, tart, and floral.
Protecting the Harvest: Deploying the Bird Netting
I am really excited about the Blueberry Row, and I will be netting these soon as they are done flowering. The variety of pollinators in my yard will love them while the blossoms are out, but the minute those flowers are over, the net goes on.
As my good friend Erin Hack says, birds are assholes—I mean, jerks. But honestly? Mostly the first one. Let’s call them ‘jerks’ if we’re being polite, though when you’re looking at an empty blueberry branch, the stronger word definitely feels more accurate. They’ll clean out a bush in an afternoon and laugh at you while they do it.
2026 Blueberry Row at a Glance:
- Chanticleer: Mid-June (Early/Highbush)
- Top Hat: Early July (Mid/Half-high)
- Jersey: Late July (Mid-Late/Heirloom Highbush)
- Liberty: August (Late/Highbush)
The yard is finally moving from the building phase into the actual growth phase. Now, I just have to keep the water coming and the nets tight.
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