Tanger Savannah Garden Spring ‘26 Update

Spring has sprung, and in Savannah, that means we skipped straight to summer! But the garden isn't complaining. The kale overwintered beautifully and is already being harvested, and our summer vegetables are practically leaping out of the ground, including one tomato that has already outgrown its cage (you know who you are). Peek in and you might spot eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes with fruits already forming, kept busy by all the bees flitting from flower to flower. And keep an eye on the raspberries planted last year, as they're ripening and nearly ready. Fresh starts are coming up from seed too: green beans, okra, nasturtiums, and baby kale, with more successions of beans planned through June. Spring is for planting and tending. Summer is for harvesting the fruits of all this labor, and I cannot wait to share them throughout community fridges in downtown Savannah!

In This Spring

KALE

One of the most beloved crops in our gardens, kale thrives in cool weather and is planted before the last frost, giving it a head start on the season and making it one of the first crops ready for harvest.

Fun Facts About Kale

• Taste & Texture: Flavor ranges from mild and sweet in young leaves to earthy and slightly bitter in mature ones- a quick massage with olive oil softens both the leaves and the bite.

• Nutrition & Calories: Just one cup of raw kale delivers over 100% of the daily value for Vitamins K, A, and C, all for around 33 calories. It's also a surprising plant-based source of calcium.

• Culinary Uses: Very versatile- can be eaten raw in salads, blended into smoothies, roasted into chips, or sautéed as a side. It holds up better to heat than most leafy greens.

• Harvest: Kale is a "cut and come again" crop meaning that harvesting outer leaves regularly actually encourages the plant to keep producing all season long!