Get a high ROI from your garden

Plus: Top news of the week — Camp North End investor seeks exit; UNC reconsiders application requirements; Replacement ordered for Mecklenburg chief judge; Surprise tax on gambling

Good morning! Today is Saturday, April 27, 2024. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger’s Weekend Edition.

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As an independent practice, the difference is personal. With multispecialty care offered at several locations across the Charlotte region, we build stronger relationships that lead to better health. 

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Backyard & Beyond: Avoid poor-return plants and choose these high-yield crops — plus this month’s to-do list.

Spring makes even non-gardeners dream of growing things. That’s the thinking behind Backyard & Beyond, our occasional series of stories giving you ideas and inspiration. Whether you long to grow some of your own food, ditch your cookie-cutter landscaping or just make your yard more welcoming, we’re here for you!

by Amber Veverka

Peppers, tomatoes, herbs, strawberries: Customers plunked the plants into their carts on a recent afternoon at the Home Depot garden center near Cotswold, filling the checkout line with greenery — and hope.

Can anything dampen the optimism of the gardener in spring? 

Actually, yes. How about: Poor-return plants — vegetables and fruits that are like a bad relationship. The kind that take and take, leaving you with little return and lots of regret.

This spring, avoid those. 

Instead, try some high-ROI crops — plants that produce well for the time, money and effort involved. For a strong return on investment, here are the top plant picks of Charlotte gardening experts:

Salad greens. A box of organic arugula in the grocery store runs at least $3 and goes slimy-bad before you can blink. A packet of arugula seeds costs the same, grows fast and will keep you in arugula until July. The same with red Russian kale, possibly the easiest kale to grow. Plant a little every couple of weeks (a pot is fine), keep it watered, and snip leaves at a small size for salad. And let us talk about lettuce. “Lettuces and leafy greens don’t necessarily need a lot of sun,” said Cherie Jzar, who cofounded Deep Roots CPS Farm in northwest Charlotte with her husband, Wisdom Jzar. “You can extend your salad season even if you have a shaded yard.”

The ‘Bright lights’ variety of chard can be a beautiful addition to a border.
(Pressly Blackley photo)

Chard. “Swiss chard is an excellent return,” said David Blackley, owner of Renfrow Hardware in Matthews, which stocks seeds and garden plants. “It’s a biennial, which means it lasts a year before it tends to go to seed. So it will grow fall, winter, spring and summer. It is a leafy green that is cut-and-come-again. It doesn’t take up a lot of space. You start it from seed this time of year.” Added to that, chard is pretty, so it fits in well in front yards and flowerpots.

Red raspberries. Do you wish that eating more than a mouthful of red raspberries didn’t require a bank loan? Then you need to get on the raspberry growing bandwagon right now.

Raspberries are so trouble-free it’s like a gardening miracle. They aren’t bothered by many bugs or diseases. Plant a few bushes in a sunny spot, mulch to prevent competition from grass and you’ll soon have a thick patch, producing gorgeous, juicy, zingy-sweet berries that you can quaff by the handful. One great variety: Heritage, a type that produces two crops, one in early summer and the other in early fall, and doesn’t really need staking. But there are many other types that do well in the Piedmont. Raspberries will spread. Mow down the ones you don’t want. 

Herbs. If the urban deer gangland has sent your garden dreams into despair, try herbs. Deer typically won’t eat the stronger-smelling, woody herbs like rosemary, oregano and thyme. Martin Doherty has a long history in plant nursery sales and now works on the plant-selling team at Charlotte’s Blackhawk Hardware. He recommends surrounding a soon-to-be garden plot with a thick planting of culinary sage. Deer don’t like the scent and may continue to avoid the space once you plant your edibles inside that barrier, he said.

Bonus herb trick: Grow your cheapest-ever basil garden: At a farmers market, buy a bundle of basil. Plop it in a glass of water on the counter and cover it loosely with a plastic bag (if you don’t, the basil will droop as it loses moisture). Take the leaves you want for cooking and keep the water clean. In a week, you should see white roots forming on the stems. Plant those rooted stems out. You can use up most of the leaves on your basil bouquet AND get a whole basil crop outdoors. 

Blueberries. “It should be a law that every yard has three blueberries in it,” Blackley said. Blueberries can easily be grown without pesticides, bushes will live 40 or 50 years, he said, and children love eating berries straight from the bushes.

Cherry tomatoes: “Cherry tomatoes are abundant,” Doherty said. “I go for the red ones, but there are yellow and black. Grape tomatoes are another good type.” Cherry tomatoes will thrive when standard tomatoes keel over from blight and bugs. Blackley favors the Sungold cherry tomato, a yellow variety known for its sweetness.

Pole beans: For some reason, when people want to plant snap beans (also known as “string beans”), they often reach for bush bean seeds. But pole beans give you more beans, and instead of setting a crop all at once the way bush varieties do, these climbers produce until frost. Because they grow up (on a trellis or some other support with strings) instead of out, they take up less ground. Standby varieties include “Kentucky Wonder,” and “Blue Lake,” but there are yellow and purple kinds, too. 

Okra. “I do not know of a person who cannot grow okra,” said Jzar. Sow okra seeds directly in a sunny spot. “The only thing you’ll have a problem with is keeping up with the harvest,” she said. And while fried okra is a classic, Jzar recommends splitting pods down the middle, brushing them with olive oil and throwing them on the grill.  

Cherie Jzar, who cofounded Deep Roots CPS Farm, says be wary of summer squash and cucumbers. (Jzar photo)

Save yourself some grief

Yes, each of these can be terrific for the right person, in the right place. But in general, these are vegetables and fruits that require more TLC, time or space than many gardeners are prepared to give.

Peaches. There’s a saying in animal farming about the difficulty of raising turkeys: Turkeys are born looking for a place to die. This is also true of peaches. Every insect and disease around is gunning for them. Frost often claims baby fruits. Just go to the farmers market and pay the peach people whatever they’re asking. 

Corn. We get it. Corn on the cob is a summer delight. But corn takes up a lot of space, has to be planted closely together to aid wind-dependent pollination (so no scattering a plant here or there in a border) and you get at most two cobs per stalk. Plus: “Raccoons will get your corn two days before it’s ready to pick,” Blackley said.

Summer squash and cucumbers. People who think nature loves us have not tried to battle cucumber beetles and squash bugs. “If you want to never be a gardener in your life, start out with squash,” Jzar said. “The pest pressure is pretty bad.”

Apples and pears. “They’ll require pesticide spraying for fungus and insects,” Blackley said. “They take up a lot of space and it’s years before they mature.”

Watermelon. You’ll get just two to four melons per vine and those vines will eat up a LOT of your yard space. And most melons take up to 100 days to produce fruit. Then you sometimes cut into one to discover it wasn’t even ready. Said Jzar: “There’s been plenty of heartbreak over a watermelon.”

 It’s time for …

• No-Mow May. Let your lawn go long to benefit bees and butterflies. Note: Is your HOA A-OK with No-Mow May? We want to hear about neighborhood support – or pushback – for a lawn that gives pollinators a brief break.

• Nature Therapy Walk. Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. to noon. Stroll UNC Charlotte’s Van Landingham Glen, part of the university’s botanical gardens, guided by Jenifer Bueno-Hutchens, nature and forest therapy guide in training. This gentle stroll is an exercise in “forest bathing” a practice that promotes mental well-being. Pre-register to reserve a spot. 

• Keep Charlotte beautiful. Join Charlotte Wildlife Stewards to clean up trash along a section of Tyvola Road, Sunday, May 5, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Register here.

• Pruning azaleas and hollies. Prune azaleas 12 inches or less once they’re done blooming and trim hollies to shape them.

Reach Amber Veverka at askbackyard@gmail.com.

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Today’s supporting sponsor is SouthPark Community Partners, an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to lead SouthPark's advancement by driving economic vitality, creating memorable experiences, and ensuring an extraordinary quality of life.

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This week in Charlotte: Early voting starts for primary runoff; Healthcare mergers on the rise; I-77 costs rise; Panthers draft wide receiver as Tepper questions restaurant sign

On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.

Education

• UNC System to vote on reinstating application requirements: (Daily Tar Heel) A UNC Board of Governors committee passed a proposal to reinstate minimum GPA and test score requirements for applicants to UNC System schools, starting in the fall of 2025. The proposal will be reviewed by the full board on May 23. 

• Bilingual spelling champ: (WFAE) Fifth-grader Vicente Alcayaga of Charlotte East Language Academy won Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ first Spanish-language spelling bee, correctly spelling the winning word “sandía,” or watermelon. Vicente also won his school’s English-language spelling bee.

Politics

• Legislature starts short session: (Associated Press) The N.C. General Assembly reconvened this week, and legislative leaders said they plan to advance a budget that increases funding for private-school vouchers, accounts for inflation and population growth and sticks with previously announced tax reductions.

• Time to vote: Early voting started this week for two Republican primary runoffs for lieutenant governor and state auditor. For detailed candidate information and voting logistics, check out The Ledger's Election Hub, which is free to all.

Local News

• New top judge: (WSOC) Mecklenburg Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch is being replaced, under a directive from N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby. Trosch will be replaced May 1 with Judge Roy Wiggins. 

• First N.C. marijuana dispensary opens: (WFAE) The first marijuana dispensary in North Carolina opened in Cherokee, three hours west of Charlotte, with over 100 medical marijuana cardholders lining up for its debut.

• Pineville social district: (Ledger) Pineville this week launched a social district in its downtown area, where visitors can legally walk with to-go alcoholic drinks from participating bars and restaurants.

Business

• Business group finances: (Biz Journal, subscriber-only) As the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance starts to look for a new CEO to replace Janet LaBar, who said last week she is stepping down, it will also need to increase its revenue, leaders said. The business group ran a $1.4M deficit in 2022, and its revenues were about 20% less than in 2018, according to tax filings.

• Healthcare mergers on the rise: (Ledger/NC Health News) Recent hospital mergers across the U.S. – including those by Atrium Health and Novant Health – have led to the formation of large healthcare systems, raising concerns about higher costs and minimal improvements in care quality for patients.

• Camp North End office investor seeks exit: (Ledger) An investor in Camp North End is selling its majority stake in five office buildings within the big mixed-use development, now that that section of the site has been redeveloped.

Sports

• NFL draft news: The Carolina Panthers traded up to pick wide receiver Xavier Legette of South Carolina in the first round of the NFL draft, and former Myers Park High and UNC Chapel Hill quarterback Drake Maye was taken third overall, by the New England Patriots. Shortly before the draft, Panthers owner David Tepper stopped by the Dilworth Neighborhood Grille to discuss the restaurant’s marquee sign, which read: “Please let the coach & GM pick this year.”

• In memoriam: Roman Gabriel, the former N.C. State quarterback who later played for the Los Angeles Rams and was the league’s MVP in 1969, died Saturday at age 83. He was also a former radio broadcaster for Carolina Panthers games in its first few seasons in the 1990s. (CBS Sports)

From the Ledger family of newsletters

Monday

• 2024 prom trends: This year's prom trends include halter top dresses with floral prints and ruffles in colors like black, gold, and champagne, while corsages are being replaced by small bouquets.

• Answering question on clearing customs at CLT: In our latest “You Ask, We Answer” reader-generated-question series, we looked into why a flight from Costa Rica was diverted to Miami and cleared customs there instead of heading as scheduled to Charlotte, where customs is supposed to close at 9 p.m.

Wednesday (🔒)

• Surprise tax on gambling: North Carolinians placing newly legal sports bets could end up paying taxes on winnings without being able to deduct losses, potentially facing an unexpected tax bill even if they break even or lose overall.

• Real estate “whispers”: In our occasional “Charlotte Commercial Real Estate Whispers” column, a developer proposes a “stick of dynamite” solution to empty office towers, the real estate industry hopes for more inclusion with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the Mecklenburg County Bar sells an office building to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Asana Partners remains coy about its Cotswold Village Shops plans.

Friday (🔒)

• Nail revolution: In Charlotte, Eastern European immigrants are reshaping the local nail salon industry by introducing Russian manicures, which prioritize intricate, artful techniques over traditional methods.

• New podcast: On the most recent episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, we talk with Aleksandra Degernes, founder of the Eastern European Business Network in Charlotte, about Charlotte’s Eastern European business community, cultural challenges and her journey from Russia to Charlotte. The podcast is sponsored by SouthPark Community Partners.

• Pakistani ambassador in Charlotte: Speaking to the World Affairs Council of Charlotte, Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S., Masood Khan, emphasized the enduring strength of U.S.-Pakistan relations despite historical challenges.

• Sexual misconduct lawsuit: A federal judge in Asheville is allowing a lawsuit to continue that alleges that UNC Chapel Hill improperly kicked out a Morehead-Cain scholar from Morganton for sexual misconduct.

Transit Time

• I-77 costs surge: The widening of I-77 in Charlotte, initially estimated to cost $1.1B, is now expected to surpass $3B because of rising costs and extensive delays, making it potentially the state's most expensive per-mile road project.

Ways of Life (🔒)

• A chemist with an active mind: Arlene Ann Roman was an unconventional lifelong learner who combined her scientific acumen with artistic pursuits, enjoyed medieval re-enactments with her husband and passionately traveled the world.

Fútbol Friday

• Q&A: Nathan Byrne, Charlotte FC’s 31-year-old right back, is usually private, but he opened up in a Q&A with The Ledger’s Carroll Walton, talking about cultural adjustments to life in Charlotte, playing defense under Coach Dean Smith and eating gator bites with teammates.

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative