Garden Basil Gin Fizz with lemon and fresh basil on a wooden board

A Garden Basil Gin Cocktail for Easy Summer Entertaining

When most people consider what time of year they like to entertain, they probably think of the holidays. We gather at Thanksgiving with elaborate meals and celebrate at Christmas with our favorite decorations on display. However, I think that summer gives us more opportunities to entertain friends.

Entertaining guests in summer can be more casual and approachable. With longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures, it’s easy to extend an invitation that feels special and effortless for everyone.

This summer, a basil gin cocktail made with fresh herbs from the garden has become part of my formula for keeping it simple.

The Easiest Summer Invitation

My favorite way to entertain in the summer is to send a text after lunch that says, “Hi, we’re having cocktails and playing cards after dinner. If you feel like joining us, we’ll be in the garden around 7:00.”

Garden Basil Gin Fizz with lemon and fresh basil on a wooden board
A Garden Basil Gin Fizz made with basil from the garden, fresh lemon, local honey, gin, and club soda.

This type of invitation takes the pressure off if the recipient has other plans. It says, We’re already going to be outside, and there’s a seat for you if you’d like to join us.

On the other hand, this type of summer entertaining eases the burden on the host as well. I don’t need to worry about my house being spotless if guests are joining us outside. And if they’re arriving after dinner, I don’t need to worry about providing a whole meal.

When I talk to people about hosting in their homes, I frequently hear the same hesitations. People worry about the amount of time it takes to get their home cleaned and ready for guests. They worry about being judged on the size of their home or on their décor. Some people are concerned about the cost of entertaining, whether they’re spending money on food or other items in their home.

I’d like to encourage you to simplify your expectations for both hosting and being a guest. The most important thing is to create a moment for connection. Don’t let the pressure of perfection keep you from extending an invitation.

Make It Simple, but Make It Special

Although hosting guests in the summer is easier, I still want it to be meaningful. One way I do this is by creating a signature cocktail of the season. This summer, I created my Garden Basil Gin Fizz.

I like to serve my signature summer cocktails with a big bowl filled with a crunchy snack. Something like popcorn, or my favorite Trader Joe’s bar mix, can easily be served with nothing but a paper napkin.

Garden Basil Gin Fizz cocktails with popcorn, snack mix, playing cards and garden flowers
Summer entertaining can be as simple as a couple of cocktails, something crunchy to snack on, and a deck of cards.

If my guests respond to the text and say that they’ll try to join us, I say, “Great! I’m serving my signature Garden Basil Gin Fizz cocktail and a crunchy snack. If there’s something else you’d like, feel free to bring it with you!”

If you want to take it a step further by creating a special environment for when you host guests in the summer, you can easily do so by burning some citronella candles or plugging in a strand of clear, outdoor Christmas lights.

It doesn’t have to be complicated for you to host a special evening that creates memories with your friends, neighbors, and loved ones.

A Garden Basil Gin Fizz

One reason why I love my Garden Basil Gin Fizz, a basil gin cocktail, is because it combines fresh herbs from my garden with the flavors of local honey and bright, summery citrus. My husband has assigned himself the job of getting the basil leaves for the cocktails. With a quick trip out of the kitchen side door, he’s back with a handful of basil for me to muddle.

Fresh basil leaves being picked from the garden for a basil gin cocktail
Fresh basil from the garden gives the Garden Basil Gin Fizz its bright, herbal flavor.

For this cocktail, I decided to use a honey syrup instead of a traditional simple syrup. After testing several versions, we really love the depth that the honey syrup adds in this cocktail. Honey syrup has quickly become one of our favorite ways to use local honey, and we try to keep a little jar in the refrigerator just for my signature summer cocktails.

You may remember that last summer I shared a recipe for my Summer Garden Sangria. I love to have a signature summer cocktail because it’s easier to keep track of which ingredients I need if I’m inviting guests over. The Garden Basil Gin Fizz combines ingredients that I keep on hand, like basil and honey syrup, with just a few others that I can easily remember to stock over the summer, like lemons, club soda, and gin.

Gin, club soda, lemons, fresh basil and local honey syrup for a basil gin cocktail
Gin, fresh lemon, garden basil, club soda, and honey syrup made with local honey are all you need for a Garden Basil Gin Fizz.

Garden Basil Gin Fizz Recipe

If you’d like to make one for your own summer evening, the recipe is simple.

Garden Basil Gin Fizz with fresh basil and lemon in a gold-rimmed Collins glass
Abby Smolarsky

Garden Basil Gin Fizz

A refreshing summer gin cocktail made with fresh basil, lemon, local honey, and club soda.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8-10 fresh basil leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
  • 2 oz. gin
  • ½ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¾ oz. honey syrup, made with local honey
  • 2-3 oz. club soda, according to taste
  • Ice
  • Lemon wheel or slice, for garnish, optional

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker
  • cocktail strainer
  • Collins or highball glass

Method
 

  1. Add the basil leaves and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle the basil just enough to bruise the leaves and release their oils.
  2. Add the gin, lemon juice, and ice. Shake well until thoroughly chilled.
  3. Strain into an ice-filled Collins or highball glass.
  4. Top with 2 ounces of club soda, or more to taste.
  5. Garnish with a fresh basil sprig and lemon wheel, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

To make honey syrup: Combine equal parts local honey and hot water and stir until the honey is completely dissolved. Allow to cool before using. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
No muddler? Use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently press the basil leaves. Avoid crushing or shredding them, which can give the cocktail a grassy flavor.
Bring out the basil aroma: Gently clap the basil garnish between your palms before adding it to the glass. This releases its aromatic oils and makes the basil more noticeable as you sip.
Make it your own: The character of the cocktail will change slightly depending on the gin and honey you use. A local wildflower honey is especially nice here because its floral character complements the gin and fresh basil.
Garden Basil Gin Fizz being strained from a cocktail shaker into an ice-filled glass
After shaking the gin, lemon, honey syrup, and fresh basil with ice, strain the cocktail over fresh ice.

An Invitation is Enough

Some of my favorite summer evenings have been spent in the garden with a deck of cards, a cool drink, and the laughter of friends and neighbors.

Playing cards during a casual summer evening with cocktails and snacks in the garden
Some of the best summer evenings need little more than a deck of cards, a cool drink, and good company.

I love inviting friends and family into my home during the holidays, but when summer comes around, there are so many possibilities to entertain in easy ways.

It doesn’t have to be a signature cocktail, either. Maybe watermelon slices on a Sunday afternoon or popsicles on the porch are more your speed. The most important thing is creating time to connect with each other.

If the fear of imperfection has kept you from hosting friends, just remember to keep it simple. The hardest part of hosting this summer will be hitting the send button on a text.

A Few Things I Keep on Hand for Easy Summer Entertaining

I’ve gathered a few of my favorite things for easy summer entertaining in one place. These are the kinds of simple things I like to keep on hand so that when an impromptu invitation turns into cocktails in the garden, getting ready doesn’t require much preparation.

Affiliate disclosure: This collection contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Shop My Outdoor Summer Entertaining Collection

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Southern Garden Sangria: A Vintage-Inspired Summer Sip
How to Grow Herbs in the South: A Guide for the Southern Kitchen
Lemon Thyme Mahi Mahi

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment
Original sleeping porch in a 1939 Colonial Revival home with vintage furnishings and screened windows

The Southern Sleeping Porch: What This Historic Room Still Teaches Us About Home

Beneath the canopy of a Japanese cherry tree, the sleeping porch in our 1939 Colonial Revival home is a magnet for all who visit. An overstuffed down sofa and a collection of houseplants are the first things to draw someone in. Once inside, a cross breeze from the open cantilever windows is what keeps them from leaving.

When I tell guests that we spend most of our free time sitting out on the sleeping porch, they look confused. “Do you mean the sunroom?” “No,” I respond, “this is an original sleeping porch.”

Although sleeping porches have largely disappeared from modern homes, they reveal a steadfast truth: the places we set aside for quiet, reflection, and everyday routines shape not only how we use our homes but how we experience our lives.

The Sleeping Porch in Southern History

Around the turn of the twentieth century, sleeping porches began to rise in popularity, particularly in the American South. Unlike front porches, which were often spaces for hospitality and socializing, sleeping porches were private spaces for retreating, seeking solace from hot summer temperatures, and sleeping.

Air conditioning wasn’t commonplace in homes until the late 1960s, so sleeping porches were designed to maximize airflow. Normally, at least two sides of the porch would be fitted with screened windows, usually of a cantilever style.

Porches were built on second levels or higher on the corners of houses. At this location in a house, the air would be cooler, and a cross breeze could be created from opening windows on multiple walls.

Exterior of a 1939 Colonial Revival home with an original second-story sleeping porch
Located on the second floor, sleeping porches were typically positioned to capture breezes from multiple directions before residential air conditioning became common.

As well as creating a space for comfortable sleeping on hot days, sleeping porches were thought to help fight diseases like tuberculosis. At the time, air flow and circulation were believed to help patients recuperating from their sickness.

Sleeping porches in the South were considered utilitarian spaces. Furnishings and decoration would have been kept to a minimum, and the porch would have commonly been outfitted with multiple beds.

Sleeping porches are sometimes confused with sunrooms. A sunroom is more open and integrated into the home. Windows in a sunroom are often fixed or are more traditional looking than the slanted cantilever windows found on a sleeping porch. A sleeping porch is more secluded and private than a sunroom. A sunroom would traditionally have had seating and entertaining spaces, and a sleeping porch would have had beds and nightstands.

Open cantilever windows on a historic Southern sleeping porch designed for natural ventilation
Cantilever windows open outward to create cross ventilation, helping sleeping porches stay cooler during warm Southern summers.

Today, due to modern air conditioning and medical advances, sleeping porches are no longer commonly found on floor plans. Oftentimes, older homes that originally had sleeping porches are renovated to use these spaces in other ways.

More Than a Historic Home Feature

The sleeping porch was the space in our house that I was most excited about. Immediately after signing the papers, we drove over and ripped the carpet off the porch floor.

For weeks beforehand, I could imagine sitting there with the windows open enjoying fresh air and a breeze.

Rather than thinking of the porch as an obsolete space that needed to be renovated, I considered the idea that it represented something valuable that could translate into modern living.

If sleeping porches were historically places to seek a reprieve from the heat and retreat at difficult times of the day, why not find a way to use the space to achieve similar results today?

In our home we have turned the sleeping porch into a space that shapes our daily habits.

How Rooms Shape Daily Habits

In modern floorplans, designs are often developed to consider traffic patterns and how to increase flow between rooms.

Looking at a floor plan on paper, it’s easy to see how spaces in today’s homes continuously flow into each other. The kitchen is often connected to the dining room, which is connected to the living room. In open floor plan houses, there is often little to no physical separation of rooms.

Because the rooms in modern houses are so connected, it can be difficult to find a space to truly disconnect and relax. With constant distractions and stimulation, many people have forgone pastimes and hobbies and replaced them with screens.

In our home, our daily routine is that we go to the sleeping porch when we get up in the mornings. After stopping at the coffee pot to fill up a cup, we immediately head to the porch to sit down. I can’t think of a morning when it hasn’t been my ritual to sit with the dogs and watch as people walk by as I sip my coffee.

After dinner, when the sunlight is just right, I return to the porch to pick up a book or work on a hobby. These habits of retreating to our porch have shaped our daily routines.

Watercolor painting supplies arranged on a desk inside a historic sleeping porch
A quiet corner for watercolor painting reminds us that meaningful rooms encourage creativity as much as comfort.

It’s not uncommon to hear of someone turning a spare bedroom into an extra closet or enclosing a screened-in porch to enlarge a kitchen. But consider if we looked at our overall well-being and imagined how we might use a space like an old sleeping porch to enrich our everyday lives.

Reimagining the Sleeping Porch Today

While our sleeping porch does have a small television, it rarely gets used. Instead, we have created a space that intentionally fosters an environment for analog activities.

Reading corner on a sleeping porch with books, coffee, binoculars, and houseplants
Books, coffee, birdwatching, and quiet conversation have replaced the porch’s original purpose while preserving its role as a place of retreat.

Instead of scrolling through Pinterest for hours, you’ll find a stack of Martha Stewart books, recent issues of Southern Living and Garden & Gun, and even a pair of binoculars to watch the deer and birds outside of the windows.

I have brought in some of our favorite pieces of art and even created a space to do watercolor painting.

A 1920s china cabinet is filled with thrifted finds and miscellaneous treasures from our travels, which are good for sharing stories and remembering old times. There’s even a basket of vintage quilts if someone wants to open the windows to take a nap or enjoy chilly weather.

Vintage china cabinet displaying collected treasures inside a historic sleeping porch
Collected objects, thrifted finds, and vintage quilts give the porch a sense of history while encouraging everyday use rather than formal display.

The sleeping porch in our 1939 home is no longer used as a regular sleeping room to get relief from the heat. Instead, we have created a retreat from the busyness of daily life and the constant noise from screens.

Finding a Retreat in Any Home

It was certainly inspiring to find that our house had a room like a sleeping porch that we could use to create a retreat for our family. However, you don’t need to have an old porch or live in a historic home to have a space like this of your own.

Unused spaces like a formal living room or a sitting area adjacent to a primary bedroom can often be transformed into your family’s version of a sleeping porch. By making small changes like removing a television or adding a stack of books, you can slowly begin to create an environment that encourages your family to detach from their phones and laptops.

A small table for puzzles under a window or a box full of old photos can magically turn a previously unused room into a retreat and space to reflect or connect with your loved ones.

Sleeping porches aren’t the only things that have disappeared from homes over the years.

Today, families are living in a constant state of motion in their own homes. We are bombarded with noise from phones, laptops, and televisions. We have lost the daily rituals of connecting to each other over conversation or sitting in silence for reflection.

When our grown kids or guests come to stay, they are drawn to our sleeping porch. It’s a space where we instinctively slow down and talk to each other. In this small space, tucked to the side of the house, human connection and well-being are the first priorities, not notifications and emails.

Consider how you can set aside a space in your own home to create rituals for quiet reflection and activities that enrich the experiences of everyday life.

Create Your Own Retreat

Whether your retreat is a historic sleeping porch, a quiet corner of the living room, or a favorite chair beside a window, thoughtfully chosen pieces can help create a space that encourages reading, creativity, conversation, and quiet reflection. I’ve gathered a collection of timeless furnishings, books, and accessories inspired by our sleeping porch to help you create a retreat of your own.

Browse the Sleeping Porch Collection

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Original sleeping porch in a 1939 Colonial Revival home with vintage furnishings and screened windows
The original sleeping porch in our 1939 Colonial Revival home has become our family’s favorite place to read, create, and slow down.

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment
Abby holding a slice of homemade Southern tomato pie on a blue willow plate in her kitchen.

Southern Tomato Pie: Why This Summer Classic Still Belongs on the Southern Table

Gardening is perceived as a relaxing activity. Seed packets tell you when to plant and when to harvest. It seems so simple.

Talk to a gardener, though, and they’ll tell you otherwise. Leaf-footed bugs or lady beetles posing as lady bugs can ruin your whole day. Then there’s that moment of panic when twenty green tomatoes ripen all on the same day.

If I had it my way, one or two tomatoes would ripen each day, just enough for my daily tomato and pimento cheese sandwich for lunch. As nature would have it, it’s feast or famine.

In the South, when someone says, “What am I going to do with all of these tomatoes?” they’re likely to be asked if they’ve made a tomato pie yet.

Homegrown summer tomatoes ripening on a kitchen windowsill before being used to make Southern tomato pie.
Peak tomato season often means more tomatoes than can be eaten fresh, making Southern tomato pie a delicious solution.

A Dish Born from Summer Abundance

I planted seven varieties of indeterminate tomatoes in my garden this year. With names like Big Beef, Better Boy, and Park’s Whopper, my expectations were set high for some nice slicing tomatoes.

When planting my young seedlings at the beginning of April, my mouth salivated thinking of thick slices of tomatoes, salted and peppered, between two slices of Sunbeam bread skimmed with some Duke’s mayo. A Southern summer sandwich delight.

Fresh chives being harvested from a backyard garden for Southern tomato pie with garden herbs.
Fresh herbs picked just before cooking bring brightness to this classic Southern tomato pie recipe.

The reality is that seven tomato plants were far more than I needed. (I think this is where the term “your eyes are bigger than your stomach” comes from.) My kitchen windowsill is now lined with various shades and sizes of red tomatoes waiting for their final destination.

This is not a phenomenon unique to me. With a long growing season in the South, farmers markets across the state draw a crowd of shoppers each Saturday morning looking for homegrown tomatoes… and there will be an abundance of them.

Obvious solutions to the problem of too many tomatoes include homemade salsa, fresh pasta sauce, and even canning tomatoes. But there is nothing more Southern than a tomato pie on the dinner table or at a church potluck.

Carrying freshly picked homegrown tomatoes into the kitchen in preparation for making Southern tomato pie.
Every Southern tomato pie begins long before the oven is preheated, often with a basket of tomatoes gathered from the garden.

The Tradition Behind Southern Tomato Pie

The South is a region that reveres tradition and heritage. When it comes to food, those traditions have long crossed social and economic lines. Whether served in a farmhouse or a fine home, Southern tables have been set with many of the same dishes for generations, including tomato pie.

Southerners pass along recipes as though they are heirloom quilts or sterling silver teapots. A perfected recipe for cheese straws or benne wafers will suddenly get a name added to them, Betty Ann’s Cheese Straws or Janet’s Benne Wafers.

Brides are often given recipe cards at bridal showers for traditional meals they may want to serve in the future. A recipe for Southern tomato pie may be tucked into the ribbon of a wrapped pie plate. A new pie plate and a recipe to fill it with is a treasured gift.

Once you’ve made a tomato pie, it’s easy to see why this dish has endured on Southern tables for generations.

Many of the ingredients in the recipe are within reach of the kitchen. Simply by opening the kitchen door, I have all the herbs and tomatoes I need. A handful of tomatoes, a few basil leaves, and a snip of chives were all collected from a single garden bed in my backyard.  

Other ingredients like pie crust, mayonnaise, and cheese are commonly found in the refrigerator or freezer. By using pantry staples and garden produce, it’s easy to pull together a delicious dinner or something to bring to a gathering.

Hospitality in the South is an opportunity to share heirloom recipes. Your next gathering is a chance to show why tomato pie has endured on Southern tables for generations.

Adapting a Classic for Today’s Table

While tomato pie is standard on many Southern summer tables, it’s not one that should be thrown together all willy-nilly.

As a child, I wasn’t a fan of tomato pie. I tried one that wasn’t very good, and no one could get me to try it again for years. When I was young, the problem I had with that particular tomato pie was the amount of mayonnaise. And considering that mayonnaise is a key ingredient, that was tricky.

Another issue that many tomato pies have is a watery, soggy filling. No one wants to eat tomato soup in a pie shell.

Fresh tomato slices draining on paper towels before assembling Southern tomato pie.
Removing excess moisture helps create a pie with distinct tomato layers and a crisp crust.

I tested and refined my recipe using classic ingredients, while updating them for modern palates. Combining fresh herbs and a perfect ratio of mayonnaise and cheese, I’ve created a tomato pie recipe that is lighter in texture, holds its structure, and maintains the identity of a traditional Southern tomato pie.

Southern Tomato Pie with Garden Herbs

After testing and refining this recipe throughout tomato season, this is the version I’ll be making whenever my kitchen windowsill begins to fill with ripe summer tomatoes.

Southern tomato pie with one slice removed, showing layers of ripe tomatoes, cheese, and fresh herbs.
Abby Smolarsky's avatarAbby Smolarsky

Southern Tomato Pie with Garden Herbs

A classic Southern tomato pie made with ripe summer tomatoes, sharp cheddar, Parmesan, fresh garden herbs, and a creamy cheese filling. This refined version celebrates the flavors of peak tomato season while producing a crisp crust and slices that hold together beautifully.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 43 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 1 refrigerated 9-inch deep-dish pie crust
  • 3-4 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese (for the crust barrier)
Filling
  • About 2 ½ pounds ripe slicing tomatoes, (approximately 4-5 medium tomatoes), cut into ¼-inch-thich slices
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • ½ cup mayonnaise, we use Duke's
  • 2 Tbsp full-fat sour cream
  • ¾ cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup sweet onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ to ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • pinch Cayenne pepper

Equipment

  • 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Pie weights or dried beans
  • Cooling rack
  • Paper towels
  • Mixing bowl
  • Small offset spatula or the back of a spoon

Method
 

Prepare the Tomatoes
  1. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on paper towels. Spring with ¾ teaspoon of the kosher salt.
  2. Let stand for 30 minutes.
  3. Turn the tomato slices, blot with fresh paper towels, and let stand an additional 15 minutes.
  4. Pat the tomatoes dry once more immediately before assembling the pie.
Blind Bake the Crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F
  2. Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch deep-dish plate and crimp the edges as desired.
  3. Place the pie plate on a rimmed backing sheet. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill completely with pie weights or dried beans.
  4. Bake for 18 minutes.
  5. Carefully remove the parchment paper and weights.
  6. Return the crust to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the bottom looks dry and just begins to turn light golden.
  7. Immediately sprinkle the 3-4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese evenly over the hot crust and allow it to melt.
  8. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 °F
Prepare the Filling
  1. While the tomatoes drain and the crust bakes, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard, onion, basil, chives, thyme, remaining ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, and Cayenne in a mixing bowl.
  2. Stir until well combined.
  3. Leave the filling at room temperature while assembling the pie.
Assemble the Pie
  1. Arrange a layer of tomato slices over the prepared crust.
  2. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread a thin, even layer of the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.
  3. Repeat the layers until all of the tomatoes have been used.
  4. Finish with the remaining cheese mixture, spreading it evenly over the top of the pie.
Bake
  1. Keeping the pie on a baking sheet, bake at 350 °F for 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is lightly golden.
Cool
  1. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack.
  2. Allow the pie to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. For the cleanest slices, allow 75-90 minutes of cooling time. The pie will still be pleasantly warm while the filling finishes setting.

Notes

Tomato Tips
Use ripe but still firm slicing tomatoes. Overripe tomatoes contain more moisture and may produce a softer filling.
Properly salting, draining, and blotting the tomatoes is essential for preventing excess moisture.
Ingredient Tips
Use full-fat sour cream. Reduced-fat and fat-free sour cream contain more water and may affect the texture of the filling.
Freshly grate the cheddar cheese for the best flavor and melting.
Fresh herbs are recommended for the brightest flavor.
Serving
Southern Tomato Pie is best served warm after it has had sufficient time to cool and set. The filling should be creamy and cohesive, with tomato slices that remain distinct and a crisp, flaky crust.
Serve with a simple green salad, cucumber salad, fresh fruit, or seasonal Southern vegetables for a light summer meal.
Storage
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Reheating
For the best texture, reheat individual slices in a 325°F oven or toaster oven until warmed through. Microwaving is not recommended because it softens the crust.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an estimate.
Southern tomato pie with one slice removed, showing layers of ripe tomatoes, cheese, and fresh herbs.
A crisp crust, distinct tomato layers, and fresh garden herbs make this refined version of a Southern classic.

Serving Southern Tomato Pie at the Summer Table

There’s a sense of pride that comes with setting the table with a meal made from ingredients you grew. Whether you’re making tomato pie for a casual brunch after church or serving a cherished tomato pie recipe to your garden club, this pie will disappear in minutes.

If you’re coming to my house for lunch in the summertime, there’s a good chance that you’ll be served tomato pie. A slice of tomato pie on a blue willow plate, paired with fresh cucumbers and onions and slices of peaches, is one of my favorite summertime meals.

More Than a Recipe

Tomato Pie isn’t simply a dish Southerners eat in the summer. Like deviled eggs at Easter or chicken mull in the fall, tomato pie is a tradition that endures.

As I was writing this article, I invited a friend to be my official taste-tester. I knew I had perfected the recipe when she said, “Oh my. This is it – this is summer on a plate.”

I sent her home that afternoon with a grocery sack of heirloom tomatoes, a half-eaten tomato pie, and the recipe written down on a piece of notebook paper.

Like Betty Ann’s Cheese Straws and Janet’s Benne Wafers, my friend has named this Abby’s Tomato Pie.

This article contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. The simple tools and timeless serving pieces used throughout this feature are part of my everyday summer kitchen. I’ve linked many of them in my LTK collection for readers who’d like to explore them further.

Abby holding a slice of homemade Southern tomato pie on a blue willow plate in her kitchen.
A recipe worth sharing begins with tomatoes from the garden and ends around the table.

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Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment
Southern dining room decorated in Americana style with traditional furnishings, layered textiles, vintage flags, and collected antiques

Americana Style in the Southern Home: Decorating with Tradition, Comfort, and Character

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, patriotic decorating is appearing everywhere from retail displays to magazine covers. Yet some of the most enduring expressions of Americana are not seasonal at all. They are the everyday objects that tell the story of a place, a family, and a nation.

The latest edition of my favorite magazine is telling me that Americana style is back. There is a resurgence of patriotic themes and symbols in retail spaces this year.

But true Americana style is not found on an aisle of Hobby Lobby. It’s an enduring design perspective that doesn’t need to be changed out with the seasons. At its core, Americana style reflects a distinctly American approach to home, one rooted in comfort, tradition, individuality, and a connection to place.

Traditional Southern living room with Americana-inspired summer decorating, blue and white porcelain, patriotic bunting, and layered textiles
Americana style often blends traditional furnishings, family collections, and seasonal patriotic touches into spaces designed for everyday living.

More Than Flags and Fireworks

Our little town is having a decorating contest to celebrate America’s semiquincentennial anniversary this summer. Participants are encouraged to decorate their homes or businesses with red, white, and blue for the 4th of July. Throughout town, buntings and flags are being used in various ways to celebrate the season.

As I sat outside one evening after decorating our own home for the contest, I heard a lady walking by remark to her friend that she loved anything Americana. People often associate patriotic symbols with Americana, but those are only one expression of the design style.

Americana style isn’t limited to the era or architectural style that a home was built in. Homes ranging from historical to newly built traditional homes can be decorated through the lens of Americana style characteristics.

The Characteristics of Americana Style

At the heart of Americana style is a reflection of the people who live there. It’s a design perspective that is built around characteristics shaped by the lifestyle of American people.

Americana style adapts traditional lines in furnishings to more softened edges with comfort in mind. Formal floor plans in Americana homes become more approachable because the function of these spaces has been adapted for everyday modern living rather than special occasions.

It’s common in Americana style for both soft and hard furnishings to be made from durable materials. Hardwood construction, combined with elements such as leather, brass, or canvas, are characteristics of Americana style furniture. Linen, wool, and various types of cotton weaves in fabrics reflect the materials sourced from American lands.

Classic patterns and textiles are layered in a manner that welcomes everyday living. Instead of holding beautiful finishes at arms-length, Americana style homes are hospitable and inviting.

As each space reflects the family within, Americana style homes characteristically feature personal collections that are often shaped by the specific place the home is found in.

Traditional bedroom featuring blue and white textiles, antique furnishings, layered rugs, and Southern Americana decorating
Americana style is often expressed through traditional furnishings, heirloom pieces, and layered textiles collected over time.

A Style Shaped by Place

Americana style encompasses a group of styles that are specific to the regions they represent. America has never had one singular decorating style. Each region reflects local influences, climates, and cultures of the people living there.

Southwestern Americana style is largely influenced by the climate of the region with color palettes that are inspired by desert sunsets. Soft furnishings and art are heavily influenced by Native American patterns, the landscape, and Colonial Spanish equestrian themes.

Coastal Americana designs are heavily influenced by maritime life. Artwork, color schemes, and soft furnishings mirror the colors of water and the ecosystems dependent upon it.

Furnishings for Mountain Americana homes are usually in natural wood tones, and it’s common for them to have roughly hewn edges and visible construction.

Here in the South, homes are traditionally designed with hospitality in mind. Homes feature both formal and casual gathering spaces, and additional entertaining spaces are created by using the garden or front porch as an extension of the home.

In Southern Americana homes, rooms are often designed around heirloom pieces of furniture because these homes place a significant emphasis on heritage and tradition.

Regardless of which regional style of Americana design is found in a home, the strongest designs reflect the traditions of the people who live in them.

Southern Americana decorating featuring a vintage American flag, sporting art, game plates, and collected decorative objects
Regional expressions of Americana often draw inspiration from local traditions, landscapes, and cultural influences.

The Role of Tradition in the American Home

When I travel, I like to tour historic homes that have been opened to the public. In Savannah, the Green-Meldrim House is a wonderful example of historic Southern Americana Style. In Santa Fe, the Palace of the Governors features classic Southwest Americana style.

I enjoy integrating vintage and antique pieces into my home, but Americana style doesn’t require us to cling to outdated traditions or live in the past. The modern role of tradition in American homes is to reflect on the history of the region, while moving forward with traditions of people currently living there.

Rather than focusing on strictly using pieces in our homes that fall under a specific design label, use the characteristics of Americana as a jumping point to create character in your home over time.

The most successful Americana designs combine treasures discovered over time and new pieces that will stand the test of time.

Implementing an Americana style in your home may begin with a collection of books on your coffee table, a china cabinet passed down from a grandmother, or a favorite recipe you share with your friends every year on the 4th of July.

Patriotic mantel display with family artwork, American flags, blue and white porcelain, and collected heirloom accents
Collections gathered over time often become some of the most meaningful expressions of Americana style.

Seasonal Americana Décor for Summer

Shortly before Memorial Day, I begin to decorate our home for summer. Since I’ll leave these “decorations” out until mid-July, I tend to steer clear of decorative pieces that feel trendy.

I don’t want to feel like I’m putting a patriotic costume on my house for the summer, so I usually begin by choosing items from each room that will have a summer aesthetic when they’re gathered together.

Baskets of seashells that my children have collected over the years are placed next to a stack of vintage books about American government and history. A small white ironstone pitcher holds blue hydrangeas from my garden with a little flag tucked inside as a nod to the season.

Southern dining room decorated in Americana style with traditional furnishings, layered textiles, vintage flags, and collected antiques
A Southern Americana interior combines traditional furnishings, collected objects, and seasonal patriotic accents without losing its timeless character.

Outside we have hung red, white, and blue buntings from the railings on the top floor. Flowerpots have been filled with red, white, and blue annual flowers.

The way we have decorated the outside of our house could have been from 1980 or 2026; it is timeless and restrained. Americana style has endured through the ages.

Why Americana Style Endures

As America prepares to mark 250 years, the enduring appeal of Americana style may lie in its ability to honor the past while continuing to adapt to the present.

Today, Americana style reflects the people living inside each home. Because America is a melting pot of people, Americana designs allow room for individuality and collections from personal life experiences.

Implementing this design style into a modern home is an act of layering unique perspectives and experiences in home décor, while combining it with a sense of place that echoes the culture and the landscape of the region.

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Wide view of a Southern garden in late spring with growing vegetables and flowers in Georgia

A Southern Garden in Late Spring

If a Southerner is going to give you their opinion on something, it’s going to be the weather. If it’s too cold, we’ll cry, “I wasn’t made for this!” But, on certain days when the weather feels just right, we’ll sigh and say, “If only the weather was like this all the time.”

Many of those “perfect days” of Southern weather happen in late spring.

While the weather at this time of year is perfect, my garden leaves me a little impatient. It is a period of waiting for the next big show.

The seeds in both the vegetable and flower gardens have all been sown. Plants are growing their vines, stems, and leaves until the early weeks of summer give us pops of color from zinnias and tomatoes alike.

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Birdbath surrounded by flowers and pollinator plants in a Southern garden during late spring
A garden is never just about the plants. Water, pollinators, and wildlife all play a role in late spring.

The Vegetable Garden Requires Patience

You may have heard the expression, “a watched pot never boils.” I think a better saying would be, “a watched tomato never ripens.”  During late spring, the tomatoes in my vegetable garden are lingering in their own space-time continuum. The vines are loaded with handfuls of green tomatoes that can’t be rushed to reach their full ruby-colored potential.

Clusters of green tomatoes growing on the vine in a Southern vegetable garden during late spring
Tomatoes spend much of late spring suspended between promise and harvest, testing the patience of gardeners eager for the first tomato sandwich of summer.

As I look from the kitchen window, I can see yellow flowers on my zucchini and cucumber plants. Big flowers on the zucchini invite a whole host of pollinators to join the party at once, while the small flowers on cucumbers only have room for one bee at a time.

The pollinators are working and having their feast in my garden, but my vegetable feast won’t begin for a few more weeks.

While I wait, I’m closely watching the colors of the leaves on my young vegetable plants. I’ll take clues from them to see if the soil needs fertilizing or amending. On many mornings I trudge to the garden carrying my largest watering can. It’s full of diluted fish fertilizer or calcium, food for my young tomatoes.

I’m bribing them with, “Tomatoes, if I do this for you, what will you do for me?” And I hope the reply will be more tomatoes than I can eat or give away.

Cucurbit bee gathering pollen from a cucumber flower in a Southern vegetable garden
While gardeners wait for vegetables to ripen, pollinators are already hard at work among the blooms.

In addition to feeding the growing plants, I also watch for signs of unwanted bugs, and I take preventative measures to keep them at bay for the rest of the season. When the sun goes down, an eerie purple glow from my black light flashlight scans the plants up and down for the dreaded tomato hornworm.

Pampering these vegetable plants now means that in a few weeks my patience will pay off as I take a bite of my first tomato sandwich of the summer.

The vegetable garden requires surprisingly little equipment, but there are a handful of tools, fertilizers, and amendments I reach for throughout the growing season.

Recommended vegetable garden supplies including tools, fertilizers, and garden essentials
Click the image to browse the vegetable garden tools, fertilizers, and supplies I use throughout the growing season.

A Season Between Blooms

While I wait for my vegetables to grow, the flowers have a time of transition, too. Early spring gives the South flowers with soft and delicate blooms. In summer, flower varieties have transitioned to hardier and sturdier stems that can withstand the heat that settles in at the hottest part of the day.

Unopened zinnia flower bud developing in a Southern cut flower garden during late spring
The first zinnia blooms of summer are still forming in late spring, building anticipation for the season’s brightest display of color.

The peonies, which bloom in early spring in the South, have come and gone weeks ago. The tiny pink blooms on my Peggy Martin roses and the fuzzy, purple alliums have finished their shows as well.

In late spring, my flower gardens will not only be a source of blooms to bring indoors, but they will also attract important pollinators.

Spires of salvia and lavender dance and sway as the bees crawl from flower to flower for their next treat. Hummingbirds flit in and out of gladiolus flowers.

During this time, the zinnias and dahlias are still growing their stems. Flower buds are beginning to form, and anticipation builds for when they decide it is time for a chorus of color.

As the flower garden begins its summer display, these are a few of the tools and containers I use for harvesting, arranging, and enjoying blooms indoors.

Recommended flower garden supplies for growing, cutting, and arranging blooms
Click the image to browse the flower garden tools, harvesting supplies, and floral essentials featured in this article.

Learning to Wait

After the long and dark months of winter, spring brings new growth and excitement. But it also requires a great deal of waiting and patience.

Gardener harvesting gladiolus stems in a Southern flower garden during late spring
Gardening requires both patience and participation, rewarding careful attention with flowers to bring indoors and moments spent outdoors.

It’s a good thing the weather is so ideal in the South during late spring, because I spend a lot of time checking on the gardens.

I drink my morning coffee hovering over my pepper plants like a helicopter parent. I’ll take another stroll through the rows in the evening after dinner. Have the seeds germinated since I last stared at the dirt six hours ago?

Gardening is both about myself and something bigger than myself. I am nurturing these plants with water, food, and protection. But I’m also connecting to the earth as a whole.

These days of perfect late spring weather in the South are fleeting with every rotation of the Earth. And while we often wish these perfect days could last forever, would we really want them to?

Soon the mild temperatures of late spring will give way to the humid heat that is necessary for a watermelon to ripen and a dinner-plate dahlia to unfurl in summertime.

Afterwards, shorter days will trigger the reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn leaves.

Each season requires patience for what is still to come and an appreciation for what is here now, because neither lasts forever.

The sun, the dirt, and the pollinators are all reminders that it’s never just about the little seeds we sow in spring.

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Lemon thyme mahi mahi served with green beans and tomato salad for a summer supper

Lemon Thyme Mahi Mahi

I step out of the car to unload my groceries, and the hot, humid air of the north Georgia summer envelopes me in a blanket that I don’t want to be wearing. I feel the thickness with each intake of breath, and the humidity immediately reminds me that summer in the South is not interested in appearances.

It’s ironic, really, that I have a trunk full of groceries, but I can’t bear to cook in a hot kitchen on a day like this. I scan my purchases for something I can prepare for the table quickly, and thankfully, some mahi mahi fillets are tucked into one of the grocery sacks.

With a bit of lemon juice, butter, and a sprig of lemon thyme that I can snip from my herb garden on my way inside, I’ll have everything I need to make lemon thyme mahi mahi in under 10 minutes. This will be the perfect solution for dinner on a hot summer day in the South.

Gathering fresh lemon thyme from the garden on a summer afternoon in north Georgia
Fresh lemon thyme clipped from the garden just before dinner.

The Kind of Meal Summer Calls For

My tastebuds change with the seasons. In the colder seasons I crave rich, decadent meals that provide comfort and warmth. While I truly love summer in the South, the stifling heat brings me to crave lighter fares with ingredients that are fresh and require less time in front of the stove.

Lemon thyme mahi mahi is more than just a dish that I can pull together quickly for a weeknight dinner. Although the ingredients are simple, the result is something you can also be proud to serve while entertaining guests.

Fresh lemon thyme, citrus, salt, and pepper prepared for lemon thyme mahi mahi
Lemon, thyme, butter, salt, and pepper keep the flavors simple and fresh.

Lemon Thyme Mahi Mahi

Served with a few simple sides, it is the sort of dinner that slips easily between ordinary evenings and informal entertaining.

Seasoned mahi mahi prepared for cooking with lemon thyme and butter
A quick seasoning is all the fish needs before cooking.
Lemon thyme mahi mahi served with green beans and tomato salad for a summer supper

Lemon Thyme Mahi Mahi

A simple, herb-forward mahi mahi made with fresh lemon thyme, butter, and lemon juice; a clean flavorful dish that comes together quickly.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Southern
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 mahi mahi fillets
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1-2 tsp lemon thyme, chopped
  • 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Method
 

  1. Pat the mahi mahi fillets dry and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the fillets and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
  4. Reduce heat and add butter to the pan.
  5. Once melted, spoon the butter over the fish and add the chopped lemon thyme.
  6. Remove from heat and fish with fresh lemon juice before serving.

Notes

  • Lemon thyme adds a subtle citrus flavor, so additional lemon can be adjusted to taste.
  • This recipe works well with other firm white fish if mahi mahi is unavailable.
  • Serve with simple vegetables, rice, or fresh tomatoes for a light summer meal.

What to Serve with Lemon Thyme Mahi Mahi

To keep the entire meal satisfying and fresh, I like to serve it with simple sides. Today I have a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, some fresh basil from the garden, and a bit of red onion. I slice the tomatoes in half and mix them with the shredded basil, chopped onion, salt and pepper.

The mahi mahi and tomatoes will go perfectly with some green beans sauteed with butter and garlic, as well as some crusty bread.

Everything is fresh and uncomplicated. With the exception of the mahi mahi, nearly all of the ingredients in our meal have been provided by our gardens. This is one of my favorite meals of the season.

Lemon thyme mahi mahi served with green beans and tomato salad for a summer supper
Served with green beans and a simple tomato salad, this meal comes together quickly on warm summer evenings.

A Simple Summer Table

As our dinner is ready, a shiver runs through me. The sun is lingering on the horizon before it slips away, and the air conditioning in the house now feels too cold where sweat has gathered at the base of my ponytail.

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I grab a few things to set the table outside the kitchen door for our dinner. I place some melamine plates, a linen tablecloth, and a citronella candle into a basket, along with white wine and some wine tumblers.

My husband follows me with the platter of fish lined with lemon wedges and another with our tomatoes and green beans.

By the time we finish our meal, the sun has set completely. We sip our wine and talk about our day with the candle between us. The meal has been perfect. The same summer heat that felt oppressive in the grocery store parking lot now settles around us differently. Moments like this make the sweltering Southern summers easier to forgive.

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Zinnia arrangement in a blue Ball jar from a Southern cutting garden

How to Grow Zinnias in a Southern Cutting Garden

I spend a lot of time thinking about flowers. There are times that my mind wanders while I’m doing other mundane tasks, and my thoughts drift away to varieties, colors, and bouquets.

It all started years ago with one little seed packet of zinnias that I planted to attract pollinators to my vegetable garden. At the time I didn’t even know how to plant a zinnia cut flower garden, but it was the start of my flower gardening journey.

Over time I shifted my focus from growing vegetables to growing flowers. I get a lot of joy growing things whose sole purpose is to bring beauty into the world. What a pleasure to walk outside and take my pick of which stems to bring into my home.

Zinnias are blooms full of cheer, and they make the perfect addition to any Southern cutting garden.  

This article was created in partnership with Eden Brothers. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Why Zinnias Belong in a Southern Cutting Garden

It turns out that the little packet of zinnia seeds that I picked up at the garden center to attract pollinators is one of the best choices for a Southern flower garden.

Why Zinnias Thrive in Southern Summers

On the summer days when the heat feels oppressive, zinnias are thriving. They don’t need a lot of maintenance, like other cut flowers, and when the sun beats down, the flowers come up.

Zinnias are often a choice flower for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike.  As long as you have enough sunlight, you’ll be able to cut blooms for flower arrangements all summer long. In fact, the more you cut, the more flowers you’ll have to bring inside.

The hardest part of growing zinnias is usually deciding which varieties to buy.

Choosing the Right Zinnia Varieties

There are over one hundred varieties of zinnia seeds sold in the United States. With so many choices available, there are a few things to consider when choosing which seeds to plant in your Southern cutting garden.

Zinnia seed packets for a Southern cutting garden before planting
Choosing varieties is one of the most enjoyable parts of planning a cutting garden.

Some varieties of zinnias are more tolerant of Southern growing conditions than others. Varieties that have high humidity tolerance and resistance to diseases do well in the South.

Color is another big consideration when planning a zinnia cut flower garden. Varieties come in colors ranging from muted pastels to bold summer hues. The colors you select will not only impact your garden outdoors, but they’ll also be present inside your home. If you’re planning to bring your zinnias inside, it’s important to consider if your garden color palette integrates well with your home’s color palette.

One of the most important things to consider is how your zinnias fill a vase. I like to use a mixture of varieties so that I have variations in texture, color, and size of blooms. If you’re only planning to grow zinnias for cut flowers, you can create a well-rounded arrangement by planning variation carefully.

The Best Zinnias for Cutting Gardens

Eden Brothers has been an excellent resource for recommending zinnia varieties to me. I partnered with them to grow several varieties in my garden this year.

Wooden garden markers labeling zinnia varieties for a Southern cutting garden
Keeping varieties labeled makes it easier to compare performance throughout the season.

One of their top recommendations for zinnias in the South is Benary’s Giant, which is mildew resistant and excellent for cut flowers. Benary’s Giant Zinnias are the workhorses of the zinnia world with big, strong blooms that will fill a vase.

Oklahoma zinnias are like Benary’s Giant, but slightly smaller, fuller, and excellent for bouquets. These zinnias are what I lovingly refer to as “reliable” because they are useful for filling in blank spots of flower arrangements. They’re there when you need something extra.

Queeny zinnias also do well in the South, and they provide interesting pops of color. For smaller scale zinnias that do well in pots and borders, Eden Brothers recommends Profusion and Zahara varieties. My raised vegetable garden beds are the perfect spot for the smaller varieties.

When to Plant Zinnias in the South

Once you have your seeds in hand, there are a few important things to know about when to plant them.

Hand holding zinnia seeds before planting in a Southern cutting garden
Zinnia seeds germinate quickly once the soil has warmed in late spring.

Why Timing Matters More Than Most Gardeners Expect

Although growing zinnias from seed is easy, issues can be triggered by planting seeds at the wrong time.

It’s considered safe to plant seeds directly in the ground after the last danger of frost. But I recommend waiting just a little while longer to sow them. Zinnias are heat-loving plants. Your zinnias will have the best chance of germination once the soil temperatures are consistently 70-80 degrees.

Planting too early can result in stunted growth or weaker plants that are susceptible to disease. Since zinnias love warm temperatures, you can plant them every few weeks through July to ensure you have blooms until fall.

If you’d like to keep these planting recommendations handy throughout the season, I’ve put together a free printable Southern Zinnia Planting Guide with my favorite varieties, planting reminders, and harvesting notes.

Get the free zinnia guide

There’s not a hard and fast date for planting zinnias each year. It’s important to look at soil temperatures and weather forecasts before putting your seeds in the ground. Even so, Mother Nature has a mind of her own.

I’ve had an unusually warm spring, but night temperatures have been cooler than normal. After my seeds germinated, they were slow to grow this year. Now that temperatures have heated up, their growth is booming. Even an experienced gardener like me is dependent on Mother Nature to behave herself. 

Planting Zinnias Successfully in Southern Soil

Once you know what you’re going to plant and when to plant it, you need to decide on where the best spot in your yard will be to sow your zinnia seeds.

Preparing soil for a Southern cutting garden before planting zinnias
Preparing the garden bed helps improve drainage and airflow before planting.

Zinnias require full sun, so you’ll need a place in your yard that receives at least six hours of sun each day.

Zinnias also need good air circulation. It’s important that their leaves are given the opportunity to dry off. Air flow is vital in humid climates in order to keep plants healthy.

The South is known for red clay soil. While zinnias can grow successfully in poor soil, they do need proper drainage. If your soil is compact, consider amending it with compost to improve drainage.

Hand holding soil amendment used to improve soil in a Southern cutting garden
Improving soil texture and drainage helps zinnias thrive through the Southern summer heat.

Zinnia seeds should be planted about one-half inch deep. They’ll sprout rather quickly in just 4 to 7 days if the soil is warm.

Once sprouted, zinnias should be watered at the base of the plant. Keep the leaves dry to prevent moisture-related diseases.

It feels counter-intuitive, but to give your zinnia seedlings the best chance of success, you’ll need to thin them out. You’ll want to gently remove seedlings so that there’s one growing about every 12 inches. Choose the healthiest looking stems as you go through this process.

Rows of young zinnias growing in a Southern cutting garden
Proper spacing allows zinnias to receive sunlight and airflow during the humid Southern summer.

Thinning seedlings is necessary to maintain a healthy garden. Too many seedings creates unnecessary competition for nutrients and light. While it feels strange to pull up seeds that you planted, you’ll be rewarded with better blooms.

Why I Prefer to Direct Sow Zinnias

Zinnia seeds should be sown directly into soil outdoors. They germinate quickly and do not like to be transplanted. Therefore, it’s best to plant them in the soil.

The only time that I would start zinnia seeds indoors is if I was going to sow them in a large planter that they were going to stay in all summer.

The One Step That Makes Zinnias More Productive

I like to pinch my stems. Pinching is a practice that is done to create a bushier plant that will produce more blooms.

How and When to Pinch Zinnias

Zinnias are ready to be pinched once they’ve reached about 12 inches, before they have developed any flower buds. The plant should have at least 4 sets of leaves at this point.

Remove the center part of the flower down about 3 or 4 inches, right above a pair of leaves. This should leave at least 2 sets of leaves on the plant.

Close-up of young zinnia seedlings growing in a Southern cutting garden
Young zinnia seedlings beginning to establish in the warm spring garden.

Once they’re pinched, the zinnia plants will start to branch out to create more stems. Many gardeners hesitate to pinch off growth, but pinching prevents plants from getting leggy or top heavy. Each plant will produce more flowers than they would’ve otherwise.

Common Problems Southern Gardeners Should Expect

Zinnias may be uncomplicated to grow, but they aren’t free from problems.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is one of the biggest concerns for a Southern cutting garden. It’s not a matter of if you’ll get powdery mildew in a Southern garden, it’s a matter of when. The Southern climate is notoriously humid, so when leaves get wet, they tend to stay wet longer.

In addition to proper spacing of plants, zinnias should be watered at the base of the plant, instead of on the leaves.

If powdery mildew is present, products like neem oil or fungicide should be used to get it under control before it affects production and spreads to other plants. Neem oil can be a solution for many gardening issues, so it’s always the first thing I try when combating powdery mildew.

Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetles love to make a buffet of a flower garden. Neem oil can be used as a deterrent to prevent beetles from eating. Some gardeners find that planting things like chives and marigolds will deter them as well.

If Japanese beetles have found their way to your garden, they can be brought under control by hand picking them and placing them in soapy water. I’ve even used milky spore to eradicate a Japanese beetle infestation.

Other Problems to Anticipate

Many of the problems that zinnias experience can be prevented with intentional spacing, thinning, and pinching. Without pinching, plants can get top-heavy, which can cause them to fall in storms or weight of blooms.

Zinnias can experience heat stress if they aren’t receiving adequate water. If they’re overcrowded from lack of thinning, they’ll be competing for water and nutrients from other zinnias.

With a bit of care and prevention, you’ll be rewarded with armloads of zinnias, ready to be brought inside your house to enjoy.

Harvesting Zinnias for the House

It doesn’t take long for the first zinnia blooms to appear. When the time is right, you should cut them to bring indoors.

Butterfly resting on a pink zinnia in a Southern garden
Zinnias attract butterflies and pollinators throughout the summer season.

When Zinnias Are Ready to Cut

Some flowers can be cut before they’ve fully bloomed, but zinnias should be fully bloomed before cutting. Once the bloom is fully opened you can test whether the stem is ready to be cut.

Gently hold the zinnia stem about 8 inches below the bloom and gently give it a wiggle test. If the bloom flops as you wiggle it, it’s not ready. If the stem stays firm under the bloom, you’re ready to cut your flower.

Zinnias prefer to be cut in the morning. To cut, reach down deep into the plant and cut above a set of leaves across from each other. Immediately remove most of the leaves and place them into a bucket of water.

Some zinnia gardeners like to condition their blooms by placing them in a cool, dark spot for 3-4 hours. Letting zinnias rest will extend vase life, and they should be given another cut before arranging them in a vase.

Zinnias are an important flower in a Southern cutting garden because they’re “cut and come again” flowers. Don’t be hesitant to cut them to bring them inside, because cutting encourages your plant to produce more flowers.

My favorite vessels to hold zinnias are everyday kitchen containers. I love to fill a milk pitcher or antique ball jars full of these simple blooms. Zinnias have a homespun appeal to them, which makes them perfect for everyday moments throughout the house, instead of fragile, special occasion arrangements.

There are a handful of things that make me feel rich in life, regardless of how much money I have in the bank: clean sheets on my bed, spending time with family, and fresh flowers in my home.

Zinnias are so abundant that even after I have filled my own home with them, I have plenty to share with my friends and neighbors. I’ve shared on Instagram that one of the main reasons why I grow flowers is to give them away.

If you’ve never grown zinnias before, why don’t you pick up a packet? But be warned, once you grow them, they’ll have a spot in your Southern cutting garden every year.

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Zinnia arrangement in a blue Ball jar from a Southern cutting garden
Fresh-cut zinnias gathered from the garden and arranged in an antique blue Ball jar.

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Traditional home design with connected rooms, layered rugs, and warm natural materials.

Traditional Home Design: Five Foundational Elements That Last

The highest compliments I have gotten as an interior designer were when my grown kids asked me for advice when decorating their own homes. Even when they were very small, I took them with me to go sourcing antiques for our home and my retail spaces.

Over the years they absorbed the importance of quality construction and materials. They know that if you buy a quality piece of furniture or decor, that you may not ever have to replace it in your lifetime.

People often confuse traditional home design with being old-fashioned. On the contrary, timeless home design is created by using classic elements that never go out of style.

The homes that stay relatable throughout the decades often have less to do with trends and more to do with the decisions that shape them over time.

What Defines Traditional Home Design

Labels are used frequently when talking about interior design. Contemporary, minimalist, and traditional are all terms you’ve likely seen online and in magazines. So, what exactly is traditional home design?

The word traditional is used to describe decor that often has a European influence. Traditional home decor often emphasizes symmetry.

Other elements that are trademarks of traditional interior design are layering of fabrics and patterns, curved and ornate wood carvings, and pieces that have been collected over time.

Spaces with traditional home design are a reflection of who lives there. At the heart of traditional home design is an understanding that rooms should feel visually balanced before they are ever fully decorated.

Proportion and Scale in Traditional Interior Design

If you’ve ever walked into a room and felt something about the decor was amiss, but you couldn’t put your finger on what it was, it was probably because something was off with the proportions or scale in the room.

Traditional dining room with carved wood table, patterned rug, and collected wall decor.
Traditional interiors often rely on proportion, natural materials, and collected details that feel layered over time rather than purchased all at once.

After moving into a new house, a friend told me, “I love this sofa so much, but no matter where I put it in the new living room, it just doesn’t look right.”

The problem wasn’t finding the right space for it, and there was nothing wrong with the sofa itself. The issue was that the sofa was purchased to fit in her last house, and it was entirely too big for her new space.

In traditional decor, designers often use the 2/3 rule of scale and proportion. This rule gives a pleasing sense to the eye as you take in the space as a whole. Large rooms can handle larger pieces of furniture, and in turn, smaller spaces need furniture on a smaller scale.

When scale is handled well, a room feels comfortable almost immediately, even if the viewer can’t explain exactly why.

Materials that Shape Timeless Home Design

The most successful traditional designs use materials that could have either been installed yesterday or one hundred years ago, and it’s difficult to know which it is.

Many of the materials associated with traditional homes share two qualities. First, they’re made of something found in nature, like wood, stone, linen, or leather. Second, they’re crafted from something man-made that can stand the test of time, like brass, copper, bronze, or nickel.

Choosing materials that are often found in traditional home decor will result in a timeless home design. As a bonus, these are often superior materials that not only withstand trends, but also physical wear and tear.

Over time, these materials also help create continuity throughout a home, allowing rooms to feel connected rather than separate from one another.

Creating Continuity in Traditional Home Decor

I remember watching the television show Trading Spaces, where neighbors would swap houses to redecorate one room with the help of a designer. As seasons went on, the designs became wild and unrealistic for everyday living.

The room reveals on the show often featured an outlandish space that the designer used to showcase their own creativity, instead of the tastes of the homeowner. As a result, these new rooms never blended with the rest of the house.

Traditional home design showing continuity between adjoining rooms with layered artwork and warm wood tones.
One of the defining characteristics of traditional homes is the sense of continuity between rooms rather than dramatic shifts in style or color.

In traditional homes, rooms are rarely treated as isolated spaces. Whole house color palettes create a smooth flow without disruptive color changes.

Using uninterrupted flooring finishes and repeating decor elements throughout homes also  creates continuity in traditional home decor. Traditional homes are often memorable not because of a single room, but because the entire house feels connected in both design and purpose.

Functional Layouts in Traditional Homes

In traditional interior design, floorplans have dedicated spaces for each living function. Rooms are designed to fulfill a purpose in the home, and the purposes of adjoining spaces are considered for how they relate to each other.

A kitchen will be designed for optimal workflow, but the kitchen design will also consider the placement and decor of the dining room, since the two often function in tandem.

In a classic home design, a living room layout will function to encourage conversation, and a bedroom layout will be designed to be peaceful and relaxing.

While decorating styles may shift over time, the ways people gather, cook, rest, and converse remain remarkably consistent.

A Collected Sense of Time in Traditional Homes

I love watching renovation shows on TV that surprise the homeowners with a brand new, completely styled room that they always fall in love with at the end. But the truth is that’s not always reality.

Traditional bedroom with antique wood bedside table, patterned textiles, layered artwork, and soft lamp lighting.
Traditional homes often feel collected rather than perfectly coordinated, with furnishings, artwork, and personal objects accumulated gradually over time.

Some people hire an interior designer to redo an entire room in their home. But there are far more people who call designers for help with one thing: draperies for a bedroom, a new sofa and loveseat with custom fabric, or flooring.

As you are making changes to your home, you’re also picking up a piece of art here and there, a basket to hold throw blankets in the living room, or a secretary desk to organize books and stationery in the corner of a study.

Classic home elements aren’t just beautiful; they tell a story that’s been written over time. Perhaps this is why traditional homes rarely feel finished all at once; they are shaped gradually through years of living.

Vintage books and blue-and-white ceramics styled on built-in shelving in a traditional home.
Collected interiors rarely feel overly matched; instead, they reflect years of retained books, furnishings, and meaningful objects.

How to Apply Traditional Home Design in a Real Home

Traditional homes tend to resist short-lived trends in favor of choices that remain appealing over time. In recent years there was an explosion of popularity in barn doors and vinyl plank flooring. These were new and exciting ways to decorate a home, but they weren’t enduring. Classic home decor is beautiful in any era, regardless of what is trending on the internet.

Traditional homes rarely feel assembled all at once, which is one reason perfectly matched furniture suites can feel overly uniform. Unmatched pieces can beautifully complement each other for a more collected look.

The most important thing to remember when creating a home with classic pieces is to go slowly. It’s okay if rooms are incomplete while you search for the right pieces to tell your home’s story.

Why Traditional Home Design Endures

As trends move faster online, interiors have also become more vulnerable to cycles of rapid consumption and replacement.

With instant access and saturation of influence on the internet, home furnishings and décor have become disposable. Composite materials and cheap construction mean that many things purchased today won’t be around in ten years.

Timeless home design endures because of quality craftsmanship and materials that last a lifetime. Traditional interior design considers functionality and cycles of everyday living, not what savvy influencers tell you is trending. Homes built slowly and thoughtfully often remain relevant far longer than those shaped by rapid cycles of consumption.

Check out these other reader favorites:

Traditional home design with connected rooms, layered rugs, and warm natural materials.
Traditional homes are often memorable not because of a single room, but because the entire house feels connected in both design and daily living.

Abby Smolarsky1 Comment
herbs planted in terracotta pots arranged on steps near a kitchen door in a Southern home

How to Grow Herbs in the South: A Guide for the Southern Kitchen

A Kitchen That Begins Outdoors

The morning sun is streaming through the windows as I open the kitchen door to reach for herbs growing in terracotta pots just outside. It takes me less than a minute to snip some chives for our eggs and pinch some basil for our lunch later. Herbs are something I use almost every day, and most people don’t realize how simple it can be to learn how to grow herbs in the South.

Homegrown herbs add a lot more than flavor to our food; they add a connection to the way we cook and eat each day. Learning how to grow herbs in the South is something anyone can do. You can cook differently, without changing much at all.

This article may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

fresh culinary herbs including parsley basil sage chives and lavender arranged on a wooden surface
A simple mix of herbs, gathered and used in everyday cooking.

The Best Herbs to Grow in a Southern Garden

The South has a long growing season, which means we can grow a wide variety of herbs successfully. There are a few key things to keep in mind before deciding which ones are best for your garden.

Everyday Culinary Herbs to Keep on Hand

The most common herbs to grow are ones that you’ll use frequently in your own cooking.

Basil is one of the most common herbs to grow in the Southern garden. It’s extremely easy to grow, and it appears often in summer dishes. Pinch leaves from the top of your basil plant as you need them.

Parsley is another garden favorite. It tolerates heat well and can survive mild winters in the Southern climate. Harvest parsley for your recipes by trimming the outer stems.

Chives are a beginner-friendly herb if you want to start an herb garden. They can be cut frequently, and even the flowers are edible.

Heat-Tolerant Herbs That Thrive in Southern Climates

The Southern summer heat is something to consider when you start an herb garden in the South. Heat-tolerant herbs will thrive and reward you with abundant flavor.

Plants like rosemary, thyme, and oregano prefer full, direct sun. These are heat and drought tolerant options if you’re looking for plants that do well under the Southern sun.

sage growing in a raised bed with lettuce and tomato plants in a Southern garden
Sage adds structure to a raised bed and pairs well with both vegetables and heartier dishes.

Herbs to Grow with Care in the South

There are a few herbs to carefully consider before deciding to include them in your Southern herb garden.

Mint is a favorite herb for gardeners to pick up at the garden center, but it should be planted with extreme care. Due to its aggressive growing habits, mint should never be planted directly into the ground. Mint is best planted in a pot and can even be grown indoors.

We often think of cilantro in dishes with summer tomatoes and jalapeños. However, cilantro is a cool season crop in the South. While you may see it being sold in the garden center each spring, in the South it is best planted in the fall.

Dill is a popular companion plant for summer garden vegetables, but it does have a few attributes to consider. Dill tends to bolt in extreme heat, and it can attract unwanted pests like aphids.

How Southern Climate Affects Herb Growth

The Southern climate makes it possible to grow herbs for much of the year, but it also requires a closer look at heat, sun, and moisture.

Understanding Sun, Heat, and Humidity in the South

Plants are often described as needing full sun or partial shade. The tags on many popular garden herbs will call for full sun. However, full sun in the South is vastly different than full sun in other parts of the country.

In the peak of summer, full sun can be damaging to some garden plants. Look into whether your plants could benefit from some afternoon relief from the heat by giving them shade cloths or finding an area that is screened from harsh sun at the end of the day.

The humidity is also something to consider in many areas of the South. When humidity is high, plants tend to stay wet, and that’s not a good thing.

Common Challenges When Growing Herbs in the South

A few common problems while growing herbs can be easily avoided by taking some preventative measures.

mint and lemon balm growing in a terracotta pot with visible plant issues in a Southern garden
Mint and lemon balm can grow quickly, but they also require attention to water and airflow in the Southern heat.

Bolting can occur if a plant gets stressed by too much heat or light. To keep plant production focused on foliage, and not flowers, check to make sure it is placed in the right light exposure.

Powdery mildew is very common, but it can be avoided by watering at the base of the plant and avoiding the leaves. Be sure to leave enough space in between plants so that air can circulate to dry leaves off properly.

Our instinct is to keep our plants watered, but overwatering can lead to big problems, including root rot. Research what kind of watering your herbs prefer. Some, like mint, prefer the soil to be moist. Others, like oregano, prefer dry soil.

Where to Plant Herbs: Pots, Raised Beds, or In-Ground

Sometimes the hardest part is deciding where to plant herbs. Depending on your soil and the space you have available, consider which of these options is best for you.

Growing Herbs in Pots Near the Kitchen

My favorite place to grow herbs is right outside the kitchen. I pick up terracotta pots as I’m out and about at thrift stores and estate sales. It’s so convenient to grab a handful of fresh mint right outside your kitchen door.

“Out of sight, out of mind,” often applies to the garden. When you can easily see your herbs from the room you spend most of your time in, you’re more likely to use them and remember to water them.

herbs planted in terracotta pots arranged on steps near a kitchen door in a Southern home
Keeping herbs close to the kitchen makes them part of everyday cooking.

Planting Herbs in Raised Beds for Better Drainage

We may be blessed with a long growing season in the South, but many of us also deal with difficult clay soil. One solution is to create raised garden beds with soil more suitable for plants to spread their roots and receive nutrients.

portrait view of basil and parsley growing in a raised bed with tomato plants
A raised bed allows herbs and vegetables to grow together in a manageable space.

Amend raised garden beds with aged manure and natural composted materials to give your herbs the best chances to succeed.

Growing Herbs In-Ground for Long-Term Growth

There are a few herbs that thrive when planted directly into the ground. Hardy herbs that can withstand mild winters and drought conditions are the best choices for planting in-ground.

rosemary plant growing in-ground in a Southern perennial garden bed
Rosemary is one of the most reliable herbs to plant in-ground, thriving in sun and well-drained soil.
lavender growing in a perennial garden bed in the South with surrounding plants softly blurred
Lavender benefits from space and good drainage, making it well suited for in-ground planting.

Rosemary and lavender can live for ten to fifteen years in the right growing conditions. Oregano can live for five to seven years as a perennial shrub.

How to Use Fresh Herbs in Everyday Cooking

Once the herbs are growing well, they naturally become part of what’s happening in the kitchen each day.

Cooking with What You Grow

The easiest way to use your fresh herbs is by swapping them out for dried herbs in recipes you already use and love. A roasted chicken with fresh sage or rosemary is a simple way to add depth without changing the dish.

Fresh herbs elevate everyday recipes like salads and roasted potatoes. Even a stick of softened butter can be transformed by mixing finely chopped herbs into it.

One of my favorite ways to use fresh herbs is also one of the simplest. Fresh tomato slices layered with mozzarella, basil leaves, and balsamic glaze are the simplest way to use what’s growing outside.

Building Flavor with Fresh Herbs

If you plant several kinds of herbs, you’ll have countless ways to create flavor combinations. A simple way to think about combing herbs is that woody herbs pair well with other woody herbs, and soft herbs pair well with other soft herbs.

Another way to combine herbs is to think about regional cuisines. Italian dishes often use a combination of basil, oregano, and sage. A delicious herb combination for fish is dill, tarragon, and lemon balm.

Use your favorite recipes as a guide for combining herbs and adding depth of flavor to your everyday dishes.

How to Start an Herb Garden in the South

Before you head to the garden center to buy seeds or plants, here are a few quick considerations to give you the most successful results for growing herbs in Southern climates.

herbs in plastic nursery pots placed closely together on outdoor steps before planting
Starting with a few herbs from the garden center is often the easiest way to begin.
  • Soil type matters. Clay or poorly draining soil may be better suited to pots or raised beds.
  • Water needs vary. Some herbs prefer dry soil, while others need consistent moisture.
  • Light exposure should be considered carefully, especially in areas with intense afternoon sun.
  • Determine what you’ll use. There’s no point in planting herbs that you won’t use. Stick to what you normally cook with.
  • Evaluate accessibility to the kitchen. Plant your herbs in a spot that is easy to reach when you’re cooking.

I’ve put together a simple, one-page guide you can keep on hand as you plan your herb garden.

Download the guide

I’ve linked helpful items here if you’d like to learn how to grow herbs in the South.

A Kitchen That Feels Lived In

Every time I bring herbs into my kitchen, I feel a little bit like a magician. The sprig of fragrant mint that I use in my summer garden sangria is just the trick I needed to create a refreshing treat to share with my neighbors on the patio during a hot summer evening.

Let herbs be your little magic tricks from the garden in your kitchen this summer. All you need is a little pot, a little sun, and the right amount of water for the herbs you choose.

fresh herbs from a Southern garden including parsley dill sage basil and chives spread on a wooden surface
A mix of herbs gathered from the garden, ready to be used in the kitchen.

If you’re learning how to grow herbs in the South or planning your next meal, you may also enjoy:

Southern Garden Sangria: A Vintage-Inspired Summer Sip

Fall Garden Prep: Essential Tasks for a Beautiful Start to Spring

Abby Smolarsky2 Comments
Lemon chess pie with slice removed

Lemon Chess Pie: A Classic Southern Recipe That Still Belongs on Today’s Table

In the decades that I’ve been collecting antiques, I’ve never forgotten the first piece of antique furniture that I fell in love with. It was a primitive pie safe with wood worn so soft from daily use that it felt like butter when I ran my hands across it.

The latch had been opened and closed so many times that the wood around the knob had grown deeper and darker. I’ve always wondered what kind of pies filled its shelves, and I think that surely a lemon chess pie was among the offerings.

Fresh lemons in natural light for lemon chess pie
Fresh lemons are essential for the bright flavor of a classic lemon chess pie.

I recently came across a classic chess pie recipe in a 1941 Southern cookbook I found at a local library sale. The recipe was rich, simple, and written in a way that assumed you already knew your way around a kitchen.

Encountering that recipe in the vintage cookbook brings to mind a Southern lemon chess pie recipe. Bright and satisfying, with a smooth custard filling and the tang of fresh lemon, it’s a pie that feels both simple and enduring on the table.

This article may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

What Makes a Chess Pie a Chess Pie

Chess pies are quintessentially Southern. There are varying opinions as to the origin of the name, but one of them says that it derived from “chest pie.” Chest, meaning that it could be kept in a pie safe at room temperature without spoiling.

All chess pies share a few basic ingredients to form a custard-like filling. Eggs, butter, and sugar are used in each version, and flavors like lemon, chocolate, and coconut are common because of how they cut the sweetness in this very decadent dessert.

Although all chess pies have a few basic ingredients in common, they often have many differences. Some use cornmeal, and some use flour. I’ve seen recipes that use neither. Some use buttermilk, cream, or no milk at all.

Why Lemon Chess Pie Feels Like Spring in the South

Chess pies are eaten all year long, but a chess pie made in the spring simply must be lemon. Spring brings brighter days and warmer temperatures, and a Southern lemon chess pie is the perfect dessert for this time of year.

Lemon freshens the taste buds and awakens our senses. Lemon zest and juice cut through the richness of the sugar and decadence of the butter, which bring a brightness to the dessert.

Why This Is the Lemon Pie to Start With

I know there are people out there who don’t like lemon; I just haven’t met them yet. Since most people love lemon desserts, a classic Southern lemon chess pie recipe is a good place to start.

Chess pies aren’t complicated. With a careful hand, you’ll be rewarded with a delicious pie.

Ingredients You Likely Have on Hand

Chess pies are made with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Ingredients for lemon chess pie including eggs, butter, and lemons
Simple ingredients come together to create a classic Southern lemon chess pie.
  • Eggs – allow them to come to room temperature first
  • Butter
  • Sugar – regular white sugar is best
  • Fresh lemons are crucial to the quality of this recipe
  • Cornmeal is traditionally used in many chess pies and acts as a thickening agent.
  • Pie Crust – I use premade pie crust to keep this recipe simple, but you can use homemade as well.
Mixing lemon chess pie filling
Whisk the filling until smooth before baking.

Lemon Chess Pie Recipe

This lemon chess pie recipe keeps the ingredients simple while relying on fresh lemon, eggs, butter, and careful cooling for the proper texture.

Lemon chess pie with slice removed
Abby Smolarsky

Lemon Chess Pie

A classic Southern lemon chess pie with a smooth custard filling, balanced with fresh lemon and a slightly set, golden top.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Rest Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp fine cornmeal
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • pinch salt

Equipment

  • 9-inch pie dish
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Parchment paper
  • Pie weights or dried beans

Method
 

Parbake the crust
  1. Preheat oven to 375 °F
  2. Line the pine crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans
  3. Bake for 10-12 minutes
  4. Remove weights and parchment, then let the crust cool for 10-15 minutes.
Prepare the filling
  1. Reduce oven temperature to 325 °F
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and melted butter until smooth
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition
  4. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, cornmeal, flour, and salt until fully combined
Rest the filling
  1. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to allow the cornmeal to hydrate
Bake the pie
  1. Pour the filling into the parbaked crust
  2. Place the pie on the lower-middle rack of the oven
  3. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle
Cool completely
  1. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight
  2. The filling will continue to set as it cools

Notes

  • Use fresh lemon juice; bottled juice will not give the same flavor
  • The pie is done when the center moves slightly but is not liquid
  • Avoid overbaking; the filling will firm as it cools
  • A parbaked crust helps prevent a soft or soggy bottom
  • Fine cornmeal is recommended for the best texture
This lemon chess pie is simple in ingredients but rewards careful baking and proper cooling for the best texture.
Lemon chess pie with slice removed
A properly set chess pie will slice cleanly once cooled.
Close-up of lemon chess pie filling texture
The filling should be smooth, set, and slightly custard-like.

What Matters Most When Baking a Chess Pie

Classic chess pies have simple ingredients and uncomplicated directions; however, there are a few key steps that simply must not be skipped to have a successful pie.

Parbaking pie crust with weights for chess pie
Parbaking the crust helps prevent a soft or soggy bottom.

Par-bake your crust before adding the filling. This helps prevent a soft or soggy bottom and ensures the center sets properly.

Rest the filling for ten minutes prior to baking. My traditional recipe uses cornmeal. Cornmeal is included as a thickening agent. When the filling rests for ten minutes prior to baking, the cornmeal has time to absorb liquid and begin to thicken properly.

Bake your pie in the lower 1/3 of your oven. Baking your pies in the lower portion of your oven will make sure that the crust and filling are properly cooked in the center of the pie.

For the filling to fully set, the pie must cool on the counter for a minimum of four hours but overnight is best. When you remove the pie from the oven, the center will appear slightly set, but still a little jiggly. As the pie cools, it will fully set.

Chess pies can be made with pre-made crust or a crust you make from scratch. I like chess pies because of the simplicity, so I opt to use pre-made refrigerated pie dough that is rolled. If you like to keep ingredients on hand so that you can prepare something in a pinch, pre-made pie dough can be kept in your refrigerator or freezer.

Only use fresh lemons when you’re making a Southern lemon chess pie. The quality of your pie will be noticeably better, and the lemon zest is an important ingredient that shouldn’t be skipped.

How to Serve Lemon Chess Pie

Chess pies are best served at room temperature, like pumpkin pies and pecan pies.

You can garnish a Southern lemon chess pie with a dusting of powdered sugar and top each slice with homemade whipped cream as you serve them.

Slice of lemon chess pie with whipped cream
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream for a simple finish.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Chess Pie

Lemon chess pie cooling on counter
Allow the pie to cool completely so the filling can fully set.

Why is the top of my pie brown?

Classic chess pie recipes have a high ratio of sugar in them. The top of your pie will caramelize and often crackle, similar to what takes place with a crème brûlée.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes, and you should. Chess pies must be allowed to cool properly before slicing, or you’ll end up with a runny pie. You can make this pie up to two days ahead of time.

Why is my pie runny?

There are a few reasons why a Southern lemon chess pie could turn out runny. Make sure you rest your filling for ten minutes prior to baking, measurements are followed precisely, and you allow it to cool for the proper amount of time.

Does it need refrigeration?

Old-fashioned chess pies can safely be kept on the counter for up to three days. For the safest food conditions, refrigerate your pie after two days.

Can I freeze it?

You can freeze this lemon chess pie by taking a few steps to prevent it from drying out or getting freezer burned. First wrap your pie completely in plastic wrap and then wrap the pie completely in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month.

A Pie That Doesn’t Need Reinventing

I’m not a fan of changing things just for the sake of change itself. I take the expression, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” to heart. I know when I see something that’s been perfected by generations before me, and one such thing is lemon chess pie.

Just like my vintage 1941 cookbook shows, chess pies have been baked by Southerners for many years. There’s no need to reinvent the chess pie, because it’s already been perfected.

I’ve linked useful kitchen items here if you’d like to try this recipe.

If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out these other reader favorites:

A Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe from a Vintage Southern Cookbook

Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas: Easy and Delicious

Zesty Pickled Carrots (Easy Refrigerator Pickle Recipe)

Abby Smolarsky1 Comment