76. The Wild and Wonderful July Garden

It’s hard to believe that July is already halfway over with. Summer is going by faster than I’d like it to. I have already started fall crops and the harvests are coming in hot and heavy these days. Let’s talk about all the things going on in the July garden.

Pretty much everyday anymore I am preserving something. Whether it’s freezing refried beans, making salsa or canning pizza sauce, it’s an everyday chore. Also pretty much every evening I am going out to the garden and coming back in with another bucket full of produce to eat or preserve. Believe me though I am not complaining about it, overwhelmed maybe but not upset. It’s a lot of work this time of year if you have a large garden and if you are trying to preserve a lot of your harvest. Over the years, I have come to learn how to ride the waves of this time of year. It’s still not easy when you haven’t gotten to one bucket load of produce and another is coming out of the garden.

Pizza Sauce

I have harvested all of my potatoes at this point and I think this may have been my best year so far. With the cooler temps in the early summer, the plants flourished instead of struggling. I haven’t gotten a final weight yet but they are all curing as I write this. My plan is to can some of them and use them later for mashed potatoes and in vegetable soup. Some of my onions are also still curing, especially the bigger bulbs. It can take them awhile to soak up all the energy from the leaves and for them to dry out.

A portion of the potatoes I harvested

We have a good amount of watermelons and cantaloupe growing in the garden. I know I’ve said it before but homegrown cantaloupe is probably my second favorite thing next to a homegrown tomato. We covered them today with chicken wire so that deer and other animals can’t come feast on them before we can. I also picked a good amount of blueberries at my in laws house and turned them into blueberry butter (kind of like a thick syrup for pancakes). Those are also so much better homegrown as well.

I am also starting to see flowers coming out of the garden. From zinnias to dahlias and hydrangeas, they are all so beautiful. I used to not make as much space for flowers in my garden as I do now. First off they attract pollinators to my garden to help pollinate other things. They also give beauty to a otherwise utilitarian space.

After my onions came out of the garden, I planted okra in it’s place. I did this last year and I actually got the right amount of okra and we didn’t get sick of it before a frost took the plant. They also provide a natural shade for fall crops that will be planted soon.

Speaking of fall crops, I have cabbage, broccoli, kale, lettuce, cilantro, celery and dill started in my grow room for fall. Fall gardening is seriously my favorite and one of the most rewarding times in the garden. Especially if you’ve had a rough summer. It isn’t too late to start thinking about a fall garden so give it a try.

Until Next Time, Happy Gardening!