The heat of the summer can sometimes make it feel as if everything will melt away. But don’t let a harsh summer chase you away from enjoying a beautiful summer garden filled with vibrant colors and fragrances. Plant your summer flowers in the spring when the frost is gone and the roots can take hold in healthy, fertile soil.
Not sure what you want to grow? Here are some great ideas to fill your summer garden.
Growing plants in the summer
Summer vegetable plants
A summer garden isn’t just for the flowers. You can get a lot of great edibles from your summer garden with little effort, as long as you know which vegetables will flourish in summer heat.
Here are five great summer vegetables for your garden:
- Peppers: Grow well alongside both tomatoes and eggplants, since all three prefer full sun, rich soil, and thorough watering. Try an assortment of peppers that might include bell peppers, sweet peppers, and a variety of chiles.
- Beans: If you want something fresh for the dinner table daily, plant pole beans, runner beans, or bush beans. As these begin to fruit, you will have plenty to choose from on a regular basis.
- Southern peas: Make sure to plant these after the last frost to ensure they survive. Give full sun or partial shade for best results with sandy soil.
- Okra: This does well even in harsh summer environments with direct sun. Make sure to pick okra before the pods grow beyond 4″ to avoid them over-maturing, which will lead to the plant no longer producing okra.
- Shallots: Plant in the early spring for a summer harvest, keeping the plants in full sunlight and loose, fertile soil. Plant with cabbage and tomatoes.
Remember that gardening is a great way to get outside and spend quality time with the family. The kids will enjoy getting their hands dirty and will love the results when they see their plants start to bloom.
You can make it a great adventure for the kids, as mom Sara Torpey discovered. “I give them a handful of mixed-up flower seeds every year for them to plant wherever and it’s fun to watch what comes up,” she told Mom.com.
Curiosity is the path to learning. Help your kids be curious with a summer garden.
