Garden Reflections – July

Today we're revisiting my July garden located in Northern Massachusetts (zone 6a.)

My crops are grown in raised beds and planters. This is my fourth year growing in these untreated cedar beds. This growing season, my garden was filled with vegetables, herbs and companion flowers. Most of what I grow is started from seed. I decided to expand a bit by adding more pots, vertical planters and hanging baskets this season. The garden perimeter is 24 ft. x 24 ft. featuring a tall fence to keep out any large critters. Come and see what I grew!

Alaska Mix heirloom nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus), Pineapple Mint (Mentha suaveolens 'Variegata'), and Tangerine Gem marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia)

Delicious garlic scapes from three varieties of garlic (German Extra Hardy, Chesnok Red and Music). I like to sauté my garlic scapes. You can also roast, puree and pickle them! 

Tomatoes are a must in my garden. This year was extra challenging with weather related issues. I experienced different diseases and some loss, but made it to the other side. Tasmanian Chocolate (a heirloom, determinate container variety) grew well despite all of my issues. I really enjoyed the flavor of these!

My Micro Tom cherry tomatoes were absolutely adorable. They did really well in the hanging baskets and were ripe for the picking all of July. I might start them a month earlier next year so they will ripen in June instead of July.

We had a late frost this year that seemed to slow down the growth of all of my tomatoes and peppers and even damage some plants. I'm keeping more frost cloth on hand if this occurs again. 

I always look forward to growing Rapunzel tomatoes. This is an indeterminate cherry tomato that grows in long clusters. I tend to eat these right off the vine (very little make it into the house!) 

This is my first year growing Sunset runner beans. I usually grow Scarlet runner beans, and I absolutely love those! The only difference is the color of the flowers. They taste identical in my opinion. The peach blossoms on these were a nice change from the red I'm used to, and they produced like crazy. 

Tongues of Fire, also known as Borlotto bush beans on July 1st. You can eat these beans as both a green bean or a cooked bean!

Tongues of Fire bush beans three weeks later on July 25th. 

Magnolia Blossom and Sugar Magnolia peas growing on the pea tower. Both these varieties are snap peas that can grow up to 8 feet tall. 

The vines did amazing growing up this vertical support, and I was surprised to still be picking all the way until late July!

Bouquet Dill (Anethum graveolens) made a nice home for different beneficial insects like ladybugs and hoverflies. 

Most gardeners tend to find sunflowers easy to grow. With all the chipmunks in my yard that love to eat seeds/young seedlings, this is definitely not the case. I fell in love with the SunBelievable Brown Eyed Girl helianthus (Helianthus x annuus). I buy them as young plants instead of trying (and failing) with seeds. They add so much cheer!

These flowers can reach up to 32 inches tall and up to 40 inches wide. 

I've always been really attracted to the look of globe thistle. I finally took the plunge and now have some Blue Glow (Echinops bannaticus, Zones 3-8) growing right outside the vegetable garden fence. The spherical flower heads really do attract an abundance of pollinators! 

Thank you for taking a look back at my July garden with me. If you want to see more of my garden and what I'm currently growing, check out my Instagram. Happy growing everyone!