Tending Sunlight and Soil in My July Garden

How is it July already? I think I blinked and missed Spring somehow.

In some ways it feels like I planted my garden yesterday, yet my radishes have all been harvested and eaten. Most of my poppies have bloomed and are now showing their lovely seedpods. It’s tempting to look at my garden and feel like the best of the season is already over, but then I turn around and see more.

PC: Ann Kirsten

My raspberry bushes are producing bushels of berries and there is no way I can keep up with the supply.

PC: Ann Kirsten

My blueberries are refusing to wait their turn and have begun turning blue already. I have been known to stand in front of them and yell, “Wait your turn!”

PC: Ann Kirsten

As you can see, this year promises to supply a bumper crop of blueberries.

PC: Ann Kirsten

The theme of July for me has always been, “pick and process”. I wait until my yard is shrouded in twilight and then I head out and pick as much as I can. My garage freezer has a constant rotation of pans of things freezing, and bags of already frozen fruits and veggies. It can be exhausting.

In the past, this frenzy of picking and processing has meant that my gardening is almost over for the year. But this year, my husband and daughter decided it would be a good idea to build three more raised beds, just for fun. They did this late in the season (like last week) and looking at those empty beds drove me crazy. I knew I had seeds left over and there were those new garden beds just begging for something to grow.

PC: Ann Kirsten

I did a bit of research and found out that there are a lot of seeds you can plant in July. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed! Not another harvest time! But, the guilt of empty beds hit even harder until I dug out my leftover seeds and planted yet again.

Here’s a list of some of the things you can plant in July:

Arugula, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, lettuce, and spinach.
Carrots, radishes, and peas. Cilantro, dill, and parsley.
Beans, summer squash, and cucumbers.

July is a busy time even if you’re not harvesting vast quantities of berries or planting a whole other garden like I am.

Mulch – July is a great time to mulch. Water is precious as the months get hotter.

Clean – It’s also the time to turn under or pull up those plants that are past their prime (early peas and radishes come to mind).

Reseed – In July, many flowers are already producing seeds. I like to sprinkle the seeds in the garden beds so I’ll have flowers next year.

PC: Ann Kirsten

Deadhead – Other flowers need to be deadheaded so they’ll have longer bloom times.

Prune – Check online to see when your unruly plants can be safely pruned. I have to prune my hydrangeas at this time every year or they take over my front walkway.

PC: Ann Kirsten

Process – July is a busy month if you have a vegetable or fruit patch. I make about 12 batches of jam every year to feed my family. They love Nana’s jam. The other produce is frozen for winter use.

PC: Ann Kirsten

I heard one gardener say that in July she likes to walk around her garden with a bucket and a basket every morning. She calmly picks any weed she sees and plops it in her bucket. Likewise, she might pick a veggie or two and put it in the basket. She tops up her bee stations with water and then sits in the shade eating a few peas. It sounded so relaxing the way she described it. I could picture her in her sun hat strolling calmly through her well-kept garden.

Why do I feel like I run around like a nut and never get it all done?

I know I am blessed to be able to watch my food grow, to work “in the fields”, to harvest and cook, and feed my family. Sometimes I am tempted to take a year off, but I never do. Gardens feed the soul.

Even if all you have is a little sunny window, you can grow a pot of herbs or even some tomatoes in a sunny spot. I urge you to give it a try. There’s just something about growing food that connects you to the believers of long ago.

Growing and harvesting and plants are mentioned so many times in the Bible. And that starts right at the beginning of creation:

“And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.” Genesis 1:11-13

How about you? Do you have a green thumb? Send us pictures of your garden, no matter how small it is.