The dog days of summer have arrived here in zone 6a New England.  This growing season really seems to have flown by.  I am starting to prep my fall veggie garden while enjoying some gorgeous late summer flowers and veggies.  Here is what is growing in my garden now. 

Sweet Peas

Last year was my first time planting sweet peas from seed. I had been a little disappointed with how long it took them to flower. Here in Massachusetts, we have such a short growing season.  After I had taken note of this, I decided to do a few things differently this year.  I soaked my seeds to aid in germination and also planted them earlier in the season.  I have been blown away at the fantastic results!  In order to up my chances of more blooms, I planted a large variety of different types of seeds.  I planted Burpee Galaxy Mix as well as Sweet Dream Mix.  I also planted Botanical Interests High Scent along with Perfume Delight. 

Combination Inspiration

I planted this flower basket back in spring, and it's still going strong.  I love to look out my window with a mug of coffee in hand, admiring my beautiful basket! It is full of Proven Winners blooms. Pictured in the basket are Superbena® Royale Cherryburst and Supertunia® Black Cherry.

In The Veggie Garden

As we head into late August, I have been very happy with all of the tasty treats that have grown in my garden this year.  From my Straight Eight cucumbers, to my Green Zebra tomatoes I get to pick daily.  I even discovered a nice surprise broomcorn stalk! Last year I planted a bunch of broomcorn in my vegetable garden, and ended up throwing some moldy stalks behind my shed when the season ended. Well, to my shock, one apparently reseeded itself.  Nature never ceases to amaze me.  My PanAmerican Seed tomatoes have been doing wonderfully.  The Genuwine and Perfect Flame varieties have been ripening, allowing me to enjoy some delicious sandwiches. 

I was lucky enough to trial some Proven Winners flowers and shrubs this spring.  This hanging basket is filled with Superbells® Holy Moly flowers.  I am very pleased with how well they have performed showing constant blooms from April to August.  Even in extreme heat, they continue to thrive.

Flowers

It’s morning glory season in my garden!  I love seeing these take over the garden fence, covering it with a blanket of colorful blooms.  I grew a few different varieties this season to mix it up a bit.  My zinnias from seed have taken off like crazy.  I cut them regularly to make small floral arrangements. A prolific amount of blooms keep growing back. I also am enjoying watching my gladiolus bloom for the first time!  I planted bulbs two years ago, but the first year they didn’t bloom.  They make such a magnificent cut flower and were definitely worth the wait.  

My chicken wire fence above is covered in morning glories along with solar string lights from Gardener's Supply Company.  It's nice to see these flowers bloom in the early morning hours, and then see the flower inspired lights turn on from dusk until dawn.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at what is growing in my garden now.  Please feel free to let me know what is blooming in your garden in the comments section!  You can also share photos with me on twitter @thefreckledrose.  I'd love to see!  Hope you enjoy the rest of the growing season and happy harvesting to all. 

In case you missed it - In The July Garden