I can't believe it's already August. This is my favorite point of the summer here in zone 6a Massachusetts. Our season starts in late May/early June. Then, everything is freshly planted and still young. July hits, and we are getting there. Corn is usually about "knee-high by the 4th of July" as they say. As we get towards the end of July, BOOM! Everything seems to explode. So here comes August, and the backyard garden looks like a jungle bursting at the seams with green foliage.
See that picture above? That right there is a Spacemaster Bush cucumber. I planted some seeds I received from a swap in late April. Seed swaps are my absolute favorite! As the name states, these cucumber plants stay compact and are perfect for growing in raised beds.
Organic Bouquet dill grown for the pollinators
Critters & Pollinators Galore
The garden has been abuzz with all sorts of activity. Back in June, my fiancé and I released ladybugs and praying mantises. We found them at New England Nurseries, which is one of my favorite local shops to buy plants. I've been releasing ladybugs in my backyard garden for a few years now. It really helps cut down on the bad bugs organically, and who doesn't love a cute little ladybug?
This praying mantis found a bug on my groundcherries
Fun Fact: A praying mantis can detect the sound produced from echolocating bats. They can dodge this predator by hearing the sounds and zooming away before any chance of attack. I found this fascinating!
I'm also super thrilled to have a toad living in the toad abode. During days hotter than 90°, he likes to bury his body into stone that lines the walkways in-between the raised beds. He also stays cool under the nasturtiums cascading out of the planter boxes.
I decided to make him a small vacation home. The vacation home consists of a terra cotta pot tipped on its side filled with soil. The pot is covered in sweet potato vines. He also has a swim-up pool a.k.a. a black plastic garden tray filled with some shallow water and rocks. He seems to be enjoying this. I'm happy I get to see him hopping around everyday! I'm not sure what species he is, but I'm thinking Fowler's toad.
The hummingbirds stop by on a regular basis. I highly recommend investing in a feeder that suctions right onto a window so you can see these tiny visitors up close. They seem to be very interested in the Dropmore Scarlet honeysuckle and Lucifer crocosmia pictured below.
Lucifer crocosmia
We've also been getting daily visits from dragonflies. They love to rest atop my brightly colored tomato and pepper cages. Butterflies like Black Swallowtails, Canadian Tiger Swallowtails, Red-spotted Admirals, Common Buckeyes and Painted Ladies have all stopped by.
I haven't seen any Monarchs, but I'm keeping an eye out. My milkweed plants seem to be struggling with the lack of rain this year.
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
Harvests & Abundant Blooms
At the beginning of the season, I thought I'd have no beans. I had some bad luck with chipmunks disturbing my young plants. Let's not even get into what they did to the peas. It involves major devastation and me stomping around a bit like an angry heifer. That's all you need to know.
Some of my Scarlet Runner beans began looking sickly, which is unusual because I've had good luck growing them. The Dragon Tongue beans also had trouble really taking off. But luckily, The Royal Burgundy bush beans exceeded my expectations! I really love how the vibrant color stands out against the green leaves making picking a breeze.
In my basket
-Basil 'Dolce Fresca'
-Bean 'Royal Burgundy'
-Cucumber 'Spacemaster'
-Cucumber 'Lemon'
-Cucamelons/Mouse Melons
-Groundcherry 'Aunt Molly's'
-Tomato 'Black Krim'
It's sauce making season! Most of the Roma tomatoes have been harvested. Now, I'm waiting for my San Marzano tomatoes to fully mature. I also picked some Patio Choice Yellow cherry tomatoes. This 2017 AAS edible veggie winner is delicious and perfect for growing in small spaces. Not pictured here are the Super Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes I've been picking. I pop them right into my mouth. Very few make it into the house! My Pimento peppers have been steadily ripening along with the Jalapeños.
I'm a huge fan of incorporating plenty of flowers and herbs for the pollinators. The Perfume White nicotiana has really taken off despite a savage attack by some potato beetles. Squishing the larvae of this bug by hand isn't one of my favorite daily chores.
The Old Fashioned black-eyed Susan vines have exceeded my expectation this year. What definitely takes the spotlight this month are the Paso Doble dahlias. Such cheerful yellow and white blooms never fail to put a smile on my face.
Paso Doble dahlias
My Stargazer lilies bloomed despite the constant attacks from those terrible Scarlet lily beetles. Some years, it’s so bad they never bloom. This year, they prevailed! I just can't help but adore their freckles.
Stargazer lily
I started some borage from seed this year and was fortunate enough to have some VOLUNTEER PLANTS pop up. The crisp cucumber flavor of each blossom is perfect in summer salads. There has even been some borage growing along my stone walkways!
Borage Blossoms
Other flowers & herbs blooming now: Serendipity allium, Serenitia Mix angelonia, cardinal climber, Green Heart Orange calendula, Apricot Lemonade cosmo, Durango Bee marigold, Paint Box Mix geranium, Grandpa Ott morning glory, Empress of India nasturtium, Jewel Mix nasturtium, Midnight Masquerade pentstemon, California poppy, Denim 'n Lace Russian sage, Summer Jewel salvia, Sunsation sunflower, Painted Lady sweet pea, Marietta veronica, Profusion Red zinnia, State Fair Gold Medal zinnia
Sunsation Sunflowers
I've included a video below of a bumble bee visiting my pentstemon. Please enjoy!
And that's what's happening in the August Garden.
Thank you for taking a small tour with me. What's growing and blooming in your garden right now? Please feel free to tell me in the comment section below. As always, thank you for reading and happy gardening!
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