Even if it’s June and almost as hot as July in your yard, it’s not too late to plant some new crops or flowers. Some plants that love early season cool temperatures start to wane now. Those colorful pansies from March are going to be replaced in my pots with petunias, zinnias, and other annuals that like hot weather. But I will press those pansy blooms between sheets of white paper in an old phone book so I can use them in craft projects later. Pansies always make me smile, so I look forward to making some greeting cards with them.
The lettuce and spinach are starting to bolt in our 90 degree heat–even under the shade cloth I put up weeks ago. So they will be harvested for kitchen use and a second crop of green and wax beans will be planted in their place. The first crop of beans planted earlier are blooming so this second crop should be ready when the first crop is finished bearing beans. Planting several crops in the same space, or succession planting, helps me make better use of the raised beds in my urban garden. If you decide to try this, remember to fertilize the bed and be sure to plant crops that will mature before the first frost date in your area. Our first frost date is usually mid-October. So I have to choose varieties that will be ready is less than 120 days.
Some vegetables (peas, carrots, parsnips and turnips) taste better if harvested after a mild frost. Why? Because cool temperatures turn their starchy carbohydrates to sugar. Yum. Time for me to get busy planting!
LadyBountifulsGarden 