Your Garden need not look like a Wasteland in Summer

There were only a few VegHeadz in the garden today.  Heat, humidity, vacation schedules, Covid — all conspire to keep summer a time of less activity. While weeds are still growing rapidly and trying to seed out, there was so much else to see in the garden today.  I’d like to share with you what a summer garden can look like in north Florida.

Turmeric with Olive tree in
background, culinary Ginger to
the right and Sweet Potato vines 
back right.  

Par-cel.  Looks like Parsley,
tastes like Celery. It’s thriving
despite the heat.  Can you find and 
identify the caterpillar?

Pears in the orchard

Chayote, with Fig tree in background,
 Turmeric in foreground and
Marie in the middle.  

The Jerusalem Artichokes are
growing well.  Their bulbs
will be a sweet crunchy harvest
in fall.  Sweet Potatoes 
 cover the ground behind Marie.  

Buckwheat cover crop

Hugelkultur bed covered with cowpeas and Seminole pumpkins.  The trellises
built for sunflowers are now a ready support for the climbing peas.  

Persimmons developing in the
edible forest garden.  

Culinary Ginger and Yacon, 
backed by American Beautyberry 
on the left and Rose of
Sharon on the right.  Yacon tubers
taste like an apple/potato
cross. Starchy, crunchy and sweet. 

Volunteer Loofah vine is 
heading for the Bananas
  

Zebra longwing on Mexican 
Sunflower

Pinkeye purple hull peas around the 
Purple Martin pole.  Field peas
grown as cover crop and to
harvest.

Mustard cover crop under way.  
Edible and a biofumigant.  It shares
the bed with perennial
Oregano which also provides
fumigant services.  

 Zinnias for beauty, for 
pollinators and for cover crop

Gulf Fritillary on Marigolds 

Rampant growth in the forest garden, 
controlled productivity in the raised beds

Basil loves the heat and daily rains 

A healthy, productive garden 
contains many varieties and
many layers.

Louie’s herb beds provide
beauty and flavor all
year round

Bright and beautiful Loofah blossoms
are followed by large gourds we
turn into scrubbing tools. Check
out the bee coming in for a 
landing. 

Developing Maypop on vines
which attract many Gulf Fritillary
and Zebra Longwing caterpillars

Peter lost in his Hugelkultur bed. 
Thornless Blackberry canes
in foreground.

Cathy hiding among the Okra. 
“Feed Me!”

Longevity Spinach rests
under the Fig tree providing
ground cover and helping
regulate soil moisture and
temperature

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar on Passionflower vine