Late August Garden Happenings

I love the temperatures we have been having lately. And enjoying the good amount of rain too! All of my rain barrels are full!

In my garden right now, besides lots of peppers (habenaro, poblano, bell, shishito, and fish peppers!), tomatoes and okra, I have some more unusual things growing. First, of course, I love growing Luffa (spelled a variety of ways - luffa, loufa)! Luffa loves the hot weather, is tolerant of dry days but grows prolifically this time of the year. Right now, if you planted this spring you should have 30 foot long vines with leaves bigger than your hands, and yellow flowers. Soon after we will see the thin cucumber like vegetables following the flowers. When they are finger size they are edible like a squash. If you leave them on the vine, the vegetables grow long and large into the luffa sponge as they dry on the vine. This is a long growing plant that does not come to fruition until October. It is a growing experience in patience but so rewarding at the end. In the meantime, as the flowers bloom, the pollinators are exceptionally happy bouncing from flower to flower! I just gave out luffa that I grew at our recent soap making class!

The luffa leaves are humongous on my 30 ft vines!

Luffa flowers, some blooming, some not yet open but getting ready to go to the vegetable stage.

Pollinators on the luffa vine. Notice the bars. I trellis my luffa vines all around the garden.

My other unique plant is my Butterfly Blue Tea. This is another hot weather loving plant. It can be drought tolerant and another great plant for pollinators and the color is brilliant. I use this in teas and lemondades because of its high level of antioxidants. I even make it into a "kool-aid" for the family without all of the chemicals. I make it with stevia from the garden so it is sweet but not bad for you. The more you pick the flowers on the plant the more it grows!

Look at the color! And it stays that color in teas! When you add an acid like lemons to it, it changes to a brilliant pink drink!

Prolific! This is what it looks like every morning, with new flowers!

Finally, I am growing peanuts. Peanuts grow as a bushy plant, with the actual peanut growing underground. It is an easy grow plant and a fast grower, letting you harvest your peanuts in the fall when planting in the summer. I put mine in a bucket to grow.

Yes, the summer weeds got in with them, but they are the leaves with the distinct line down the middle!

For those of you growing Roselle hibiscus, this plant produces the red calyx that we use for tea to support blood sugar health amongst other things. It is a short day plant, preferring the cooler weather and shorter days. This is when it really starts producing flowers. Mine have produced all summer, but really kick up the action as summer starts going away. Wait until the flower blooms and dies off before plucking the calyx for tea. Remember to dry them thoroughly if you want to store them in a jar.

A forest of Roselle hibiscus!

Okra is my favorite vegetable to grow, next to tomatoes. The plants are beautiful, and if kept healthy will grow into a tree. I have had 30 ft tall okra trees! These are some young ones just starting to produce but will keep providing well into the fall! Anyone try okra water yet?

Lizards love running through the garden! And they eat harmful critters! This okra is getting ready to bloom as you can see under the leaves. If you add in an acid, such as tomatoes, when cooking with okra it will not be slimly!

I have started seeds for fall in the greenhouse, but if you choose to do this make sure you can control the temperature of your greeenhouse. Temperatures can easily soar to 100F on 80F days. Keep your seeds well watered without drowning them. These seedlings will be for sale at the GROW Farm next month and be used for our upcoming youth Fall Growbag Garden Event!

Tatsoi, a type of Bok Choy!

Cabbage, lettuce, pumpkin, winter squash and lots more have been started! I have my raincoat in my greenhouse because I always get caught in a rain storm going between the house and greenhouse.

Happy August Gardening!!