August Monarch - photo by Diana Wind
Today in Our Garden
August 17, 2025
Hello, so sorry for the GardenCuizine blog posting delay! I still love this blog and hope to add more posts soon including a fun snack energy ball recipe that I just made for kids in Vineland. Today's post will focus on what's growing in our garden.
This August has been the best for milkweed and Monarch butterflies! This season has been the worst for us in growing heirloom tomatoes. The main reason why we're struggling with growing vegetables is clearly lack of sunshine. Vegetables need lots of sun. A nearby Kwanzan Cherry tree, that I planted, has grown so big and tall that it is casting too much shade upon the garden. Sigh... even arugula and catmint didn't grow; hopefully, we can have the tree trimmed back at some point.
What is growing well in our backyard garden? Well we do have enough sun to grow a few basil plants, jalapeno peppers, garlic chives, black-eyed peas and Petite Moineau tomatoes. I think our tomatillos are a bust (sorry Leslie!); I must have saved hybrid seeds thinking they were heirlooms. Hybrid seeds can NOT be saved and planted; they will grow, but unfortunately, will not yield any fruit. In my opinion growing heirloom plants are the best - that way you can save free seeds for the next growing season.
Bright yellow, cheery, daily-like blooms surround our huge, bending over cup plants. The patch has grown taller and wider and choked out the sunchokes. Interesting how mother nature works.
We have lots of hummingbird activity now too. The hummers love tubular shaped blooms such as cannas, salvias, Florida shrub and trumpet vine (albeit invasive).
Happy Gardening!
Diana
Photos and blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.
