Read by Matilda Longbottom

 

Welcome to August, when the Summer sun is in full force and the garden is bursting with color, flavor, and surprises. This is the time when harvests hit their peak, weeds test your patience, and your sunhat becomes a daily necessity. Whether you’re picking tomatoes straight from the vine, battling squash bugs, or simply admiring the beauty of late-Summer blooms, August offers a little bit of everything.

Becky Rupp explores the quirky world of plant names in By Any Other Name. Would roses still smell as sweet if they were called compost? Cowprints in the Carrots by Pat Stone left me deep in thought—it’s heartbreaking to consider what happens to a farm when hard times hit. Diana Wells dives into the art of tie-dyeing in As Natural as Dyeing. I think we’ve all tried our hand at it at one point or another.

Don Nicholas takes us on a fascinating journey through the produce we consume (by weight) in From Spuds to Bananas. Have your favorites made the list? I don’t think I eat that many potatoes, but I more than make up for it with carrots! In this month’s Plants We Love, we feature beefsteak tomatoes, apples, and oregano—three garden stars we explore in depth. Are they growing in your garden this year?

Our Stories from the Garden continue to make us smile and contemplate life in the garden. From Seeds to Savings by Kelly Pulatie really struck a chord with me. We all have that one plant that sparked our gardening journey—hers was a sunflower; mine, a hosta. Hum along with Lady Mo Pascoe-Hoyal and The “Inka Dinka Doo” Tomato. Have any of your plants ever “grown” appendages?

Jill Draper perfectly captured my own garden wanderings in The One-Minute Gardener. I’m often sidetracked by one task and then another, even on the simplest of garden errands. Seeds of Silliness by Jaci Hall had me laughing out loud. I haven’t bought special bird seed (yet), but I do have a bit of an obsession with my hummingbird feeders.

This month’s Story Collection features the Top 10 Plants We Love. These are the plants that rocked our gardens—whether dazzling us with flavor, boosting our harvests, or simply making us feel like green-thumbed gods and goddesses. It’s not a scientific list, but it’s certified fresh, and we can’t wait to share the stories behind each one.

We bask in the golden sun of Italy in our Garden to Table Journeys this month. Learn how to make the perfect almond biscotti, feast of wild boar ragu, and cool off with refreshing lemon zest gelato. August has never tasted so good. Join us as we journey across this enchanting country, where each dish shares a tale of love, tradition, and the simple joy of embracing life.

I hope this issue helps you make the most of the hot days—and gives you something fun to read when it’s time to relax in the shade. Don’t forget to grab a glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade, or a dish of lemon gelato! ❖

Christy Page
Editor & Publisher
Food Gardening Network