Read by Matilda Longbottom
Is there anything quite like July in the garden? Everything is just a little wild and unruly as the plants soak in the full glory of the summer sun. You never know what you’re going to get each day. Will it be in the 90s and so blisteringly hot that you’re popping up umbrellas to protect your garden? Or will it be a day of rain that the plant roots thirstily drink in with a little smile of satisfaction? Either way, it’s a great time to start seeing the fruits of your labor (pun completely intended).
In Homegrown and Heartfelt, Don Nicholas explores the growing trend of gardeners using their gardens to nourish their communities. If each of us planted just one extra row, imagine the impact it could have on those in need. Becky Rupp takes us on a walk down memory lane with Planting Grandpa’s Garden—you can truly feel the love in Grandpa’s garden. My own story, The July Jungle, dives into the chaos of my summer gardening adventures—with a few dance moves thrown in for good measure.
Mike McGrath has us giggling as usual in Last Pepper Standing. We’re so glad that he recovered—and that, eventually, his pepper plant did too. We’re continuing to add to our vegetable gardens with this month’s Plants We Love. Join us as we explore potatoes, chives, and yellow squash. Are any of those stars in your garden this year?
In Our Stories from the Garden, we continue to tug at your heartstrings and tickle your funny bone. Why Am I an Onion, Why Not a Tomato? by Faiza Api really got me thinking. I wonder if any of my plants secretly wish they were something else. I felt the deep love portrayed in Gratia Serpento’s The Old Watering Can. Sometimes, we just need to step back and take a fresh look at the loved ones in our lives.
I could feel summer in Jane H. Thompson’s Max, Mia, and the Mischief of Sunflowers. Is it truly summer if a dog hasn’t created a little chaos in our lives? The fun continues with The Seventh Fish by Mooney. I’ve always wanted a small fish pond—I wouldn’t even mind finding an unexpected new fish there one morning. Maybe this is the year to build one.
Our Pollinator Gardening in America Guidebook is here to help you bring all the pollinators to your yard. Discover the powerful role you can play in supporting pollinators—bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, beetles, and more—by cultivating spaces that offer food, shelter, and safe passage. Whether you have a sprawling backyard or just a few containers on a balcony, pollinator gardening invites you into a beautiful, buzzing partnership with nature.
Feast with us on lobster rolls, cranberry summer slaw, and native corn salad in our Garden to Table Journeys, featuring delicious New England–based recipes. We celebrate the richness of the land and the traditions that make New England so unique. Be sure to try the strawberries with honey cream—it’s the perfect light, refreshing snack that satisfies a sweet tooth.
Embrace the chaos of July, enjoy the warmth of the sun, and—hopefully—you’re beginning to enjoy the bounty of rewards from your growing endeavors. We’re so excited to share our latest issue with you!
