Just because you had a busy start to your summer doesn't mean you've missed your chance to grow fresh produce or flowers.
Nicole Johnsey Burke (@gardenaryco) is a garden consultant with her own book on gardening and an Instagram page with advice on all things plant-related.
In a recent Instagram reel, she informed viewers that July is still a perfectly great time of year to plant many different vegetables and flowers.
The scoop
"If you've got at least 60 to 70 days before frost arrives, these are all the seeds you can plant directly in the garden," Burke explains in her clip.
The video was posted in July. So, if you aren't anticipating frost until after September, the list of available veggies to plant includes produce such as red lettuce, basil, cucumber, zucchini, and more.
As a general rule for midsummer planting, you want the produce to be fast-growing and tolerant of heat. For planting flowers in July, some great options are small zinnias, cosmos, and small sunflowers.
"We've still got loads of days to grow in the garden, so don't miss out!" Burke says.
How it's helping
Keeping a garden can be great for your health and your grocery budget.
Harvesting your own vegetables can save money in the long run — it takes some investment to set up, but once you're down to primarily buying seeds to plant, your groceries will be much cheaper. This article can help you begin your garden on a budget, too.
Plus, gardening has many health benefits — even if you're not growing food.
The CDC states that gardening is good exercise — throughout the process, you'll work muscles in your legs, arms, and core. Plus, Healthline mentions that vitamin D, which comes from sunshine, is important to everyday bodily functions — though you should always use proper sun protection while you're outside.
But gardening doesn't just result in health benefits for humans. Plants naturally take in harmful, planet-warming gases from the air, extending the benefits to our ozone layer, too.
What everyone's saying
Commenters on the post were relieved to hear that they hadn't lost their chance to garden for the season.
One wrote, "The squirrels ate up everything and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to plant any more! This gives me hope!"
Some commenters had taken the advice already and could attest to its accuracy.
"I planted some zucchini seeds yesterday morning and I kid you not, they had sprouted by dinnertime!" another added.
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