summer

For many gardeners, summer is the most rewarding part of their work.

Summer is a time of gathering, sharing, and basking in the glow of summer light with friends. No matter where you may be, a fresh meal enjoyed outdoors is the epitome of the season, and given the long evening hours, a dinner party ticks all the boxes!

Want to make the most out of this summer? Introducing your summer bucket list: I challenge you to complete all 33 of these ideas before summer ends! You have until September 23rd (the official start of fall). Hop to it! 

Whoever said that summers were not a loving time for a garden hasn’t quite planted a produce-happy summer garden. While winter vegetables are more heart-warming than a summer bounty, summer vegetables still have a lot going for them.

Those long, warm summer nights are dwindling.  The sun is setting earlier in the evening; there’s a welcome coolness to the morning air.  But before you swap out all your summer recipes for pumpkin-spiced everything, there’s one last summer chore you should take care of: cleaning the grill.

Summer has officially arrived and so have her flowers. It’s time for the second round of dandelion blooms, which brings a great opportunity to make some mead for your next summertime get together! Next time you see the dandelions popping up in your yard, remember how useful the little plant is, run out and pick that fantastic yellow flower knowing that soon you will turn it into a delicious and fun drink that tastes like liquid sunshine!

Summer is the time of fun in the sun. Why not get outdoors and make the most of those sunny skies? Here are 10 ways to enjoy summer by heading outdoors. 

September is often the time to reminisce on summer enjoyed and a fall to come; it’s that transitional month where kids are going back to school, schedules are picking back up, and the summer heat is finally beginning to dissipate. While you might not associate September with the best of what the garden has to offer, in many ways it’s actually the prime month for seasonal foods. Here are five surprising seasonal foods you should be trying now (and what, exactly, you should do with them). Happy eating!

Every season is amazing, but summer is my favorite by far. That's probably because there's so much that grows in the summer, especially fruit! Out of all the seasons, summer hosts the most fruit and I cannot get enough of their juicy goodness. Just pop by any farmers market and you will see exactly what I mean.

Summertime is here! This means backyard parties with barbecues.  One of the fun things about cooking on a barbecue is the versatility of it. No matter what your dietary preferences are, everyone can enjoy a BBQ. 

I personally love barbecued vegetables, with lots of smoky BBQ sauce smothered on them. Summer squash, sweet peppers, onions, eggplant, tomato, corn, and mushrooms can make a fantastic summer backyard BBQ meal. But what really makes this meal special: a good homemade BBQ sauce that has no preservatives or added sugar.