Am I the only person who is still slowly getting my tomatoes planted? I am truly the laziest gardener ever! I've got some itty bitty watermelon plants growing -- just got their first real leaves. Planted a new mini box of salad greens last week. I really need to get motivated but I blame my dogs for making me so lazy. I'll try a bit harder next year.

Finished creating my pond today, needs more work and plants but it’s a start.

Have you looked at your containers lately and thought: "𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝐼 𝑔𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝐼'𝑚 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟." If so, you're not alone. Every June, gardeners start comparing themselves to the pictures they see online. Someone is harvesting tomatoes. Someone else has overflowing baskets of flowers. Meanwhile, you may still have empty pots sitting on the deck waiting for attention. Here's the good news: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭. In fact, many vegetables, herbs, and flowers actually prefer the warm soil temperatures we have right now. While some spring crops may be slowing down, there's still plenty of time to grow a productive and beautiful container garden. The secret isn't focusing on what you missed. The secret is focusing on what you can plant today. 🌎𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞 One of the wonderful things about our community is that gardeners come from all over the country. Some members are harvesting peas. Others are just planting them. Some gardeners are battling summer heat while others are finally seeing nighttime temperatures warm enough for tomatoes and peppers. That's why comparing your garden to someone else's rarely helps. The calendar may say June, but your growing season depends on your local conditions. Instead of asking: "𝐴𝑚 𝐼 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑?" Try asking: "𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝐼 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡?" That small shift changes everything. 🌱 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐬 If you'd like results relatively quickly, consider: - Bush Beans - Radishes - Green Onions - Baby Lettuce (cooler regions) - Arugula Many of these can provide a harvest in just a few weeks. 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐬 Warm weather gardeners still have excellent options: - Cucumbers - Peppers - Eggplant - Okra - Basil These plants often appreciate the warmer soil temperatures that June provides. 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 Want to brighten up your patio, deck, or balcony? Try: - Zinnias - Marigolds - Nasturtiums - Moss Rose (Portulaca) Not only are they beautiful, but many pollinators love them too.