Hot weather, dry weather across lower 48. This morning, Anchorage AK has new snow on the mountain tops. I have my tomatoes and other fragile in a greenhouse I built last summer. End of season, I try to extend their time in my basement with grow lights. My perennials didn’t fair so well with long severe winter we had. I’m looking a how to put bulbs for spring into my greenhouse in long pots to give my HOA type garden some sparing beauty as snow dissipates. Any suggestions?

Have you ever looked around your garden in June and noticed something? The vegetables are growing. The herbs are thriving. But some of the containers still feel a little... plain. That's where flowers come in. Whether you're gardening on a patio, balcony, porch, or deck, flowers can transform an ordinary container into a colorful focal point that brightens your entire space. And here's the good news: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬. If you have an empty pot or a container that could use a little extra personality, these flowers are ready to get to work. 🌼 𝐙𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 3 gallons or larger 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Full Sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦: Zinnias are one of the easiest flowers you can grow from seed. They love heat, tolerate summer weather, and produce blooms in a wide range of bright colors. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 The pollinators love them too. Bees and butterflies will visit frequently once the flowers begin blooming. 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩 Remove spent blooms regularly to encourage even more flowers. 🧡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬: 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 1–3 gallons 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Full Sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦: Marigolds bring cheerful yellow, orange, and gold blooms to containers all summer long. They're also known for helping attract pollinators and beneficial insects. 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 Try tucking marigolds into vegetable containers alongside tomatoes, peppers, or cucumbers. 🌺 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐬: 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 2–5 gallons 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭:: Full Sun to Partial Sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦: Nasturtiums offer beautiful flowers and attractive round leaves. But here's what makes them unique: Both the flowers and leaves are edible. Many gardeners add them to salads for a colorful, peppery kick. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 They spill beautifully over the edges of containers. 🌞 Cosmos: Effortless Summer Beauty 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 3–5 gallons 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Full Sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦: Cosmos thrive in summer heat and produce delicate blooms that sway in the breeze.

If your vegetable containers are already full, don't worry. There's still plenty of room in your garden for herbs. In fact, many herbs absolutely love the warm temperatures of June and often become more productive as summer settles in. Whether you have a sunny patio, a deck filled with containers, or just a few pots near the kitchen door, herbs are one of the easiest and most rewarding plants you can grow. The best part? A single herb plant can provide months of harvests while taking up very little space. Let's look at some summer-loving favorites. 🌱 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 1–3 gallons 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Full sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭: Basil thrives in warm weather and grows quickly once temperatures stay consistently warm. Perfect for: * Salads * Pasta dishes * Homemade pesto * Pizza toppings 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩 Pinch off the growing tips regularly to encourage bushier growth. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 Letting flowers form too early. Once basil starts flowering, leaf production slows down. Pinch off flower buds as soon as they appear. 🌿 𝐎𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐨: 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐭 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞:: 1–2 gallons 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭t: Full sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭: Oregano is one of the toughest herbs you can grow. It tolerates heat, occasional dry spells, and keeps producing throughout the season. Perfect for: * Italian dishes * Pizza sauce * Roasted vegetables 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩 Harvest often to keep plants compact and productive. 🌱 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞: 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞:: 1 gallon or larger 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Full sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭: Thyme is incredibly low-maintenance and doesn't mind summer heat. Its compact growth habit makes it perfect for gardeners with limited space. Perfect for: * Chicken dishes * Soups * Roasted potatoes 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 Overwatering. Thyme prefers slightly drier conditions than many other herbs. 🌿 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞:: 3–5 gallons 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Full sun 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭: Rosemary practically thrives on sunshine and warm temperatures.

We've spent the past week talking about all the things you can still plant in June. We've covered: ✅ Vegetables ✅ Herbs ✅ Flowers ✅ Fast-growing crops ✅ Succession planting And hopefully we've convinced a few gardeners that June is far from too late to grow something amazing. Now it's time for a challenge! 🌞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 Not your entire garden. Not every grow bag. Not every planter on your deck. Just one. Find a container that needs a fresh start. Maybe it's: * An empty pot waiting for a new plant * A container where spring crops have finished * A planter that could use a splash of color * A lonely grow bag that's been sitting unused Choose just one container and give it a June refresh. 🌿 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡? Almost anything! You could: 🌱 Plant a new vegetable 🌿 Add an herb 🌸 Plant flowers 🫘 Start a fast-growing crop ♻️ Replace a finished spring crop 🪴 Rearrange and improve an existing container There are no wrong answers. The goal is simply to take action. 💚 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 Sometimes we look at our gardens and see all the things we haven't done yet. The weeds. The empty pots. The unfinished projects. The plants we meant to start weeks ago. But gardening isn't built in giant leaps. It's built one container at a time. One seed at a time. One planting session at a time. Today's challenge is proof that progress doesn't have to be perfect. 📸 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡! Once you've refreshed your container: 📷 Take a photo 📷 Share it in the comments 📷Tell us what you planted We'd love to see: * Before and after pictures * New seedlings * Fresh flowers * Herbs getting a new home * Vegetable containers ready for summer Every garden, every skill level, and every growing space is welcome. 🌎 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 One of the best things about our community is seeing what gardeners across the country are growing. Someone's idea today might become another member's project tomorrow. Your refreshed container could inspire dozens of gardeners to get outside and plant something this weekend.

Yesterday we talked about how June is far from too late to plant. Today, let's answer the question many gardeners are asking: "𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲... 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰?" The good news is that there are plenty of vegetables that thrive when planted in June. Some will reward you with a quick harvest, while others will keep producing well into late summer and even fall. If you've got an empty pot, a grow bag waiting to be filled, or a spring crop that's finished, here are some excellent choices. 🚀 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭? Sometimes we need a gardening win sooner rather than later. These crops grow quickly and can be harvested in a matter of weeks. 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 5-gallon container or larger 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 50–60 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭: Bush beans are productive, easy to grow, and don't require a trellis like pole beans. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: Overwatering. Let the top inch of soil dry before watering again. 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞:: 1–2 gallon container, window box, or shallow planter 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 25–35 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭: One of the fastest vegetables you can grow. 𝑪𝙤𝒎𝙢𝒐𝙣 𝙈𝒊𝙨𝒕𝙖𝒌𝙚: Planting too close together. Crowded radishes stay small and struggle to form bulbs. 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞:: Almost any container 6 inches deep or more 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 30–60 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭: Perfect for small spaces and continual harvesting. 𝑪𝙤𝒎𝙢𝒐𝙣 𝙈𝒊𝙨𝒕𝙖𝒌𝙚: Harvesting the entire plant instead of trimming the greens and allowing regrowth. 🥒 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫? If you're looking to maximize production, these vegetables offer big rewards. 𝐂𝐮𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 5 gallons minimum, 7–10 gallons preferred 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭:​ 55–70 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭: A single healthy cucumber plant can provide dozens of cucumbers. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: Skipping the trellis. Vertical growth improves airflow and saves valuable space. 𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 3–5 gallons 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 60–90 days depending on variety 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭: Peppers love warm soil and sunny locations.