The Rambling Gardeners August 2026 Garden Newsletter
Howdy from the Homestead
July came in hot and never let up — four or five days over 100 and a rain gauge that stayed empty most of the month. The drip lines earned their keep, the onion beds came out beautiful, and we pulled our first real elderberry harvest. Here’s the month around the homestead.
This Month in the Garden
Peak Summer Tour
Walked the whole Zone 8a garden at the height of the season and showed what went in behind the onions once those beds came out.
First Elderberries
Our first real elderberry harvest — and a lesson learned about eating them straight off the bush. Then the jam that flat refused to set.
Fresh Garden Salsa
Turned the tomato and pepper glut into a whole batch of fresh salsa, garden to jar.
Herb Mosquito Spray
Mixed up a pet-safe, no-DEET mosquito spray from four garden herbs to survive the evenings outside.
What We’re Growing Now
Tomatoes, peppers, okra, and squash are still producing through the heat, the elderberries are loaded, and the onion beds have been turned over to the next round. We’re watering deep and early, mulching hard, and picking every morning.
Tip of the Month
When the rain gauge stays empty, a long slow soak at the roots beats a quick sprinkle every time. Run drip lines early in the morning, mulch over them, and check the emitters weekly — the plants that stayed on drip are the ones that sailed through July.
From the Kitchen
Fresh garden salsa from peak tomatoes, peppers, and onions — plus the elderberry jam experiment that didn’t set (we’re calling it syrup and moving on).
On the Channel This Month
- Peak Summer Garden Update: What’s Actually Growing in Zone 8a?
- Eating Elderberries Right Off the Bush? My First Harvest Almost Went Very Wrong
- We Made an Entire Batch of Salsa in ONE Tub?!
- Homemade Mosquito Repellent From 4 Garden Herbs (Pet Safe, No DEET)
- 5 Gardening Mistakes We Wish We’d Never Made — with Jason from Melanchthon Creek Farm
Read the full August issue (PDF) →
Coming Up Next Month
September turns the corner toward fall — cool-season transplants going in, fall garden planning with the Grow Zone Planner, and putting up the last of the summer haul. Get it in your inbox before anyone else.
