These days have been exorbitantly hot… Summer gardening has been more about keeping up with the grass than anything else.
The beautiful mammoth sunflowers were like sentinels in the garden and now the seeds will serve as treats for the chickens.
Here in Central Florida, sunflowers are also perfect for the Fall garden. Depending on the variety, sunflowers will bloom about 55 to 75 days after planting. While there are many ornamental Sunflowers, I choose the ones that produce edible seeds.
Talking about Fall garden, I was preparing one of the beds and dug up a basket full of potatoes. What a pleasant surprise. Turned them into homemade potato chips.
You should try it, click here for a simple way how to do it.
… remember those sugar baby watermelons? Well, we have been trying to keep up with them. Pulling up the last round and making watermelon infused water. If you are growing mint make sure to add a few sprigs – delish and refreshing on a hot Summer day! 
Now for the last peek of what’s growing in my July 2014 garden: my dad’s banana tree is blooming!
Like wow! I remember the day like it was yesterday… March 2013 -how I wish I could bring that day back… my father was teaching me about growing bananas. He taught me that bananas sucklings should be pulled away from the mother plant and planted separately, this would allow the new plant to pull up and produce fruit. If bananas are left to bunch up – as they tend to do, there will not be many fruits because the plants’ main focus becomes producing off-shoots. Makes sense right? That is exactly what had happened with my bananas… after 3 years I was wondering why it would not make fruit.
My dad passed away in November of 2013, I was 51 then… and so eager to learn from my dad. Now growing bananas is something I like to do because it was the last thing my dad taught me. Something tells me this banana will bear amazing sweet banana shoots and fruits for years to come.
