While most gardeners rush to plant out their vegetable and herb crops the moment the ground thaws in spring, many do not know that midsummer is the time to sow a second harvest of delicious edibles. Seeds of many vegetable and herb varieties sown right now will be ready for picking in fall, and some will even continue to grow after a light frost or overwinter in the ground for spring and summer maturity next year!

Unless the growing season is very short, midsummer is an excellent time to replant varieties that may already be maturing from their spring sowing, such as lettuce, beans, radishes, spinach, and green onions. Lettuce mixes are especially successful, providing many options for salads. Park Seed Company offers two exclusive mixes for summer-long production: Organic Salad Bowl Greens and Master Chef Blend. Both are suitable for containers as well as the garden, and contain varieties that mature in less than two months. Beans, peas, and other legumes are also a particularly wise choice for midsummer crops, because plowing the plants back into the soil after harvest improves the quality of next year's garden.

In the herb garden, replenish supplies of basil, cilantro, and oregano with a second sowing. Now is the time to try some of the glorious varieties of flavored basil from seed: the tart, strongly flavored heirloom Mrs. Burns Lemon or spicy, aromatic Cinnamon Basil. Sow herbs among the annuals and perennials in the sunny garden; their strong scent will help repel nibbling garden pests. They can be harvested well before first frost, and any leaves not used as seasoning or in sauces can be dried for the winter pantry.

Midsummer is also the perfect time to sow seeds of cool-weather crops, such as cabbage, kale, greens, broccoli, and cauliflower. Though their growing time is longer, light frost is no problem for these vegetables, and may even enhance their flavor. Many varieties are highly ornamental as well: neon-stemmed Swiss Chard Bright Lights and dazzling Red Giant Mustard Greens, for example, make striking companions to the pansies and mums of the fall annuals garden.

Root vegetables are far less prone to damage from frost than their aboveground cousins, so summer is a good time to sow a late crop of turnips, radishes, beets, parsnips, and garlic. They can be dug up until the ground freezes, or in the case of parsnips and garlic, even left in place to mature over winter, their flavor improving as the temperature falls.

With a midsummer sowing, the Thanksgiving table will boast not only the summer harvest of squash, corn, and tomatoes, but also fresh-from-the-garden cool-weather vegetables. Now is the time to begin new crops that will keep the home vegetable patch productive through autumn and into winter.

For more information on growing quick crops, visit parkseed.com or contact us directly by calling ourpublic relations department at 1-864-941-4521.

Happy gardening!