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Summer

Summer is when the heavy heat takes its toll. On plants, more watering is needed. On us, more spaces to relax in the shade! Summer garden activities.

A wide bowl of golden coconut curry with diagonal-cut green runner beans and halved new potatoes, scattered curry leaves, served beside white rice

Runner Bean and New Potato Curry with Coconut and Curry Leaves

Main Dish
Stack of golden zucchini and sweetcorn fritters flecked with green herbs, topped with a spoon of creamy herbed yogurt and dill sprigs, lemon wedge alongside

Zucchini Ribbon and Sweetcorn Fritters with Herbed Yogurt

Breakfast & Brunch
A golden almond frangipane tart with dark blackcurrant filling visible at a cut slice, scattered flaked almonds on top, on a rustic wooden board with fresh currants

Blackcurrant and Bay Leaf Bakewell-Style Almond Tart

Desserts & Bakes
A golden almond frangipane tart studded with fresh red raspberries and flaked almonds, one slice removed, on a pale ceramic plate with scattered berries

Raspberry and Rosewater Almond Frangipane Tart

Desserts & Bakes
A golden baked clafoutis in a ceramic dish, studded with dark blackberries and flecks of thyme, dusted with powdered sugar, one slice served on a plate.

Blackberry and Thyme Clafoutis with Vanilla Custard

Desserts & Bakes
Rustic toasted bread slices topped with creamy white bean mash, glistening diced red and yellow tomatoes, torn basil leaves, and a drizzle of vivid green herb oil.

Garden Tomato and White Bean Bruschetta with Herb Oil

Appetizers and Tapas
Cloud of whipped ricotta topped with charred grilled peach halves, drizzled with golden honey, scattered with green pistachios and small basil leaves on a pale plate.

Whipped Ricotta with Grilled Peaches and Basil Honey

Starters
A pale green chilled zucchini soup in a shallow bowl, topped with golden toasted almonds and chopped green herbs, with a drizzle of olive oil catching the light.

Chilled Zucchini and Almond Soup with Toasted Herbs

Soup
A bowl of smooth deep-red chilled tomato soup swirled with bright green basil oil, garnished with feathery fennel fronds, beside a spoon

Chilled Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup with Basil Oil

Soup
Deep red muhammara dip swirled in a shallow bowl, drizzled with olive oil and topped with walnut pieces, pomegranate seeds and parsley, warm flatbread beside it

Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Muhammara Dip

Sauces, Dips & Spreads
A wide bowl of charred golden corn, red and yellow tomato wedges, sliced avocado, black beans, and torn basil leaves, drizzled with bright green dressing

Charred Corn and Tomato Bowl with Basil-Lime Dressing

Salads & Bowls
Thick charred aubergine steaks on a platter topped with vibrant red tomato and green herb salsa, crumbled white feta, drizzled olive oil, grill marks visible.

Grilled Aubergine Steaks with Tomato-Herb Salsa Verde

Main Dish
A tall glass of pale golden basil lemon cordial topped with sparkling water and ice, garnished with fresh basil sprig and lemon slice, condensation on the glass

Basil and Lemon Sparkling Cordial with Honey

Drinks
Dry garden landscaping

In dry gardens, landscaping works wonders

Special reports
Flowers, palms and ferns create an exotic garden even when not in the tropics

Create an exotic garden… bring the tropics to your back yard

Special reports
Topiary in the form of low spiraling hedges, properly refreshed

Refresh your topiary shrubs at the end of summer

Gardening
Ideas for outdoor kitchens

Set up an outdoor kitchen for friendly summer barbecues

Special reports
Summer garden box planting arrangement ideas

Blooming Summer Garden Boxes

Special reports
Summer flowers that are magnificent bloomers

10 best blooms for summer flower beds

Garden Flowers
watering summer

How to water in summer, new routines and drip systems

Special reports
Summer vegetables and tomato care

Around the summer vegetable bed

The Vegetable Patch
Cuttings from favorite plants

Prepare cuttings from your favorite plants

Special reports
lavender

Lavender, a welcoming summer flower

Perennials
Bulbs that flower in the summer

A colorful garden with summer flowering bulbs

Bulb flowers
Myrtle plant - myrtus communis

Common myrtle, cute shrub, fragrant flowers… edible berries!

Shrubs
A flower-filled garden bed in July

July garden tasks for a fulfilling summer

Month after month
Gardening tasks for june

The complete June Gardening Guide

Month after month
Bountiful eggplant with a dozen eggplants.

Eggplant, abundant till the end of summer

The Vegetable Patch
Shrub blooming calendar

Blooming of shrubs one season at a time

Trees and shrubs
Red currant, one of the most popular summer berries.

Red berries for the summer

The fruit Orchard
Ripe maroon fig on fig tree.

Fig tree, a summer-loving fruit tree

The fruit Orchard
Four-seasons lemon tree

Four-seasons lemon, fruits and flowers all year long

Citrus