Riverside Garden Tips for July 2025

Homegrown Tomato Season is Here

Now what do you do with them all?

Here is a list of some of my favorite things to make with your tomato bounty. Eating them right off the vine is my favorite, but tossing them in a salad, sandwich or as a side with my eggs in the morning is also always amazing. But there is bruschetta, salsa, spaghetti sauce, pico de gallo, stewed tomatoes and much, much more!

However you choose to enjoy your tomatoes, make sure to enjoy them with friends and family. Here is one of my favorite recipes:

Bruschetta
Slice homegrown tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Mix with a bunch of chopped fresh basil and diced cucumbers. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving with tortilla chips or fresh bread. The ingredient amounts can vary depending on what you have coming out of your garden, so make it to taste.

If you haven’t planted tomatoes or you’re not having success with the ones you did plant, there is so much more besides tomatoes happening in the summer garden.

What are we picking?

Vegetables
Beans, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, beets, zucchini, potatoes

Herbs
Rosemary, sage, thyme, basil

Flowers
Zinnias, marigolds, pansies, larkspur, sunflowers

Fruits
Berries, stone fruit

What are we planting?

Second crops of beans, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, beets, pumpkins, corn and melons

Seasonal Tip

Living in Riverside, we can grow food year-round. So even if you’re late to getting the garden planted, you’re just in time for a summer garden. To save time, plant seedlings instead of seeds and only pick plants that grow in a hot season. Skip the cilantro and peas—it’s way too hot for them now.