2026 August Plant & Soils –
Crops,Vegetables,Flowers&House Plants
It is always good to see the variety of exhibits at the County Fair. It is wonderful to have families exhibiting and seeing what each member has for their exhibit.
Enjoy your plants, flowers and vegetables from your garden with your family.
May the field crops do well and harvesting time be safe for everyone.
As you continue summer gardening, you may want to experiment with successive planting or do some companion planting for late summer or fall vegetables.
Compact bush beans provide plenty of creative companion planting options in any type of garden. In intensive raised bed gardens, you might anchor the ends of double rows of bush snap beans with summer savory or upright dill plants, two herbs often paired with green beans in the kitchen.
Or, try this companion planting idea intended to protect beans from pests. Plant bush beans where the radishes, cilantro or arugula were. Leave a few of the bolting plants in the rows. Radish, cilantro and arugula flowers attract beneficial insects, and can help to confuse pests in search of beans. You can also inter plant bush beans with onions to deter pests from both crops.
Most stores and nurseries will be clearing out summer plants. Some that are used as accent plants can be grown inside over winter as house plants. Then next spring keep as individual plants or use as an accent in container plantings. Always watch for insects and diseases that may have invaded the plants during the summer. You don’t want infested plants.
Enjoy your good garden vegetables and smell your flowers. Send me pictures!
Contact Sharon with questions or to plan an activity. Text 920-650-7110 or email rwses@idcnet.com. May you have a great summer
2026-August Natural Science, Adventures,
& Environmental Project Info
It was good to see posters about birds, wildflowers and animals. Also it was great to see a fishing lure project. There was room for many more. Gather project ideas as you enjoy the summer.
Start with……………..
August 18, 2026, at Dorothy Carnes Park,West, 7pm, Karen,”The Butterfly Lady” will present a program about Butterflies, emphasizing her work with
Monarchs. Then at 8pm you will be invited to watch for Moths and Night Insects as they are drawn to a lighted screen. These two activities will provide great project information. Join me there. We’ll take pictures and record notes.
You can come at 6 pm and hear a summary of what the Friends of Rose Lake have done in 2026. Join them for a potluck picnic meal. Bring yourself a drink and something to share. Be there for a silent action and free bird houses, all before the Butterfly presentation and MothWatch. It will be a great activity night.
Text or email Sharon(see below) with questions or for more info.
Take pictures and make notes of all the things you enjoy at home or on trips. Take time to sit and watch the birds and bugs as you have a snack . Listen for the wind in the leaves of the trees or smell the campfire at night when camping. Maybe just feel the tree bark with your fingertips. Or even just lay in the grass and watch the clouds go floating by. Make up a poem about what you see. Enjoy your backyard or beyond with friends or on a vacation.
Visit County or State Parks, Conservation Area or Community Programs
There are many summer activities available in our county or near by. It is a great time to enjoy any or all of them. Look for their listings and plan to check them out. Or go fishing at your favorite place or lake.
To cool off on one of the summer hot days, check out an air conditioned museum.
Stop by the Hoard Museum in Fort Atkinson and see the many exhibits about
birds and wildlife and their habitats. You can take pictures and make notes on things you want to know more about. Those questions and ideas can be a Natural Science project for the coming 4-H year.
Any of your activities and events can be part of a 4-H Natural Science Project including Adventures and Environmental topics. If you have Natural Science project questions, need information, or are looking for more info text or email Sharon at 920-650-7110 or rwses@idcnet.com.
Enjoy outdoor activities whenever and wherever you can. Be safe and respective of others and all wildlife.