What's Growing On At The Garden - August 2026
How’s the Garden Looking?
Say goodbye to the hottest month of the year! August is over, and the garden is well prepared for the productive fall growing season. The garden is a jungle, with mature summer plants full of new blooms and new seedlings popping out of the soil for a mid-fall harvest.
Our okra plants are now 5 to 6 feet tall, with beautiful cream-colored flowers and an abundance of fruit just beginning to produce. In just one week, we harvested 16 lbs. of okra for donation! Our cantaloupes, peppers, and purple hull peas have continued to produce without hesitation. The new beds of Butcher’s Blood corn and Super Max cucumbers look healthy as they grow through these long, hot days. Our sweet potatoes are now browning just in time for a September harvest.
So far, the garden has produced and donated over 1,300 lbs. of produce to WestAid and LVTRise. We are inching closer and closer to fall, the garden’s most productive season!
Education, Events, and Groups
School is back in session, which means school field trips have started at the garden. We have welcomed back Jane Justin School and Boulevard Heights Transition School for another semester of skill-building and outdoor fun. These schools have begun sending weekly groups to the garden to assist with planting, plant maintenance, harvesting, cooking, and donations.
As the fall semester rolls on, we will welcome more field trips from local school districts, as well as groups from Girl Scouts and Eugene McCray Community Center.
On August 27th, we had a great time meeting members of the community at the Benbrook Area Chamber of Commerce event. The church and garden had the opportunity to share our story of growing fresh produce for the community while meeting many other organizations that provide wonderful services to Benbrook.
This Saturday, September 5th, Ridglea will be selling at the Funkytown Mindful Market, located at 1201 Wesleyan St., Fort Worth. We will be selling honey and pickled items made from the garden’s very own bees and vegetables. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what we do, sign up for future volunteer opportunities, and connect with other local food producers.
A big thank-you to all of our volunteers who braved the heat to keep the garden alive and productive! We also want to thank Av-Dec and First United Methodist Church for sending their teams to help plant wildflowers and build new compost piles.
If you or your organization is interested in volunteering at one of our volunteer days, please reach out to us via email at Givinggarden@ridgleachristian.org.
Vegetable of the Month — OKRA
August’s Vegetable of the Month is okra! It has proven to be one of our hardiest summer plants while also being absolutely stunning. Even if you don’t like the taste of okra, grow this plant for its large, cream-colored flowers and its ability to thrive in hundred-plus-degree weather.
Okra is highly productive during August. Once established, these plants will produce numerous fruits up until our first frost. Make sure to check the fruits daily—they can grow an inch a day and quickly become too fibrous to eat. If that happens, don’t worry! Save your dried okra pods and seeds for next year’s crop.
Ridglea’s favorite variety has been “Clemson Spineless,” but many other varieties are doing fantastic as well, including “Burgundy” and “Emerald.” Plant by seed in mid-April or May, with at least two feet of space between plants. These plants can easily reach 5 feet in height, so make sure to give them plenty of room. Water regularly as the young plants establish themselves.
Don’t know what to do with all that okra? Pickle it! Check out the Simple Pickled Okra Recipe at the end of the newsletter.
Funding Update
After a productive summer of grant writing, we are waiting to hear back about our applications to the Sprouts Foundation, Allen Foundation, and Garden Conservancy.
By the end of September, we will have two more grant applications completed with the National Benevolent Association and North Texas Community Foundation.
If you know of any other grant opportunities or funding strategies, please let us know!
Thank you for continuing to support the garden and everything we are growing for our community.
How to Get Involved
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Ridglea Giving Garden. We couldn’t do this work without you—and we certainly wouldn’t have nearly as much fun gardening without all of you!
If you or your group would like to volunteer, CLICK HERE to learn more. If spots are full, please reach out to Givinggarden@ridgleachristian.org
If you would like to send a gift to support our work, please CLICK HERE.
Pickled Okra Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs okra
5 cups water
5 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
2 tbsp pickling salt
garlic cloves
pickling spices
Method
Add water, vinegar, and salt in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until all ingredients combine.
Fill mason jars with whole okra, 1 tsp pickling spice, and 1 garlic clove, peeled.
Add your hot brine to the filled mason jars and cover all ingredients. Leave about 1/2 inch of headspace in the jar. Seal your jars and let cool.
Keep in the refrigerator for 1 week before opening and eating.
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