17 Things You Should Plant in June for a Bountiful Summer Harvest

It is always a great choice to grow fresh herbs in your garden, whether you plan to use them for cooking or cocktails. One of the easiest herbs to grow is basil, which is used in food recipes and holistic remedies worldwide.

Varieties to try: sweet basil, Genovese basil, and Thai basil.

This sturdy annual has lovely fan-shaped flowers that keep coming, even through summer's hottest days. Place it in a mixed container to spill over the edges or along walkways.

Varieties to try: Whirlwind Pink, Whirlwind Blue

Eggplants truly are some of the most beautiful vegetables to grow, with their shiny skin and beautiful rounded shapes. Eggplants also love the heat, but it's important to keep them watered throughout the summer. Harvest them all before the first frost because they have zero tolerance for cold.

Varieties to try: Rosa Bianca, Black Beauty

These charming plants come in a variety of shapes, sizes, forms, and colors and are easy to grow. They're also drought-tolerant, so you won't have to fuss with them once established. Some (not all!) are even cold-hardy. Read the plant tag to learn if they're hardy in your USDA zone; otherwise, you'll need to dig them up before freezing temperatures occur and repot them to enjoy indoor life on a sunny windowsill.

Varieties to try: Lemon Coral, Green Wheel, Hens and Chicks

Peppers come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, and are typically divided into sweet and hot varieties. Fun fact: Green peppers are not a crop by themselves; rather, they’re unripe bell peppers that will turn red, yellow, or orange when ripe. Plant whatever type you love, but make sure to wear gloves when harvesting or slicing the super-hot types!

Varieties to try: Madhatter hybrid, Hot Dragon

Cucumbers are fast growers, making them the ideal choice for any gardener a bit behind on their seasonal planting. Save space by training them up a trellis, supporting the stems along the way. Pick when they’re small and tender, not when they’re large with a tough outer skin. Harvesting frequently encourages them to keep producing.

Varieties to try: Green Light, Spacemaster

Resembling tiny snapdragons, these lovely annuals have spikes of purple, pink, or white flowers that keep blooming until frost. They're sometimes called summer snapdragons; some types cascade, while others have a more upright form.

Varieties to try: Angelface Perfectly Pink, Serenita

June is your last chance to plant Swiss chard, a lovely, versatile plant with broad leaves and gorgeous stems in white, red, orange, or yellow. It doesn’t like it too hot, so shelter it with a row cover to help it last throughout the summer. Some types may survive winter in mild climates.

Varieties to try: Bright Lights, Fordhook Giant

Summer squash, such as zucchini and yellow crookneck, grow quickly and are prolific, so you’ll have plenty to share with friends. Plant seeds about two feet apart to give them enough room to grow. Pick when young and tender, not big and seedy.

Varieties to try: Pattypan hybrid, Italian Ribbed Zucchini

Huge heart-shaped leaves and gorgeous pinks and lime greens make this plant a showstopper. They grow from tubers, so technically, you can dig them up before the first frost at the end of the growing season and replant next year. Or treat them as annuals, and enjoy the show this summer.

Varieties to try: Florida Moonlight, Heart to Heart Lemon Blush

Winter squash needs room to stretch because its vines sprawl 10 to 15 feet in every direction. Train the plants up a trellis or fence to conserve space. Harvest winter squash when the vines wither or after the first frost.

Varieties to try: Buttercup Burgess, Delicata

Bush beans and pole beans, which need the support of a trellis or net, are super-easy to grow. Plant both types if you have room; bush beans are ready sooner than pole beans. The more you pick of either type, the more they’ll produce, so check every day or so once they’re ready to harvest.

Varieties to try: Royal Burgundy (bush), Kentucky Wonder (pole)

These hardy annuals bloom until the first frost, so they're a reliable splash of color in summer planters or beds. Read the plant tag, as some varietals prefer all shade while others tolerate a little sun.

Varieties to try: Dragonwind Red, Solenia Apricot

Every gardener dreams of harvesting a gorgeous watermelon or cantaloupe, but you'll need plenty of space because the vines grow up to 10 feet long. Look for newer varieties, which are more compact for smaller gardens, or trellis them to save space.

Varieties to try: Watermelon Mini Love, SuperBall Hybrid

Sunflowers are fun to grow because they’re beautiful and edible. That is, if you get to them before the birds do. Read the seed label so you know you’ll have room for them; they range in size from two to nearly 15 feet tall.

Varieties to try: Teddy Bear, Kong Hybrid