Hot Days, Homegrown Harvests & Holiday Prep: July in the Garden at Wister Creek Homestead

Hot Days, Homegrown Harvests & Holiday Prep: July in the Garden at Wister Creek Homestead

Here in Oklahoma, summer doesn’t knock—it kicks the door wide open. The air hangs heavy before breakfast, the soil cracks underfoot by midday, and by 3 p.m. you’re either chasing shade or watching thunderclouds roll in from the west.

But there’s beauty in it too.

The garden’s bursting at the seams. The chickens are laying steady. And this weekend, we’re getting ready to celebrate the 4th of July—Oklahoma homestead style.

🌱 Gardening Through the Heat and Humidity

This time of year, gardening is a dance with the elements. You learn when to push and when to pause. Southeast Oklahoma summers don’t mess around, so I’ve built my routine around the heat and humidity:

  • Early Morning Hustle: I’m out the door by sunrise. That first hour of daylight is golden—cooler air, calm winds, and time to water deep before evaporation steals it. I focus on the roots, not the leaves, and mulch everything thick with straw to help retain moisture and suppress weeds in our clay-rich soil.

  • Weeding in Intervals: With this humidity, you don’t overdo it. I work in 30-minute spurts and drink water like it’s my second job. A cool bandana around the neck and a floppy hat are non-negotiables.

  • Storm Prep Always: By afternoon, there’s always a chance of a pop-up thunderstorm. I keep tarps handy for tender plants and watch the skies if the wind picks up quick.

Our tomatoes, okra, zucchini, and purple hull peas are coming in strong this week. I harvested cucumbers just this morning and already have a crock of refrigerator pickles chillin' in the back fridge.

🧺 Preserving the Harvest

This is the time of year I start filling the pantry again. It’s not full-blown canning season yet, but I’ve got a few early projects going:

  • Pickled okra and green beans

  • Herb-infused vinegars (rosemary, oregano, and thyme grow wild and fast right now)

  • Blanched and frozen squash slices—ready for casseroles when fall rolls around

I usually take the hottest part of the day to preserve indoors, rotating between the stove and the fan to keep the kitchen halfway bearable.

Getting Ready for a Simple, Faithful 4th of July

Living out here, we don’t need much to mark a holiday. It’s more about slowing down and honoring the good things—freedom, family, and the blessing of land beneath our feet.

Here’s what we’ve got planned:

  • Farm-to-Table Cookout: Grilled garden veggies, goat cheese with fresh herbs, deviled eggs from the hens, and sweet tea by the gallon. I’ll make a blackberry cobbler if I can beat the birds to the patch.

  • Old-Fashioned Decor: Mini flags in the garden rows, mason jars with candles on the porch, and red-checkered linens hanging from the clothesline.

  • No Fireworks, Just Fireflies: Out here, it’s more about the quiet. We’ll light a few sparklers for fun, then settle in for a starry sky and maybe some fiddle music if the mood strikes.

☀️ A Final Word from the Homestead

Summer in Oklahoma is wild and wonderful. It’s the smell of warm basil, the sound of cicadas, and the satisfaction of sweat-earned rest. It’s the hard work that reminds you how strong you are, and the little joys that remind you why you chose this life in the first place.

So whether you’re picking peas at dawn or prepping for a backyard BBQ, I hope your heart stays light and your hands stay busy.

From my porch to yours—


Amanda @ Wister Creek

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