If you're a late-blooming vegetable gardener (or just had one of those springs that didn't quite pan out), don't put away the planting trowel yet. July is a great month to plant many different vegetables, with proper planning. In fact, if you count backwards from your first expected frost date (available at most university coop extension service websites), you'll find that there is plenty of time to sow some vegetables even into winter.

Lettuce, spinach, arugula, baby kale and chard are among the best vegetables to grow in july. Direct sow a row or clump of seed in a partially shaded area, keep the soil consistently moist and harvest fresh greens throughout August and September. If you're a fan of mesclun mixes, try sowing a variety of quick-growing seeds like radishes, mizuna and mustards for an ever-changing salad bowl.

Beans are another vegetable that love a hot summer, especially in zones 6 and 7. They pull nitrogen from the air and affix it to nodules on their roots; these decompose into the soil to nourish the next crop of beans. If you want to enjoy fresh beans well into fall, make a few succession sowings in the same bed during the summer.

Parsnips are an underrated autumn relative of carrots, with a unique slightly nutty flavor that's perfect for root roasts and parsnip fries. They take a little longer to mature than other cool-weather veggies, but if you sow them in mid-July, they should be ready to harvest by October. They're easy to grow from seed and prefer full sunshine, but will also do well in pots and other containers that protect them from harsh weather conditions.