Garden

Before now, I never really thought about the darkness of the night and what role it played in my garden.

I’m sensing that autumn is lurking around the corner. Plants stressed by sun or drought have started to change color and go dormant. Leaves on my peony and witch hazel plants have burned from the intense sun in June/ July. But my everbearing strawberries have flowered again for their second flush and the everbearing raspberries have sent up new flowering canes for August/September fruit.

I have tried to focus my gardening on things that will grow fine with water and sunlight through July so I can head off to other fun activities.

Two important words for these days: Keep hydrated.

In Varna, Bulgaria, the Sea Garden places a forest between the edge of the city and the edge of the sea, so the heavily used beaches feel not a part of the urban footprint, but rather a summer resort.

Water and heat have arrived this week. I welcomed the recent morning rains and also the afternoon rains. Less watering for me to do.

As I walk leisurely about on my day off, I continue to scout for the bigger gardening issues.

I love maintaining seed strains and sharing them with others, but I also think there is room in the garden to allow for a mixed strain of poppies – red, pink, purple, white, gray and salmon – that celebrate the genetic diversity of their species.

I used to be an anti-annual snob. No annuals for me: They are too much money every year. “Be clever, garden savvy, and have continuous perennial color,” I think. But I have been schooled.

It seems this week has all the important gardening tasks scheduled for early morning.

A good editor knows what to excise, and what to enhance. With that in mind, I grabbed my chainsaw, and removed a magnolia.

Be lazy and take time to enjoy the flowers and the wildlife they support.

Last week I planted my tomatoes, and this week I added tomato cages to support them. It is always easier to put supports in place while our plants are small.

When it comes to woody plants, I feel more strongly about protecting them from insects and managing diseases than I do about perennials and annuals.

Sometimes the lazy gardener must choose what can be done in the time available.

While we busily plant our annuals as a rite of the start of summer, just like Memorial Day, don’t neglect your perennial gardens.