This week I am reviewing plant winners and losers. I have a rocky spot on the south side of my house near the foundation where I have tossed seeds of perennials and annuals that love full sun. I have attempted to install plant starts there, but I can’t seem to water or amend the soil enough. The seeds have rooted, however. Once I have those rooted seedlings, I try to remember to water, and things have turned out well.
My blanket flower is one of those lucky-me plants. Blanket flower (Gaillardia spp) may be perennial, biennial, or annual depending on the species variety. I will encourage self-sowing to have it come back every year. I am pretty sure it was part of a seed packet, and I don’t know which species it is, although I did have it come up last year, too.
I have a Beardtongue (Penstemon) Husker’s Red with all red leaves and decided to plant two more in that same location to create a bolder clump. I know they will do well in that spot. To add them, I just needed to edit out golden rod.
I had deadnettle (Lamium) growing under some struggling trees that we will be removing soon. I needed to move the Lamium and replant it into a similar, part-shade location.
I feel comfortable doing the digging and replanting right now because I will be around to check on the plants and keep the soil watered. Whether purchased from a nursery or transplanted from your garden, perennials need regular attention in their first season in a new location. I would not move things around if I was only around on weekends.
And my Shasta daisy clump is huge! I only have one. I will wait until September to divide it. The flowers last for weeks, and if you deadhead, you will have blooms for a month or more. I will share more “how-to” details when I divide it.
My loser plant has been my mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia). I have decided to move it again once I decide on the best new spot. In the meantime, it has bloomed. The plant needs moist, well-drained soil in shade to part shade. It still gets too much afternoon sun after I moved it last year. One more move this summer to a shadier spot will be the last try. Hopefully it will come back strong after replanting.
What else is back? Water and heat have arrived this week. I welcomed the recent morning rains and also the afternoon rains. Less watering for me to do. However, this Lazy Berkshire Gardener might think watering is done for the week. Sadly, no. The hot sun quickly dried out soil in vegetable gardens and shrub borders. After tropical storm Beryl blows through, I might take a day off, but if the heat comes up strong, that will be the only day.
Irrigate plants before they show heat stress. Continue to check soil around new plantings and be sure the soil is moist from your last deep watering. Water needs can vary in similar plants positioned just three feet from each other. Though it doesn’t sound lazy, watering is the easiest and least expensive garden-care strategy. I avoid many problems by paying attention to the soil moisture. And I get many problems when I don’t pay attention.
Instead of watering lawns, consider allowing the lawn to go dormant. Lawn grasses will brown but will green up again with cooler temperatures and regular rain. Not watering can save you money! And if you mow your grass no shorter than three inches high (perhaps two times a week), you keep the lawn green longer, the roots cool, and soil moist.
As more torrential thunderstorms rumble in the Berkshires over the next few weeks, you will see a rush of water into your gardens and then out of your gardens. That water does not soak into the soil like you need. A rain barrel system can help you hold some of that water to use through the week. Consider where you can redirect a down spout to send rain from your roof into a storage tank of some sort. This water will then be available to use around your containers, vegetable gardens, or new plantings.
Pests and beneficial insects you may see this week:
Fall webworm may be active. Cut out the branches or twigs encased in webs and destroy.
Leave alone a tomato hornworm with white cocoons on its back. The cocoons come from a parasitic wasp which will kill the hornworm.
If you see a black-and-red critter half the size of your pinky nail, don’t worry. That is the larva of a lady beetle, and it is hungry! These good guys devour aphids and are your gardening friends.
The recent humidity has caused powdery mildew to form on my beebalm (Monarda). Beebalm and phlox seem most susceptible to this fungus that looks like a white, sticky dust on leaf surfaces. I will cut a few stems out of the center of the clump and might treat with a fungicide to keep the mildew from spreading to unaffected leaves. I have also cut back stems of golden rod that were crowding the clump.
In the vegetable or herb garden:
Bank up soil around leeks to keep stems white
Sow a second crop of summer squash and cucumbers if you have the space. Continue to pick off cucumber beetles.
Dig up potatoes as soon as leafy stems die. Use a garden fork or your fingers instead of a shovel to sift the tubers from the soil.
Cut stems of lavender for drying while the flowers in the tight bud stage; you will get longer lasting fragrance and the flowers will hold together better.
Sow another crop of carrots, beets, and snap beans for early harvest. Full confession: I haven’t put in beans yet! I usually follow the peas with beans. I will probably get them into the ground by July 15 and still have plenty of time to enjoy beans before a frost.
Diagnose what plants need in the way of pest control or fertilizer. Side dress season-long vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, and corn with compost or slow-release fertilizer. If soil drains well and leaves are yellowing, the nitrogen may be leaching out of the soil. Choose a fertilizer that contains quickly available nitrogen as well as a slow-release form.
Don’t forget, it’s July! Enjoy the heat; we have so little of it during the year. Get up early to do your chores then take a siesta during the midday. That is the Lazy Berkshire Gardener’s preference.
I call myself the Lazy Berkshire Gardener because I don’t want to work too hard in my gardens. I want to enjoy them. I find it easier to observe my landscape and let the compost happen, the water pool up, or daisies to self-sow. I look for ways to do the minimum task for the biggest impact. For example, mulching is better than spraying and much better than weeding all season. I look for beautiful, low-maintenance plants that thrive in or at least tolerate my garden conditions. Plus, I am willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.
