How does your garden grow?

It has been over a year since we began to plant the garden in Bindseil Park.

We began planting May 24, 2005, most of the plants were an experiment because the sun and shade were difficult to gauge and it changed as the months passed.

The shade plants–begonia, Cast Iron and Turks Cap–have done well. Many of the annuals, including marigold, zinnias and celosia, did okay, and some reseeded this spring. The Blue Salvia, Indigo Spires, Pride of Barbadoes, Canyon Creek Daisy, Coneflower, Salvia Greggi and Cannas could have used more sun.

The partial shade made them grow taller than usual or it could have been the mixture of Compost and Cottonseed meal. (Which is a great planting combination.)

The Pavonia, given to KBB by Curtis and Laura Trail, is spectacular! We planted 2-1 gallon plants and now they cover an area 4×5 ft. and they are in full bloom all the time.

Our Provence Lavender grew as we expected. It has been blooming in July and August. The sad thing is, we have to had to pull up four blooming plants.

The ‘Pets of the Park” (dogs) seem to enjoy stopping along the walk. What started as little spots on the lavender became completely infected plants.

We soaked the area with a solution of water and baking soda. I spoke with Mr. Pemberton, owner of Lavender Hill as he donated the plants for the park.

He suggested removing the plants and let the sun dry out the soil for several days before replanting.

We will be cutting the remaining lavender back 1/3 in October.

Experimenting with plants is exciting. Sometimes you are disappointed.

A garden friend told me: when plant dies, it’s a chance to try something new in the same spot.

She is right.

100° in the shade, no rain, and everything is drying up.

Are your tomatoes still “making”? If they are, keep them watered and mulched, and feed them occasionally.

The fruit doesn’t set in the warm night temperatures over 70 degrees. Even Blossom Set doesn’t help until cooler weather.

If they aren’t ripening, the plant doesn’t have enough strength to ripen the fruit. I pick mine at the first touch of color, or the varmints will eat them.

I let them ripen inside, in a bright window.

If your plants look bad, cut them off at the ground and replace them with new plants. Keep the new transplants protected with shingles or row cover until they become established.

If you have a problem with nematodes, dry till your garden area before planting. It will help to eliminate them.

To help your lawn during this heat, raise your mower blade 2-3 inches for St. Augustine and 1-2 inches for Bermuda and Zoysia.

Watch for Grub worms in the lawn and use an approved insecticide. An application of an approved insecticide and fungicide or pecan trees will prevent foliage damage.

When planting new fall plants, use row cover to keep them insects off plants and it will help to shade them. Start seed flats of broccoli, cauliflower and other cool season plants.

Tip: Keep dead-heading the annuals and perennials. Spray with a foliar feed in the cool of the evening.

We are in the hottest part of the Summer.

July and August are the months to keep things alive. Hold off on your planting, or you can wait until September when it begins to cool down.

It’s important to continue watering your lawn and plants 1 inch a week; pots need water every day.

This extremely hot weather has damaged many of the older trees and shrubs; many of the limbs and branches are withering and dying, usually the roots have been damaged.

If you place a soaker hose around the trunk of the tree or shrub and let it run slowly overnight, it may be saved.

Place a 1/4″ layer of COMPOST around the drip line and water it in. Add 2 – 3 inches of mulch around the tree roots.

Continue to water deep every 10 days.

Most of the CRAPE MYRTLE trees have bloomed one time.

To help them bloom again, remove as many of the dried buds as possible. Fertilize and water deeply.

They usually bloom until frost.

Im grateful to the KBB group for keeping the plants watered and weeded while I have been recuperating from Knee Replacement Surgery.

Thanks to Suzette Connell, Glenn Johnson, Susan Moore, Retta Martin, Glenn Page, tom Philips, and Cordelia Willgren for being faithful.

At this time I do a lot of sitting and pointing. I’m very glad to be back on the job.