Nobody likes to be the first to say it, but here goes. Summer is waning. But there are plenty of things to do in the garden-weeding, watering new trees and shrubs, weeding, dividing perennials and yes, more weeding. Why not take a break from these mundane, mid-summer chores and do something fun for you and your garden? Refresh your surroundings with a few flowering plants. The color will boost your energy and you may find that you can pull weeds for hours.
You can give your garden borders and containers a quick update by replacing those tired looking Impatiens and Geraniums with plants that thrive in the cooler temperatures to come. Brown Eyed Susans, annual Grasses and Amaranths can do double duty. They’ll look great for the next month or so and can bridge that gap between spring and early fall. Then you can add Pansies, Ornamental Kale and Garden Mums as the temperatures begin to slide. And if you’d rather plant perennials, don’t forget about Asters, Toad Lilies and all of the Ornamental Grasses. They’ll be spectacular when they begin to flower at the end of the month.
Don’t forget to keep deadheading those annuals. They all have a lot of flower power to show off yet. Flowering annuals are some of the few plants that you should be fertilizing this time of year. And you shouldn’t be afraid to trim straggly growth. There’s plenty of warm weather left to trigger a new flush of blossoms.
Leave foliage on summer bulbs such as Gladiola and Lilies to yellow naturally. This process allows the plant to develop and store energy for next year’s growth and flower buds. Of course, you all know that Lilies are perennial, but Gladiola, like Dahlias, Canna and Elephant Ears will need to be dug up right after the first frost and stored for the winter.
It’s been a pretty wet year for many of us, but the rain events have been spotty. Last week’s storm dumped 5 inches on the west side of Madison in a couple of hours, while the official NWA station received a mere half-inch. And the temperatures are rising again. So keep on top of watering your newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials. And watch out for our winged friends, too. Everybody loves to run or fly through a sprinkler now and then, even the birds and butterflies. Devise a watering schedule for your yard and stick to it. Make it part of your daily gardening routine. Then no one needs to be stressed-not you or your plants.