|
Soggy Gardening
Greetings!
 Greetings from water-logged Ames. With flooding that exceeded 1993
by a foot, most roads out of town blocked with water, and no drinking water, I
had to chuckle last week when the city put out an advisory that suggested we
limit outdoor water use. No watering my lawn? No problem!
But
I weathered it more easily than many. I had nothing more than mild flooding in
the basement and a stinky brand-new carpet.
It's
odd. In the sunny day or two following the deluge, my container plants wilted.
They had been so wet and under cloudy skies for so long, that when they
actually had to endure a little dryness and full sun, they did the plant
equivalent of a mild faint. Now they're all better and back on a more normal
schedule of watering.
Hey! Where
is that late-summer drought we're all used to?
Yours in the ultimate water gardening,
 Veronica Lorson Fowler |
|
Where Did the Veggies Go?
My green peppers have produced just one small pepper so far
and a friend complains that his eggplants look gorgeous with big leaves, but no
eggplants.
What's
up? Blame the cool, rainy weather we've had. These  plants need warm, drier
weather to produce their best. Like tomatoes, green peppers and eggplants need
steady warm temperatures, moderate humidity, and moderate moisture (not
monsoons) to develop flowers that then develop into the fruits on the plants.
We've had cool weather, high humidity, and buckets of rain.
But
hang in there. If conditions change, and frosts aren't too early, we may enjoy
these veggies from our gardens yet!
|
Bug Off
 It's that time of year when everything, it seems, is getting
eating by something. Check out What's Eating My Plants (this includes info on
slugs) and our page on Japanese beetles.
|
Eat Up That Produce!
 Happily, even with all the rain, I still have a lot of
produce. My fav ways to use up all these delicious things:
Fresh tomato sauce: A cheap,
simple, healthy supper in minutes
Corn-tomato-basil salad: Try it without the corn, too!
Caponta: Serve this tangy eggplant dish
with crackers or bread for an appetizer or toss with hot pasta.
.
|
|
|
|
Garden Quote:
"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.
- Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow
|
|
|
Sponsored Links
Help Your Garden Flourish in Late SummerLet Iowa Garden Coach Anne Larson inspire you with great ideas to help you make the most of the remaining warm months! She is offering the class "Flourish into Fall: 30 Stellar Ideas for Your Garden." Click here to sign up for Tuesday, August 31, 6:30-8:30. |
Garden To-Do List
For a printable version of this list for August, click here.
 Don't get discouraged.
August is a tough month on gardens. They start to get ratty-looking and fewer
things are in flower. But even 15 or 20 minutes of weeding, cutting back,
deadheading, mulching, and watering can make a huge difference.
Harvest early and often for
the most tender, sweetest produce and to keep plants producing well. Tip: You
can harvest tomatoes when they're about halfway red. Bring them indoors (away
from insects) to finish ripening indoors on a countertop. They'll still have that
great, full home-grown tomato flavor!
Click here for a plant-by-plant breakdown on how to tell when it's ready to harvest.
Annual flowers are at their
peak now--a great reason to plant them. They're one of the few things that look
fresh this time of year. Keep them well watered, deadheaded, and well
fertilized (apply a granular or liquid all-purpose fertilizer according to
package directions).
Deadhead flowers on annuals, perennials, and some shrubs. It keeps
your garden more attractive and in many cases, it will encourage more flowers
longer.
Avoid planting, transplanting, or dividing anything other
than a tree or shrub right now. It's so hot that smaller plants will
struggle. It's best to wait for cooler weather.
|
Garden Events
Saturday, August 28Trough Making WorkshopIowa Arboretum, Madrid 10 am-noon. Make a hypertufa trough in which to display succulents,
dwarf conifers, or alpine plants with Pam Maurer of Evergreen Gardens in
Ames. Participants will make a round trough about 15" in diameter. Class size is limited to 12 so sign up soon. $30 for Arboretum members,
$40 for non-members. Must pre-register by calling 515-795-3216 or
emailing sara@iowaarboretum.orgSaturday, August 19Walking ClubIowa Arboretum, Madrid Starts at 11 a.m. and meets each Thursday through September. Saturday, September 24Goldfish and Tropical Plant Giveaway! Des Moines Botanical Center. 10 a.m. First come, first serve. No charge, except for regular admission. Click here for further listings of more garden events throughout the summer. |
|
