Do you ever feel like your garden doesn't quite measure up? Ever feel a bit intimidated in the garden center, thinking perhaps you don't really know what you're doing amid all those "experts?" Ever wonder what it would be like to be a Master Gardener, in whose yard everything is perfect?
I don't think I can say this enough. There is no perfect in Nature. There are no perfect gardeners. There is no training or degree or native ability that can replace simple time-in-grade. The more time you spend in your garden, the more you notice things. The more you notice, the more you wonder. The more you wonder, the more you learn.
And if circumstances prevent you from spending time in the garden, your plants will let you know! I know that many of my customers always assumed I had a perfect garden showplace at home, despite my assurances to the contrary. Not only is my garden far from perfect, it's worse than I thought! It wasn't until Papershell was closed and I had time to really look at my garden that I realized just how bad it really was. It happens in the best of families, as they say.
 | | The best part, not the worst! |
So here's a little blog post with the photographic proof that even professionals can have truly ugly back yards. I hope this makes you feel better about your garden! And I hope that mine gets better quick!
Now, I must say you can learn a lot in classes and programs. The fall 2013 Fort Bend Master Gardener program begins in October. Click here for information about that series of classes. And this Saturday, August 10 at 8:30am, a new prgram called Backyard Basics, outside the Master Gardener commitment, kicks off. The first class this week is Vegetable Gardening.
So let's go forward with our gardens, resolving to learn and do, but not beat ourselves up so much about the unattainable perfect Eden!
Thanks again and garden on! |
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August Checklist
If you can bear to set foot outside in the 100° weather, there are a few things that need to be done this month on the garden.
- If you're a bargain hunter, you may be able to find some good deals in the nurseries during the dog days of summer. Look carefully at any plant you purchase now, scanning for signs of disease or insect infestation. You don't want to add to your problems in August. But late summer and early fall can be a good time to get perennials started. By late next spring, they'll have a good strong root system established, provided they get good care this summer, fall and winter.
- Prune blackberries if you haven't already. Blackberries fruit on two-year-old canes (floricanes) and once a cane has fruited, it is done. Prune those out. Leave the smaller canes that did not bear fruit this year (primocanes). Those are next year's fruiting canes. If you do this every year, you'll avoid having a big, thorny thicket in your garden.
- Continue to mow your lawn on the high side and water deeply when the grass begins to show stress. Watch for chinch bug damage, especially near driveways and sidewalks. Irrigate carefully in those areas that tend to remain dry. Chinch bugs prefer those spots.
- Roses can be lightly pruned, fertilized, and mulched now. Don't prune radically, just about 20%. Repeat in September if you aren't seeing the growth flush you expect in the fall.
- Check your irrigation systems. Turn on all the zones during the day, when you're there to make sure each head is properly spraying. Check also for leaks. You'll notice a sharp drop in pressure, which can signal a leak even if you aren't seeing water running away from a sprinkler head.
 | | Now, more than ever... |
But perhaps the most important thing you can do is pay close attention to watering. It is so hot and so dry that plants are almost always under some sort of water stress. How much water a plant needs will very dramatically. Even plants right next to each other can have different water requirements in the garden. Newly planted trees and large shrubs, since they're valuable additions to the garden, need to be watered carefully for their first two years.
Read more about watering trees and shrubs:
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Favorite Fall Crops: Cole Family
Old King Cole was a merry old soul, and a merry old soul was he! And that's because he loved eating cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower!  Read more about growing these popular fall veggies here: |
Favorite Fall Crops: The Spinach Family
Some of my very favorite fall vegetables are in this family! Spinach, beets and swiss chard are tasty, healthy and delicious. Which one is easiest to grow? Find out here:
 | | Chard: Beautiful, healthy, tasty! |
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Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth Barrow
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