By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
There is a time to plant and a time to harvest. Late summer to fall is not the time to take a break. It is the time to water, plant, gather and plan.
We’ve been having some hot, humid days lately and today is going to be another so, if your garden is not getting enough rain, be mindful to water it at least weekly. Veggies and herbs need an inch of water – by rain or irrigation – each week. Hot days, like these lately, they may want even more. While you’re outside remember to hydrate! You need water too, especially on these heat advisory days.
Plant your leafy greens now. Lettuce, spinach, Brussel sprouts, and cabbage are in stock in most nurseries. As for flowers, this is the time to plant pansy seeds as well. Now is also the time to begin sowing your herbs, especially basil and dill.
Gather up your herbs and get them to drying. Flowers – the annuals that is – too! Cut back any poor looking perennials. Allow perennials to go to seed so they can flourish next year.
It’s also harvest time for those potatoes. It is time to dig them up when their foliage up top kind of flops over.
Plan for spring. Get your spring bulbs planted now for beautiful flowers in a few months. Bulbs are easy to grow. Daffodils and Tulips are two of the more popular flower bulbs but don’t overlook Saffron Fall Bulbs or Hyacinths. One I really love is the Ranunculus. These beautiful flowers bloom in May and June. They grow about a foot or two and love the sun! Irises and Cyclamen are also gorgeous flowers.
One plant I found recently while glancing through my Michigan Bulbs catalog, was the Dracula Plant. I have never seen this one before. To me, it looks like a vibrant red feather with an old ink pen in the center! Michigan Bulbs describes it as, “Maroon flower spathe features a long fleshy, black pistil that resembles a pointy tongue.” Either way, this late spring bloomer is stunning! I should point out that other nurseries had other Dracula plants – after I went searching – and some look vastly different.
Happy gardening!
© Therapeutic Thymes, 2016
Author: Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
Publisher/Editor
