Ah! The month of pure Summer. Fireworks, fireflies and freedom from routine. Heat, humidity and bad hair days too. It is a time to slow down and savor the season. Simplify the days. I think, if we do summer correctly, we can then keep that sensibility through the other seasons. An ideal recipe for living mindfully. This year, I’m going to give Summer my best shot. Really.
In order to do that, July’s garden chores are whittled down to the essential minimum.
Things To Do In July –
1. Weed, weed, weed! Do a half hour each day and stop. It’ll all add up. Remember, pouring boiling water over bricks and other stonework will kill weeds growing in-between. Hot water from cooking pasta, boiling eggs and such can be used.
2. Deadhead often ( unless you’re going to collect seeds from certain plants). Neatness matters and keeps the garden looking cared for. Deadheading encourages several plants to put out a second round of blooms.
3. Mulch all beds once, fertilize plants in pots weekly, water as necessary ( collect rain water and use that).
4. Mow regularly but keep the mower blade high. Leave grass clippings in place to act as mulch first and then enrich the soil as it breaks down.
5. Watch out for pests and/or disease. Use organic treatments.
6. Plant out vegetable seedlings for fall harvest. Harvest summer vegetables regularly.
7. Keep birdbaths filled with fresh, clean water.
8. Order fall bulbs
9. Take time to watch dragonflies by day and fireflies by night.
And while we’re happily easing into the slow pace of summer, let’s not forget that the garden still needs tending!
Here’s the list:
Things To Do This Month –
1. Weed, weed, weed! Do it regularly and you’ll be less inundated.
2. Continue deadheading flowers after they’re done blooming. Let those that you want to go to seed remain.
3. As many plants take off this month, keep the garden looking tidy by staking and tying back.
4. Water only as needed. As summer heat and humidity increases, too much watering will encourage the proliferation of fungal diseases.
5. Keep close vigil for pests and disease. Take prompt action. Use only organic methods.
6. Fertilize the vegetable beds and plants in pots every two weeks or so. Comfrey tea, Epsom salts and compost are my go to fertilizers.
7. Mow lawns regularly but keep the blades at a height of 4 inches. The slightly longer grass will retain moisture better. Leave clippings to enrich the soil.
8. Prune back lilacs by one-third their height. Do the same for other spring blooming plants – once flowers are done of course.
9. Net soft fruits to keep away the birds.
10. With the threat of frost over, plant out tender plants.
11. Harvest vegetables regularly.
12. Each evening, make a point of sitting still in the garden and observing the fireflies do their silent dance. Smell the roses. Gather peonies to bring indoors. This, is why you garden.
A few glimpses of what’s doing in the garden right now –
Native wisteria looking gloriousA little rabbit proofing
It’s the final stretch – Open Day is this Saturday! All the last minute frenzy is happening. Fussing and faffing, mowing and moving, planting and panting. Since the weather forecast has a chance of rain for Wednesday through Friday ( fingers crossed for Saturday), the deadline to get ready is really sunset today. Madness!
I know it’ll all get done but there’s always that final push and panic. The adrenaline is high and truthfully, I’m super excited to welcome the visitors so we can gossip and commiserate on all things garden. I hope you are planning on dropping by?
If the race to get the chores for May haven’t been addressed as yet, here is the list –
Weed regularly if you want to keep the thugs in check.
Put stakes in place so as plants grow it’ll be easy to secure them.
Deadhead spent blooms for a neat look. Some plants will reward you with a second wave of blooms. Of course, if you want to collect seeds, do not deadhead.
Water as necessary. Add a splash of compost tea to fertilize – about every 3 weeks.
Plant in summer vegetables, summer bulbs and tubers and, annuals.
Keep bird baths filled with clean water. Use mosquito ‘dunks’ to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. The same goes for fountains.
Start mowing lawns but do the right thing by keeping the mower blade high at about four inches. Leave clippings in place to replenish the soil.
Make sure all beds, shrubs and trees are mulched to retain moisture and keep weeds from proliferating.
To take care of weeds in areas that are paved or bricked, pour boiling hot water over them. The weeds will be killed and no chemicals were used!
Stay vigilant for pests or disease. The earlier you catch a problem, the easier it is to treat them. Always employ organic methods.
Stir the compost heap regularly. Keep adding in kitchen and garden waste.
Take time every day to simply enjoy the garden.
Visit other gardens through the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program. You will be vastly instructed and inspired. Www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays
Get cracking!
In the garden right now – tulips are having their moment!
The pace in the garden has picked up by leaps and bounds. It feels as though the plants are all coming up at the same time. I sincerely hope not! The temperatures this week are projected to be unseasonably high so there’s no telling what will happen. The tulips are at their peak prettiness and I’m keeping my fingers crossed they will not succumb to the heat. I desperately want to enjoy them for a while longer.
The apple blossoms have joined the pears at the espalier fence. Their frothy exuberance is irresistible to the bees and I can’t be more pleased. In the meadow, just as the daffodils are waning, the ornithogalum have stepped forward. The white bells nodding sweetly are such good place holders for the drama of the alliums coming up soon.
With flowers unfurling everywhere, the birds have been busy. It sounds as though they’re mostly busy chattering but I know they’re focused on nest building and raising their young. The chandelier in the pergola has been comandeered once again by robins. Three turquoise blue eggs repose in a nest built from material found in the bin that holds garden waste headed for the compost heap. I notice dried leaves of brugamansia and papery flowers of hydrangea. All no doubt carefully selected by the discerning robins. I’m impressed.
This past weekend, as I went about our gardening chores, I was made acutely aware that my presence anywhere within a 3 foot radius of said nest was highly disapproved. I did my best to give space but the table under the chandelier is key to doing the potting up of small to medium plants, shaping the small topiaries and such. If only there was a way to assure the robins that I’d never harm their babies and would instead do my best to protect them.
Until eggs are hatched and babies are grown and flown, we will not be using this area for al fresco meals and gatherings. The birds have no idea how much they’ve inconvenienced us and nor do they care. We can empathize.
Sitting well away from the pergola and sipping a much needed cup of coffee I was given the pleasure of seeing my first hummingbird of the season. Only just a bit earlier I’d wondered if these tiny treasures had returned and if it was time to put up the feeders they enjoy so much. They have and it is.
I’m almost breathless keeping up with all the garden goings on. May begins tomorrow and the flowers are here. Lets hope Open Day on May 11 will be abundant with all the blessings for everyone to enjoy.
Working on two deadlines at the same time is anything but dull. The pressure is on full throttle – final stretch toLyndhurst In Bloom which happens this weekend and less than a month to my garden’sOpen Day. Both are very personal to me as they speak of my philosophy, my creativity and skills. In both cases, I’m aiming to share whats important to me – the natural world that deserves to be appreciated, admired and protected at all costs. Along the way, we find joy, laughter and comfort.
In the garden, given the vagaries of the weather, it’s been slower than I’d like. Between cold and rain, I’ve had to be cautious about bringing out plants from the greenhouse and/or planting too soon. This past week, I focused on replacing groundcovers that had simply run their course. In the garden, perennial doesn’t mean forever. They come back every year but many will eventually run their course and peter out over time.
This was the case with a favorite of mine – Mazus reptans. Originally planted along the side path that connects the front and back of the garden, it had faithfully performed spectacularly. But over the last couple of years, it started losing momentum and finally, very little showed up last spring. This is a very pretty garden stalwart. Undemanding, requiring no direct sunlight it carries on. Diminutive leaves delicately scalloped around the edges form fresh mats that knit together to beautifully cover the earth. The flowers come up a bit later in spring and look like small moths charmingly speckled in purple and white. So very pretty. After the flowers, the green carpet remains and serves for rest of the growing season.
It was a joy to find them in my local nursery and plant them in on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the creeping phlox in the checkerboard garden had been challenged by moss that wanted to take over. Last years wet summer had clearly favored the moss. So much of the moss got removed and new phlox was added to the ones that remained. This garden will have to be reexamined as it is entirely possible that conditions have changed more permanently with surrounding trees and shrubs casting more shade along with all the rain we seem to be getting lately. For now, the new phlox will do. I must research some other interesting yet suitable alternatives.
Opposite from attending to spring chores, is my project on seedpods for Lyndhurst In Bloom. A wholly different season and still so very interdependent. The diversity, sheer beauty and genius designs in packaging so well suited to how the seeds are dispersed is breathtaking. I’ve learned so much through my efforts at painting them. But as I created some arrangements this past weekend, I found myself learning more about how exactly those designs functioned. Quickly meshing into a network or snagging a hold on a neighbor just to get a bit of leverage, quivering at the slightest disturbance, using its sticky seed coat to attach firmly till its safe to open and send its seeds out into the world. They all wait patiently for the rain, wind or critters to help them. Some, do it on their own via ballistic action or gravity. And in each, the circle of life carries on. Just brilliant.
In all the busyness, I’ve been mindful about taking the time to enjoy the process. Giving each task due attention is imperative. Because to have a garden to work in is a privilege. To have the opportunity to show my art is a gift. To share both garden and art is a blessing. I’m aiming to deliver with Grace.
Mazus reptansPhlox in the checkerboard gardenPear blossomPeony supports installedCreating the ceiling featureArrangements of seedpodsInstallation in progressSeeded paper prayer flags
What a week that was. From Monday through Thursday it rained continually. The brief breaks permitted only quick walks to get the blood flowing. No garden work was possible. Then, come Friday, the sun shone bright and we were surprised by that earthquake – no damages but it was certainly scary to feel the house and all its contents shake and shudder. And funnily enough, a solitary snakeshead Fritillaria popped up. I’m convincing myself that the tremors jolted it awake. An after shock was felt in the early evening. All very unsettling.
Still on the subject of out of the ordinary happenings, the much anticipated North American Solar Eclipse happened yesterday. We got up to 90% of totality in our area. Unlike other prime viewing locations, we were not hindered by clouds until after. There’s something special about the shared experience of entire groups/communities gathered to experience an event well beyond their control and devoid of all the differences so rampant these days. Together we acknowledged not only our humanity but also our humble place in the mighty, magical, wondrous and ever-expanding cosmic universe. That’s extraordinary.
The past weekend was thankfully dry and even had periods of sunshine. But it was cold and windy. Felt more like March of the old days. There is no new normal as yet. However, some garden work got down. New plants to replace lost ones got planted, the watering system for the vertical garden was turned on after the whole apparatus was cleaned and serviced and, the peony rings were put in placed. Other tasks that were on my agenda had to be tabled as it was simply too cold. Inevitably, when chores get delayed, I start feeling the pressure of falling behind. Especially with Open Day less than a month away. There’s plenty to do. At the same time, I’m working on my installation for Lyndhurst In Bloom coming up in less than 2 weeks. Exciting and anxiety ridden.
The poem below, written some years ago, sums up what the gardener experiences every year –
Spring Cleaning
Sweep away detritus
Winter’s wild remnants
Prune roses
June’s dress code
Straighten borders
Summer edges to spill
Outside order
Inside peace
Clearing, cutting
Room to breathe deep
Opening, widening
Minds broaden fast
Plants get bigger
Spirits grow higher
Colors multiply
Senses infused
Days lengthen
Smiles brighten
Outdoor classroom
Paradise within.
-Shobha Vanchiswar
Note: While I’ve been very focused on meeting project deadlines, it has been wonderful to take walking breaks in my neighborhood. The images below are from this morning –
March has come in like a lamb. It distinctly feels like spring and I’m in full on gardening mode. If this is the new weather pattern, I’m wondering if all seasonal chores should accordingly be brought forward. How soon should one direct sow seeds? Is it okay to move the tender perennials out of the greenhouse earlier by a month? What if the temperatures plummet or we get hit by fierce storms snow or rain? It is worrisome for sure.
Perhaps, for now, I must rein my impatience and work with caution. I’ll direct sow some seeds and reserve others for a bit later. The plants being sheltered in the greenhouse can wait a while longer. But some tasks like the spraying of dormant oil on the fruit trees to smother the egg of pests like aphids and coddling moth before the emergence of buds, giving a feed of compost to all the plants, Epsom salts to the roses etc., will be done this week. One must use sound judgment based on science and common sense.
Here’s the To-Do list for March –
Cut some forsythia and pussy willow branches for indoor forcing. Place in water and keep in a cool place until the buds are swollen. Then move them to a location where they can be viewed as the blooms burst forth. A lovely prelude to spring.
As snow melts, start clean up process. Twigs and other debris can be removed. Protect the still wet areas of grass and beds by first placing cardboard or wood planks and stepping on those instead. They help distribute the weight better.
Later in the month, remove protective burlap and/or plastic wrappings and wind breaks.
Get tools sharpened. This includes the mower blades.
Commence indoor seed sowing. Begin with the early, cool weather crops. Read seed packet instructions and calculate dates for planting out.
Order plants that will be required for the garden as soon as the ground has warmed up. Let your local nursery know your needs – they will inform you know when shipments arrive.
As soon as possible, once snow is all gone and soil has thawed, spread compost on all the beds including the vegetable plot.
Finish pruning fruit trees, grape vines and roses early in the month.
Take an inventory and stock up on whatever is lacking. Soil, gloves, mulch, tools, water crystals, grass seed, pots, hoses etc.,
Survey the garden and see what needs replacing, repairing or painting. Schedule and do the needful.
Start bringing out or uncovering outdoor furniture. It’ll soon be time to linger outdoors!
Get Open Days directory from Garden Conservancy – www.gardenconservancy.org. Mark your calendars to visit beautiful gardens in your area.
Come to my Garden Open Day on May 11 between 10 am and 4 pm. I’m looking forward to seeing you!Registration has begun –https://www.gardenconservancy.org/open-days/garden-directory/the-little-garden-that-could
Here are some images from the bulb display at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens to get you in the vernal mood!
It’s finally looking like February is supposed to. Crisp and cold with a thick quilt of snow spread over the ground. It’s been a week of brisk, bracing walks, fireside conversations and a return to dreams of the perfect growing season ahead. This is the February I’m familiar with and it’s mighty comforting even though I know the climate is changing and it will not always be so.
The weekend before the first great snow fall, it was definitively spring weather. 50 degrees! The garden beckoned with a siren call and I was lured into it eager and excited. The grapevine got pruned and the trimmings were stored for future projects in and outside the garden. Similarly, the roses received a fair bit of cutting and shaping. The rose hips were collected on lengths of stem. They look so pretty in hues of orange tinted with blush pink. All the plants left to serve the birds and bring seasonal interest with their varied designs of seed heads and warm, earthy colors were also cut back. And yes, all of those trimmings are also safely stored away. Why?
Because, come April, they will be the stars of a public project in which I am thrilled to participate. I’m not saying any more for now! All will be revealed in due course.
As I gathered the cuttings, the color palette itself was so beautiful. Browns, golds, reds and everything in-between. And the many textures and shapes! Truly, the sight rivaled any opulent bouquet of fresh flowers. Plants in senescence are so very under-appreciated. Yet, they serve at this stage to ensure the future health and wealth of the land. Surely, we ought to pay these humble yet noble members more attention, admiration and esteem.
And thus, it was a very satisfying two days of cutting and tidying. Timely work got done (and a new project got underway!). If I’d put off this task, the 12 inches of snow that fell two days later would’ve put paid to the beautiful ‘harvest’. The plants would have all been pushed down and broken apart. Seizing the day was a very good thing!
Note: Because the snow was expected, I left the old leaves of the hellebores uncut so they could protect the emerging buds from any snow and cold damage.
With no snow on the ground and temperatures hovering above freezing, February doesn’t quite feel normal don’t you agree? I fret about the well-being of the garden and the environment at large. How is Mother Nature coping with the changing climate? How will I cope? I try however, to not dwell on gloom and doom. We will deal with the situation as it unfolds.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the fact that my daily turns around the garden have been given a jump-start, I’m delighting in all the things happening in it. What’s coming up, what’s looking good, what tasks typically done after snow melt can be done right now. The play of light and shadows that pattern the space, the micro-environments within the garden displaying their individual responses to the weather are some of the compelling sights that speak volumes about the lay of the land and the ‘bones’ of the garden. I’m currently obsessed with tracking down exactly where the hummingbirds and cardinals had built their nests last year – the bare trees and shrubs reveal those secrets. There’s so much to see and know!
But don’t just stop and stare. Chores await!
Things To Do –
(Much of the items in the January list are applicable here. Do check that list)
Stay on top of effects of snow and storms. Take quick action.
Keep bird feeders full. Whenever possible provide water.
Get garden plans and designs ready.
Check garden supplies. Does the hose need repair or replacing? Is there enough soil, organic fertilizer, twine, stakes etc.,? Make a list and do what is needed.
Towards the end of the month, prune roses, wisteria, grape vines and fruit trees.
Cut back ivy on walls and fences before birds start nesting. Brightly colored stems of Salix and Cornus should be cut back to about 6 to 10 inches from ground. This will encourage brighter color next spring.
Prepare for seed sowing. Get seed flats clean and ready. Check if there’s enough seed growing medium.
Order seeds. Once seeds arrive, write labels and clip to each pocket. This saves time later when there is so much else to do.
If there is not much snow, cut back old leaves on Hellebores. New growth and flowers will be emerging. Cut back other perennials that were skipped in autumn.
Attend to indoor plants.
The New York Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show opens in March. Do reserve your tickets and go! It’ll banish winter blues and get you inspired.
Renew ( or join) your membership to the Garden Conservancy. Place your order for the Open Days directory. Once you receive it you can start scheduling visits to beautiful gardens near and far. Inspiration is only a garden visit away!
Whats doing in the garden right now –
Vinca in bloom !Peony nosing through. See the red tip?New growth underfootMagnolia looking quite fine and fresh.Empty seedpods of Chelone glowing in the sunlightSculptural sight of spent seedheads
This week, I’m beginning in earnest to stay on track with the gardening to-do list. Like in everything else, January offers a chance to start anew – eating healthy, working out, sleeping better are arguably on everybody’s list. As they should be. I don’t actually put those on my resolutions – they are simply a mainstay in my life. I try my best because they’re so important. Some days I’m more successful than others. C’est la vie.
Staying on target with time sensitive stuff is what I find more difficult. I begin with sincere intent but life invariably gets in the way and before I know it, I’m dangerously close to missing a deadline or I’ve missed the window to get a task done or I need to hustle madly. I know I’m not alone when this happens but that is hardly any comfort. But, over time, I’ve learned a few things to minimize such situations. The most important one is to be super-organized. I’m often asked how I do that so I thought I’d explain.
Every January 2nd, I sit with paper (used sheets typed on one side and ready to be discarded are perfect as I can write on the reverse side), pen, new calendar (can be a hard copy or digital). Note: I find it very satisfying to actually write rather than type my lists into the computer. Physical writing helps me slow down and stay present. An Excel Spreadsheet might work better for you.
Each sheet of paper is assigned one topic – Home, Personal, Garden, Family, Art, Writing, Website, Business etc.. Then, under each go in all the items that need doing. In the interest of this column, lets consider ‘Garden’.
I already have digital master lists for each season.’s chores These are standard chores that simply get plugged into appropriate dates/days/months. I take into account already scheduled to-do items in other areas so there isn’t a clash of jobs or too much to do on any given day. Flexibility is also important.
For instance, spraying the fruit trees is not only time sensitive but temperature dependent as well because the organic treatments demand it. So, a specific week for this task is first assigned. Then, depending on the weather forecast for possible rain, wind conditions and/or temperature dips or spikes, a day is selected. Alternative days are also penciled in just in case either the forecast was inaccurate or something unexpected comes up. And on the day of spraying, stuff like window cleaning won’t be assigned. Windows get cleaned only after!
You see? I helps to have an overall understanding of what happens when.
I assign practically every single task. During the week, which days I’ll be weeding – shorter sessions done every other day work better for me as opposed to long hours of weeding. Reminders of when to feed plants in pots, hang up hummingbird feeders, prune different shrubs/trees, deadhead spent blooms, which seeds get started when, everything is marked down. Friday is my ‘overflow’ day – where stuff I couldn’t get around to on the assigned day in the week get addressed. It truly helps me stay on schedule.
Having already listed and sourced plants I need to purchase, I schedule the ordering online or checking with my local nursery for availability and reserving my selections in advance. What is required for each task is checked/cleaned and kept ready. For instance, in the case of starting seeds indoors, I make sure I have cleaned the seed trays, growing medium available, mister, labels, markers etc., are all on hand.
I consider costs of plants, new replacement tools, repairs or other purchases and work it into my budget – this is crucial because as we’re all too aware, we gardeners can lose all commonsense in our bid to acquire things for the garden.
Similar,ly how long big tasks will take are estimated and accommodated. The goal is to avoid unwelcome surprises, preventable delays and unrealistic expectations. Holidays and vacation plans must be factored!There’s enough in the course of gardening over which one has absolutely no control so, lets take charge of everything else that we can.
If you’re thinking all of this is too tedious or too much effort, it is absolutely not! This is the time when your dreams are all possible. You are the gardener you aspire to be, the weather is always perfect, all the plants grow and bloom as you wish and the garden is its most spectacular best. Indulge yourself in some joyous planning and prepping.
Now, lets get started.
Note: Since we’re in the planning and getting ready stage of the gardening season and the garden itself is under snow, I’m sharing a few of my garden related watercolors –
