Autumn in the North comes much earlier than in other regions of the country. September ushers in our fall planting season, the time to put in lawns, trees and shrubs, hardy bulbs, and perennials. Plant Evergreens in Early Fall It is wise to plant evergreens in early fall, when free from their spring task of … Read more
September is a busy and important month in our gardens. Complete lawn programs, especially seeding, by mid-month to allow for 6 weeks of growing weather before frost. Light Top Dressing of Good Soil A light top dressing of good soil will correct uneven slopes or surface variations in the lawn. Work this soil into the … Read more
The latter part of September is a good time to plant seeds. Cool nights and warm, humid days allow quick germination. Hardy Seeds Seeds to be sown now, either with or above the bulbs, are poppy (both California and Shirley), candytuft, larkspur, Texas bluebonnet, calendula, and Phlox drummondi, cornflower, viola, stock, and sweet alyssum. All … Read more
Sow seeds of hardy annuals such as Shirley poppies, cornflower and larkspur so they can come up before winter arrives. The seedlings will live throughout the winter for an earlier bloom next summer. Gardening Sow Seeds of Hardy Annuals Scatter a mixture of equal parts iron sulfate and powdered sulfur around azaleas and rhododendrons to … Read more
This is the time of the year when your lawn demands special attention. Cool-Season Grasses During the hot months of July and August, our cool-season grasses were semi-dormant. As the weather cools they enter a second stage of growth, storing food for winter. Fertilize your grass now for a better lawn next season. Has your … Read more
Divide peonies if roots are too crowded for good bloom. Plant in a sunny, well-drained location. Choose early, midseason, and late-blooming varieties when buying new plants. Set out balled nursery stock and water newly-set evergreens up until freezing weather. Set out bare-root deciduous stock after leaves have fallen. Fill in around the roots with topsoil … Read more
June is a busy month in the flower and vegetable garden. It’s time to sow late cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and celery to provide plants that may be set out in July for late fall use and winter storage. Sowing the seed in soil mixed with peat moss is an excellent idea to encourage better … Read more
“What’s a shall it?” a lady asked me at question time following a talk at a garden club. Or so it sounded, but when she added that it is often mentioned in recipes, I recognized a variant pronunciation of shallot, more familiar when sounded like allot, not a ballot. The word is the French eschalote, … Read more
Many of the plants in our kitchen or herb gardens are as familiar as the palm of a hand, or as comfortable as an old shoe — thyme and marjoram, summer savory, rosemary and rue, sweet basil, and parsley. For kitchen and still room, dressing table and apothecary shop knew them of old. As humble … Read more
An insect with all virtues and no vices is the ladybug, that diminutive beetle whose back is a brilliant orange with black spots. That is, to say, she has no vices from the human standpoint. Instead, she eats hundreds of plant-destructive aphids in her lifetime (“her” also includes him). Turn one ladybug loose on a … Read more