As a teenager I read Glamour magazine. On the last page of every issue, the editors had a photo montage of fashion Dos and Don’ts. The “Do” models glowed in all their fashionable glory. The “Don’t” models, on the other hand, had black bars of shame across their eyes, and that, for me, has always symbolized something I should avoid at all costs. Now, I’m not sure if any fashion editors will be knocking at your garden gate, but if you’d like to keep your summer yard up with the seasonal times, here are the dos and don’ts of midseason gardening:
These sad-looking coleus were spotted on a garden center sales table in midsummer.
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
These poor babies are so far gone, you can’t tell that they’re impatiens without reading the flat.
Photo Credit: Megan Bame
The gardener thought she was being kind to rescue this daylily, but despite her care, it’s still sickly.
Photo Credit: Sarah Landicho
Do resist the temptation to buy “on sale” plants at the garden center. Many stores offer a “stragglers table” of end-of-season species in July and August for real cheap. I know everybody loves a bargain, but don’t waste your money on these half-dead (or mostly dead) plants that look like they’ve been stepped on by the Jolly Green Giant and then tested for drought tolerance.
I always look at the clearance table, too, but I don’t buy. Over the years, I’ve learned it takes more effort to resuscitate a half-dead plant than it’s worth. Of course, it’s natural to think, “If it dies, I haven’t lost much.” But the money you save isn’t worth all your time, concern, water, fertilizer and pest managing. After all, severely stressed plants are more attractive to insects. And even if you do revive a wilted plant, there may be other issues affecting it that aren’t as obvious as flagging leaves.
Don’t start seeds in midsummer. This is just the wrong time of season to do it. If you start them inside, they’re difficult to transplant into summer’s hard, dry ground. If you start them outside, it’s difficult to keep them well-watered without overdoing it.
If you’ve got empty holes in your beds or pots because animals (or the Grim Reaper) got to them, go out and buy healthy-looking, established (again, not “bargain”) plants to fill the holes instead. They’ll take less care and look great instantly.
Do wait a little longer to plant any trees or shrubs. In other words, don’t try it in the middle of summer. In most of the US, fall is the best time for planting – mostly because the rain and snow of fall and winter help plants get established. There’s just not enough water to go around in summer. Sure, you can irrigate the heck out of something, but why not let nature do that for you? You’ll save time, energy and money. And in the end, what’s the big deal in waiting a couple extra months to plant that tree?
There’s something about midsummer that creates this strong desire to change things up in the garden (probably because we’re all feeling a little tired and overwhelmed by all the heat and humidity now). It’s natural to want to revamp the garden. But there are other ways to enjoy your back yard that’ll reap more benefits in cooler weather.
In the end, I’d rather be a fashion “Don’t” in Glamour than a gardening Don’t in my own yard – wouldn’t you?
