‘Gardening requires a number of water — most of it within the type of perspiration.” -Lou Erickson
I hoped I’d have the ability to take it straightforward in my garden for a bit. After all of the prep work for the Sauk County Grasp Gardeners Affiliation Backyard Tour, I used to be slightly drained. Nevertheless, my vegetable garden didn’t get that memo and now my beans, eggplant, broccoli, and zucchini are beginning to come on robust. Sadly, the humidity doesn’t make it nice both. By the point I picked all the things on Aug. 6, I wanted a bathe earlier than the hubby and I had been in a position to begin processing all the things. We froze broccoli, lower up beans for canning, and shredded zucchini for zucchini relish – a well-known household recipe that’s requested by everybody who has tasted it. I spent Aug. 7 water bathing zucchini relish and strain cooking inexperienced beans. I nonetheless should do one thing with the eggplant after which hopefully discover time to make pesto from the basil that’s rising abundantly. I’m not complaining although, as I take into account us lucky that we’re in a position to develop an abundance of meals for ourselves, household, and pals.
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Regardless that there’s an abundance of canning and freezing to be completed, there are different gardening duties to be accomplished as properly. Within the flower garden, transplant and divide iris, daylilies, coneflowers, daisies, black-eyed Susans, yarrow and different perennials which have completed their blooming cycle. As I’ve so many daylilies which are blooming or simply ending up, it’s a very good time to see what coloration they’re. Deadhead these perennials to encourage further blooms: child’s breath, bee balm, blanket flower, butterfly weed, cheddar pink, delphiniums, false sunflower, foxglove, garden phlox, globe thistle, hollyhock, monkshood, purple coneflower, Shasta daisy, speedwell, tickseed, yarrow, and plenty of extra. Whenever you lower gladiola blooms for a bouquet, go away the utmost quantity of foliage on the plant. This can permit the gladiolus to retailer extra vitality within the corm, main to higher blooming subsequent 12 months. You probably have some spectacular or uncommon coleus, geraniums, or different vegetation, take cuttings to be rooted for winter houseplants or for subsequent summer time’s garden. It’s time to plant mums for fall coloration. Attempt to discover ones which are labeled as garden mums as they’ll many occasions be wintered over with slightly further mulching and winter safety. Don’t neglect the weeds – they love sizzling, humid climate.
Towards the top of the month, divide or plant Oriental poppies. They like sizzling, sunbaked soil, so don’t mulch them. It’ll even be time to convey your poinsettia again indoors after being exterior for the summer time. Withhold water out of your amaryllis for the subsequent two months to stimulate bloom. I discovered two in my basement that I by chance put aside within the flawed location that haven’t acquired any water for fairly a while. I’m undecided they are going to survive, however I’ll nonetheless attempt to revive them.
Within the vegetable garden, repeatedly decide greens reminiscent of beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and others to encourage them to provide extra. This goes for herbs as properly. In the event you haven’t already, plant a late crop of radishes, lettuce, spinach, and beets.
Apart from common mowing, there isn’t rather a lot to do in August garden upkeep aside from thatching. Take away the thatch if it’s greater than a half inch thick. Lastly, you possibly can plant evergreens now by means of September.
For extra info or gardening questions, the College of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County workplace at 608-355-3250 or e mail trripp@wisc.edu.
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