Here are a couple of really simple tips to keep in mind as you potter around your garden this summer.
Watering Your Garden
If your climate usually exhibits high humidity, don’t water in the evening, the dew will set and the moisture will not evaporate, leaving your plants moist all night long– may lead to fungal growth. For hot and dry weather, you should water deeply once a week to promote deep root growth. Daily light waterings may lead to shallow root growth, which will cause your plants to dry out more quickly. The best time to water is in the morning, before the heat of the day. This should prepare your plants for the evaporation from the sun and winds it will experience throughout the day.
Trimming, Dead-Heading and Pruning
Keeping hedges and shrubs trimmed promotes fuller growth and keeps your plants looking neat and healthy. Dead-head throughout the summer to allow plant to focus on new growth a keep blooming. Don’t be afraid to prune and trim throughout the summer– keeping shrub growth in check is not only good for the plant, but keeps your garden looking very neat and structured.
Read More
Birds and butterflies are beautiful, majestic creatures. Hummingbirds and songbirds bring energy and life to any space, singing happy tunes or feeding baby birds in the nest. Butterflies are more delicate, fluttering about without a care in the world. Not to mention, if a butterfly lands on you, it’s good luck! Why wouldn’t you want to lure them into your garden? Here are some tips on how to do just that:
Read More
Daylilies, known as Hemerocallis fulva by botanists, are naturalized throughout much of America. They are especially hardy in warm dry areas. The orange colored blossoms are often seen along roadsides and in abandoned home gardens during June and July. All cultivated varieties of daylily are edible.
Flowers and flower buds of daylilies are delicious and quickly prepared for eating. The flowers are used in soups, meat dishes, and with noodles. Prepare the flowers for eating by removing the basal end (ovary) and dicing the rest. Flowers can be used for garnishing foods in somewhat the same way as mushrooms are employed. These flowers add substance, color, and pleasing flavors to foods. Fresh flowers are best for eating since some flavors are altered when they are preserved by drying and freezing.
Not only are they delicious, but they are also very attractive as you can see by the picture of Hemerocallis Jungle Beauty above.
Read More
