Magic of Gardening

GARDENING IS ALL ABOUT PLANNING

PLANNING FOR AUTUMN ... IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER

BY BETHANY O’REAR

Gardening is all about planning – and I’m happy with that. I love the feel of seasons as they move through nature’s course of sunlight, temperature and mood. So here we are in summer, and fall is just around the corner. That means we have holiday celebrations like Halloween, Thanksgiving (even Christmas!) to plant for now. Vegetable canning and flower drying are also on the horizon. Here are four ways to take advantage of the June and July Garden for autumn advantage even while your summer garden is at its peak.

PLANT A HALLOWEEN GARDEN

Now is the time to plant pumpkins. Sow them directly in the soil and enjoy your efforts in October. Consider a wonderful spooky miniature pumpkin like “Midnight Pumpkin” which is almost black in color. Other mini pumpkins to plant include “Casperita,” a white treat, while “Jack Be Little” is a traditional orange selection. Classic old-fashioned pumpkins are also a treat. The heirloom pumpkin “Rouge Vif D’Etampe” has a storybook silhouette while the modern variety, “Cinderella’s Carriage Hybrid,” says it all. Finally, if you’d like your pumpkin to serve two holidays, plant “Dickinson Pumpkin” or “Pie Pumpkin” for round orange fruits that can make their way to your Thanksgiving table after Halloween ghouls have retired for the year. Pumpkins like rich soil and tend to sprawl. Plant them in an area which will be undisturbed, fertilize and water regularly. Check vines frequently for signs of borers and other insects (apply insecticidal soap as required) and lift developing fruit off the ground using netting, racks, or other supports to prevent rot. Another obvious choice for fall decoration is ornamental corn. “Glass Gem” and “Indian Rainbow” both have showy kernels that are beautiful in wreaths or table centerpieces.

The varied colors of pumpkins make for diverse decorating ideas.

THE FALL VEGETABLE GARDEN

In addition to pumpkins, June is the time to direct sow beans, fieldpeas, cantaloupes and watermelon. Alabama also makes up for its hot summers by giving the home gardener a second swipe at all-time favorites. Start tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings in June for transplanting in late July and you’ll have a cornucopia before last frost. Wait until July to start cooler crop seeds such as cabbage, collards, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. These transplants will be set out in the garden in September.

June is the time to direct sow cantaloupes and watermelon.

DRIED FLOWERS AND PLANT MATE- RIALS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

Nature is generous with dry materials for plant decorations. Pinecones and seed heads (such as poppy or Chinese Lantern) are obvious choices and need little care other than being gathered at their prime and stored in a dry location for a few weeks to ensure any dampness or insects have been shed. Some attractive and widely available flowers can also be saved through air drying: Achillea (yarrow), Gaillardia, Goldenrod, Strawflower and Tansy all come to mind. Some flowers may require a bit more care in preservation through drying with a desiccant or by pressing in a book or frame. Blooms with lots of moisture and multiple petals will fare best if buried in a desiccant (such as silica) for a week or two. Coneflowers, peonies, and roses all do well with this method. Be careful not to store the blooms in the desiccant after their cure period, however, as they will lose color and turn brittle. With the advent of the internet, encyclopedias may have become obsolete, but they remain a wonderful way to press flowers. Place Bleeding Heart, ferns, or Queen Anne’s lace in a single layer between two layers of wax or bond paper and place a second volume on top. Check to see if paper needs to be replaced (it remains moist or is discolored) after the first week. Most flowers will have completed the process within a month. Don’t forget that shrub and tree prunings elevate an arrangement or, as some designers say, add “architecture.”

Achillea are attractive and widely available for air drying.

FAVORITE SHRUBS WITH COLORFUL BERRIES

It’s not just supermarkets that have supply chain issues right now. Plant nurseries and suppliers have also experienced difficulty in sourcing favorite plants. Shrubs with attractive berries brighten up the landscape and are appealing in arrangements; now is the time to place your order for planting in October and November. Winterberry hollies (Ilex verticillata) produce red berries on the female shrubs. To ensure production of this gorgeous fruit, plant a male pollinator such as ‘Jim Dandy’ or ‘Southern Gentleman’ somewhere fairly close. This deciduous native plant is not only pleasing to us humans, but our bird and bee friends love it too! Not everyone agrees with me, but I think the brilliant berries of Pyracantha make up for its prickly thorns. Red and orange berries are appealing to wildlife – the yellow berries are less appealing to our feathered friends. My personal favorite of berry-producing shrubs is Parney’s Cotoneaster. Laden with berries in the fall, this shrub can be a problem solver for steep banks or problem areas. This shrub likes to grow so plant it wisely.

Thanks for letting me indulge in thoughts of autumn as the summer temperatures are on the rise. Happy gardening!

Shrubs with colorful berries, like this Parney’s Cotoneaster, brighten the landscape and are applealing in arrangements.