Nana Ellen's Summer Garden

The first of June! Sweet summer is in evidence on every sunny morning in my California garden. True …there is still the occasional chilly morning when a sweater is comfortable and a light mist blankets the creek bank; but,in my heart, it's SUMMER!

In June - Summer is as sweet as the smell of saucer magnolias. Early this month the days are soft and nights warm, but by the 15th or so summer's heat will return full force. Click the tag for full size photo.

In July - our California Garden produces daytime high temperatures of 100° plus on average! Anything that gets done needs to be accomplished before 8:30 or 9 AM. Papa and I share the required two-a-day watering for container plantings and run a misting system in the greenhouse in late afternoon to lower the heat levels.

If we're going to enjoy being outdoors this month it's going to be early in the day since it won't cool down significantly until after 10 or 11 at night. I suppose it's safe to say July and early August are my least favorite time of the year just for that reason.

So... since there's not a lot going on in the garden besides trying to keep it cool - I thought you might get a kick out of this little bit of local humor. By way of explanation: our home is in Tulare County, in California's Central San Joaquin Valley. The locals pronounce it too-larry... and only when you've spent July and August here can you truly appreciate the joke.

You know you are in Tulare County when...

1. You have to explain to company from out of town what animal a "Tri-tip" comes from and that it's indigenous to the area.
2. You buy salsa by the gallon.
3. Drivers think a red traffic light is just a suggestion.
4. All of your out-of-town friends start to visit after October, but clear out before the end of April.
5. Most of the restaurants in town have the first name "El" or "Los."
6. You think 6 tons of crushed rock makes a beautiful yard.
7. You notice your car overheating before you drive it.
8. You no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water.
9. You see more irrigation water on the street than in the river.
10. You know a swamp cooler is not a happy hour drink.
11. You can say 115 degrees without fainting.
12. Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way.
13. People break out coats when the temperature drops below 70.
14. You discover, in July, it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
15. You think someone driving wearing oven mitts is clever.
16. The pool can be warmer than you are.
17. You can make sun tea instantly.
18. You run your air conditioner in the middle of winter so you can use your fireplace.
19. People with black cars or upholstery are assumed to be from out-of-town.
20. Hot air balloons can't go up because the air outside is hotter than the air inside.
21. You realize that Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.
22. The water from the cold water tap is the same temperature as the hot one.
23. It's noon in July, the kids are on summer vacation, and not one person is moving in the streets.
24. You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
25. You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Maintain - cut back perennials and shrubs when they've finished blooming to keep them tidy, prevent them from going to seed and encourage re-bloom. Perennials really benefit from an annual reshaping.
If petunias and other annuals have grown leggy and stopped blooming, shear them back and fertilize to encourage a flush of new flowers. I like to cut back small areas of the garden at a time rather than leaving large bald spots.
I always dreaded the *end of summer - gone to seed* look of my late July, early August garden. Now I have learned with routine trimming and dead heading the garden's life can be extended well into fall.
Water - This is still the most critical job of July. Deep water shrubs and trees by trickling a hose a foot or so from the base for several hours twice this month.
Keep containers well watered. By mid month, with temperatures reaching into triple digits, some of our containers can be on a twice a day watering schedule. It's possible to purchase a water meter to check the moisture levels, but I prefer the old fashioned *poke you finger in it* approach. If it's dry 1/2 inch or so under the surface, give it a drink. If it's moist, leave it until next time. Simple, inexpensive and foolproof.
Enjoy - Take a cool drink to your favorite corner of the garden, sit quietly for a bit and contemplate your extreme good fortune at having such a place to rest. I have a dear friend from Japan who constantly reminds me not everyone in the world is blessed with a garden.
Last but not least go play in the water. Run your sprinklers (if you have them) through a cycle. Check for broken or clogged heads, dry spots and puddles. This is a fun and easy way to make sure your sprinkler system is doing the job it was meant to do.
Put on a bathing suit and wash off all the plants you can reach with the hose (the kids love this project). It will remove dust and insects. Everything will look fresh and healthier and you'll cool yourself off in the process.

In August - continue the summer's simple pleasures

Maintain - Treat acid-loving plants with special care this month. Water deeply to leach out harmful salts that can accumulate because of rapid evaporation in the heat. Acid-loving plants are the first to show signs of distress, but eventually all plants may be affected. A mild fertilizer, rich in iron sulfate, aluminum sulfate or liquid lime sulfur will penetrate and correct alkalinity. I've found a couple of light applications are preferable to a single heavy dose.

Keep deadheading flowers, vegetables and herbs this month. Herbs trimmed back (by no more than a third) now will renew themselves vigorously as the weather cools. I have an ongoing battle with my basil, keeping the flowers cut back so it lasts a bit longer.

Lawn and ground-cover insects and diseases become more prevalent toward summer's end. Control them at first appearance. Crabgrass, aphids and ants! Oh my! Get rid of the ants and you may see fewer aphids, too. The ants carry aphids, scale insects and mealy-bugs and farm them out on your favorite plants in order to harvest the sticky sweet substance they produce. A bath with mild soapy water is the best way to clean away such pests, but if you don't discourage the ants they'll be right back.
Water - As in July the most important chore in the garden is watering. A thick application of mulch can reduce the frequency of watering appreciably and help to control weeds. Mulching is especially important with roses, camellias, azaleas and all plants for which a comparatively high humidity is desirable. Camellias and azaleas are very shallow rooted and can be permanently damaged by allowing the surface soil to dry out.
Enjoy - What more can I say... summer is a too-short dance... enjoy it while it lasts.

June - July & August