Coreopsis “Zagreb” is a cheery perennial that blooms throughout the summer.  Here with tangy “Fire” Profusion Zinnia and a bit of Angelonia.  Pale colors can wash out in the late summer light. For that reason, aside from white which always pops (especially at night) we prefer to use bolder colors in our borders.

Annuals come into their own, especially when provided with fertilizer through the season.  They can smother the most insistent weed.  Above, Angelonia in two colors, “Punch” Vinca, Salvia “Victoria Blue” and Coleus.  None of these varieties require deadheading beyond a rare snip.

Salvia “Mystic Spires” (this relatively recent introduction deserves to be more available), Melampodium, Magenta Sunpatiens, Dreamland mixed Zinnias, a lime Echinacea, “Fire” Profusion Zinnias, Rudbeckia “Indian Summer”.  There are a host of incredibly showy Salvias more widely grown in recent years. Beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies due to vivid colors and tubular flowers, they come into their own in late summer and fall.  We were awed that the Salvia “Mystic Spires” we planted in 2013 bloomed through the first few fairly hard frosts that did in everything else.

A perky lime-colored Echinacea (Coneflower).  Wish I’d kept the tag for identification!  Stems are short and sturdy.  The Sunpatiens in the background  have become a staple for us in both sun and part shade.  Here, Magenta.  We love the Bright Orange, Dark Rose, White and Hot Coral varieties as well.

Eye-popping Hardy Hibiscus.

Angelonia, Magenta Sunpatiens, Rudbeckia Indian Summer, Salvia “Mystic Spires”, Phlox “David”, “Fire” Profusion Zinnia.  Unlike the commonly planted Rudbeckia “Goldsturm”, which sports golden flowers that can be coarse in a field of pinks and blues, “Indian Summer” blooms are overblown and a bright, sunny yellow – a hue that plays more effectively with most other colors in the garden.

So find a comfy chaise, put your feet up and enjoy the show.  You’ve earned it.

“More than anything, I must have flowers, always, always.”   Claude Monet

Summer was cruel to our well-intended lawns. Even with regular and responsible irrigation, the combination of record-breaking heat and few real rains wreaked havoc and provided weeds and critters with optimal conditions. So…now’s the time to regain our emerald glory before the temps drop.

To begin…mow the lawn, short (1 to 1.5 inches). This will make the tasks to follow easier and more successful.

De-thatch. Take a hard rake to the lawn, remove the build-up of thatch, exposing soil between areas of healthy lawn. You might as well remove large weed colonies as you see them and rake those areas, too.

De-bump. While you’re de-thatching, check for bumps, depressions, unevenness in the soil and correct with good topsoil. if those imperfections reside underneath good sod, lift it and correct, then reposition the sod.

Test. Now is a very good time to check your soil’s ph which will likely be low if you haven’t checked it in a while. We live in an area of primarily acidic soil which is why we can grow so many wonderful broad-leafed evergreens. But that condition is not optimal for grass. Take a soil sample, in baggie, to your local garden center for a quickph test and adjust as recommended with a simple application of lime (too much can be too much, so make sure to adjust according to their recommendation based on the test result). You can use a spreader but do not mix the lime with fertilizer in the spreader! Water well after it’s applied. it’s unlikely that a soil test will indicate a too-high ph reading. If so, your garden center will recommend asulphur product (be careful not to use too much…you might burn the turf) to lower the ph.

De-weed. Walk the lawn and stop to remove, by root, the weeds. On our properties, we remove large areas of weeds and apply sod. On smaller areas we seed. This is the ultimate organic weed removal!

Compost. On all cleared areas, apply a layer of mushroom compost or composted leaves that you might have stored on your property. Rake into the existing soil, smooth (mix well…you may want to apply a mix of topsoil and compost). Not only will the compost fertilize the lawn but it will help to break down clay and add beneficial microbes to the soil structure which will digest grass clippings, dead roots, other green waste over time

Aerate. Every few years, consider renting a core aeration machine or hire a service. Or strap on a pair of aeration sandals and get some exercise. Aeration allows roots to penetrate deeper, and fertilizer/compost and moisture to work further into the soil. The effect for just the first few days is like having a team of dogs doing their business everywhere.

Seed. Use a premium mix for shade and sun, available from a number of seed companies…choose a mix that is not too heavy on perennial rye. Primex carries some top quality seeds. Apply according to directions. Be sure you’ve loosened and composted your soil first, and added lime if needed.

We apply seed first to those areas we’ve prepared, and then to the rest of the lawn right over the existing turf. A walking seed spreader is the easiest way to apply the seed, but be sure you’ve gotten enough of it to the spots in need.

Water!!!!! And a few more exclamation points as well. Immediately after applying the seed, soak the areas well. Twice a day thereafter, a light watering so that the seeds don’t move into clumps. Morning and late afternoon, unless of course it’s raining. If the soil dries out, the seeds won’t germinate or will die once they have. When the new grass is at least 2 inches tall, resume your normal watering schedule and mow with a sharp blade at any time thereafter

Fertilize. Create a schedule for regular ongoing fertilization of your lawn. A number of excellent organic products are available.

Many folks remark that a lawn is impractical and unnecessary. Though it’s true, a lawn also provides cool green on a hot summer’s day. A soft carpet for walking barefoot. And it affords a house and property the look of being well-loved and cared for. Enjoy yours!

And please fill out the contact form if you can use our help.

Prepping the Garden for the Winter Season

• If you happen to have a mulching leaf vacuum and you have oak trees…be sure to use that wonderful stuff as mulch for your Rhododendrons, Azaleas, blue Hydrangeas and other acid-loving plants. There’s nothing better! Even if you don’t have one of those machines (they ARE noisy and gas-guzzling), your oak leaves, whole, will provide a nourishing mulch and break down faster than other leaves do. Virginia Umberger, who taught me everything about the significance of each individual plant, would keep a ready supply of oak leaves through all four seasons to use as mulch. She is in her late nineties and still carrying water from her rain barrel to the sun garden across the street.

• My mom, who taught me everything about the universe of fine gardening from the start, and who still tends to her beautiful gardens with an eye to the immaculate, doesn’t have oak leaves on her property. She knows the value of pine needles which are in ample supply, and uses them to advantage in her Rhododendron and Hydrangea beds. I must post some photos of her gardens.

• Cut back to an inch above ground all of your perennial plants. if you’re enjoying the seedheads or post-frost foliage then by all means don’t cut back!

• This is an optimal time to divide, transplant perennials if they’ve outgrown their spots.

• Bring Hydrangea heads into the house…just place into containers (leaves removed) for all-winter enjoyment.

• No pruning of Roses, Butterfly Bushes, Caryopteris til early spring! If in doubt about anything, don’t prune. Doing so now encourages new growth which will be vulnerable to the cold, and may well kill the plant.

• When there’s time, I like to edge all beds for a neat appearance through winter.
  Containers….remove plants, soil, and turn upside-down. Concrete containers will be ok with soil. A planter you really care about that may be too heavy to store or turn over can be safe-guarded by covering the opening with a piece of plywood, then wrapping the entirety with bubble wrap (you may want to then cover with burlap and raffia which looks a whole lot nicer).

• We plant bulbs through mid-January. Don’t stress if you haven’t the time right now. A word of caution…bulbs can easily become moldy and useless…so be sure yours are stored where there is good air circulation and little moisture if you’re not going to be planting for a while.

• Dahlias…if you have a dry spot indoors for storing them, lift from the ground with an inch or two of the stalk remaining, and wash the dirt off. Check every so often during the next few months, with a water sprtizer in hand, if they are too dry. They can be divided now (check for new growth nodules to determine which will be viable next year) w/ a sharp knife or in early spring.
• You’ll be replanting them in April. Or…if the following months are not terribly wet, your tubers will be safe in the ground with a 12 inch layer of leaves and landscape cloth, attached to the ground with sod staples (available at most garden centers) to cover.

• Cannas are somewhat more forgiving than Dahlias of how they’re stored. Wash them and place them in your garage or basement, plant in late April/early May.
  It’s not too late to repair your lawn with sod…in fact, it’s the easiest time of year for establishing. Call or email if you want a top-quality resource.
• The winter garden has its own charms. Be thoughtful of that as you prepare.

from the archives: galkaoutdoor.blogspot.com

Summer flew by in record time. Yesterday we were planning and prepping our beds for summer gardening. Today we’re bemoaning the very first frost-blackened tips and thinking…ok, time to put energy to clean-up!

from the archives: galkaoutdoor.blogspot.com

It’s time to prune your roses! The following is by no means an exhaustive how-to. But ample for ensuring a healthy start to the rose season. Refer to this article throughout the summer when maintenance pruning will encourage new growth and bloom, remove dead wood, improve air circulation and provide a pleasing plant shape. Maintenance pruning should not be tackled past August.

from the archives: galkaoutdoor.blogspot.com

February in Philadelphia:

We’re going to have temps in the high 50’s, maybe 60’s this weekend! And sunny skies. How I miss Chicago, but the February thaw, which has been for my 13 years in Philly a rite of passage, is one heck of a consolation prize. (Of course, there are so many aspects of Philly living that commend it, not the least it’s brilliant growing opportunities…almost everything thrives here!…and its proud tradition of horticultural excellence.)

But I digress. Purpose here is to offer some February “to do’s” for those of us itching to get in the dirt.

Fertilize acid-loving evergreens with Hollytone. Fertilize other trees and shrubs with compost (if you have your own, it’s time to turn it). This is also a good time to provide a cover of compost to gardens. DO NOT apply compost to acid-loving plants…it neutralizes the soil!!! We’re big on compost, and often use mushroom compost as a mulch…it stays dark, looks beautiful, has initial smell less offensive than Right Dress. Plants literally burst forth. Longterm benefits to soil are substantial. Drawbacks…weeds love it, too but they are easily removed in such loose medium; application in warm weather can burn young plants.

Buy seeds. You can use those left from last year, if they’ve been stored cool and dry, but don’t count on them. Build systems to start them indoors.

Pre-order heritage or other hard-to-find vegetable, fruit plants. The offerings are fascinating. Last year I was loving richly flavored Black from Tula, tangy and prolific Green Zebra and so sweet Sungold tomatoes. One of our clients described her miniature globe eggplants (I’ll get the name of the variety) that she just popped onto the grill…a delicious, buttery consistency to the filling. Another grew red corn, with red tassles…wish I’d captured on the camera. If you send here your favorites, I’ll post them! Cross Country Nursery is fairly local if you wish to pick up but she also ships…this grower has everything and then some in the way of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers…all organically grown.

Ask us for herbs…we have the best resource for just about everything you can imagine, and more that you can’t.

When snow melts and you can see the soil, check your perennials..stomp back into the ground any that may have heaved.

Clean and sharpen tools, machinery. Organize your shed or garage so that when the first day hits, you’ll be a happy, organized camper. Make lists of what tools, provisions, you’ll need.

Fix fencing, garden and raised bed structures. We’ll have the soft ground for it…purchase the materials now.

Prune Viburnum, azalea, rhodos…you’ll lose bloom, but this is a good time to identify the branching, determine what needs to go. Also, fruiting trees may be pruned now, before they set buds. Prune grapes.Raspberries and other caning fruit plants.

Check the tender summer-blooming bulbs and tubers you may have stored in your basement or garage….Make sure they are neither too moist nor too dry and provide what they may need. I’ll be sharing what we’ve learned about storage vs leaving in the ground next fall.

Tear pages from your garden magazines, bookmark web pages and books to better communicate to us what you’d like to see in your landscapes this year.

End of the month…if weather allows, it’s not too early to prune roses. Be brutal! I’ll share more on the subject.

We are available and happy to help you with any of the above tasks, or just to talk…give a buzz or send an email or leave a note in the comment box below, and we’ll respond.