One Small Step

This afternoon the temperatures dropped enough for work outside to become “feasible.” Not ideal in any sense of the word simply feasible. Add to that this cough, sinus drainage, and a mild case of pink eye and you would think I would just stay indoors and rest. Not so for this dedicated (or dumb) gardener!

My oldest daughter accompanied me outside this afternoon to plant a few plants that I haven’t had the time to add to the garden until now. Yes this is another instance of the dedicated (or dumb) gardener planting plants in almost 90 degree heat but it had to be done eventually. It’s one small step to reclaiming the garden from the June heatwave and the episodes of ailments that have been floating around our house.  The good thing about each of these three plantings is that their locations are all somewhat to completely protected.

The first to go in the ground was my variegated lacecap hydrangea (‘Mariesii Variegata’). It’s now in the garden next to the arbor. It’s fairly protected which should suite it fine since on one side is our front porch and the other a young Japanese maple.

The next plant was an Alabama Sunset Coleus that I found for $0.50 last week. It’s near the arbor too. When this growing season comes to a close I’ll propagate a few and try to overwinter them in the garden shed.

‘Sum and Substance’ Hosta was the third plant I added to the garden today. I brought it home from the hosta garden tour a couple weeks ago. I’m playing with fire here since I have deer and hostas are on their favorites list but I had to add this large leaved beauty. It’s foliage is a chartreuse green that should look very nice underneath the ‘Forest Pansy’ Redbud.

Adding plants in the summertime isn’t always the best idea but it can be done as long as the plants are watered frequently. I definitely wouldn’t advise transplanting plants during the summer since that is best left for fall when the temperatures are much more forgiving. I have a hole slew of plants that need moved but now is the time for list making and definitely not the time for transplanting.

A Note from Dave: Posting and commenting will most likely be more irregular than usual over the next several days. Our new addition will be here any time…!

10 thoughts on “One Small Step”

  1. Dave, I hope you take care of yourself and will feel better. There is no worse time to be sick than in the summer. I once planted a whole border garden in July's high heat. I was dripping the whole time, but I survived and so did the garden. It just takes lots of water.

    Eileen

  2. Dave, I hope you get to feeling much better & the family. With that new addition one doesn't need to feel bad. Your garden will wait.
    Did you say it was a "boy"?

  3. I hope you and the family get better soon. It is tough to plant now. I have two lavenders waiting and I've got to go for it tomorrow.

    At least the heat wave broke and we got enough rain to save the garden for now. The next seven days — not a drop of rain in the forecast and we'll climb from the "cool" mid-80s back up to 98 here in the next 7 days. Not good.

    take care.

  4. Yeah Dave, like you I plunk things randomly in the ground even in July and August…fully knowing better but feeling an urgency to get it all done. Like you said…regular watering makes a ton of difference. Plan to enjoy the break in the 'wave tomorrow!

  5. Eileen,

    I hope things don't come to that! I know I'll have more planting and weeding in July though – it's inevitable!

    Lola,

    Yep, it's a boy! We're almost better, I'm the worst off now with this sinus thing for the last week.

    Cameron,

    It's this lack of rain more than anything that is killing the garden. Other areas in our state have gotten rain, some even nearby. But we've only received .1 inches of rain in the last two weeks. The crazy thing is watching weather maps with clouds parting right before our area then reconnecting once they are past!

    Jennifer,

    That break is very welcome! I hope they are wrong about the weather being even hotter in July and August…

    Meemsnyc,

    Bargain annuals are a cool find this time of year!

  6. do feel better soon….peel a potato, wrap the skin in a threadbare cloth, place on you eye, it will pull the pink eye out..

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