By Carolyn Williams
Spring has come and gone, with hot summer days starting to ooze its way into our lives. This year my spring garden suffered from fungus (from those numerous cloudy/rainy days) and spider mites which followed right behind. I fought hard for tomatoes, with my largest Black Krim heirloom tomato found thrown aside with one bite missing. Darn pesky squirrels! The only positive thing I can say is that I have never grown such fabulous, huge basil plants. Yup, we’re eating basil on everything.
But while my garden slowly lapses into summer decline, my mind starts the ever evolving cycle of moving forward towards nature’s next season. Fall, my favorite season of the year and one that Central Texas totally embraces to the fullest, with vibrant colors ranging from reds, purples, blues, and mustard yellows. After a blistering hot summer who doesn’t welcome autumn’s cooler weather? The months of September through November provide us here in the Austin area with our most dependable season of the year.
So, if you want and enjoy a stunning fall garden, here is my advice.
In summer (late July through early August) trim back anything and everything that blooms in the fall. Mulch well and water when you can. Remember to water as deeply as possible to keep those roots alive. Our Texas summer’s brutal heat can pretty much bleach out the nutrients of your soil, so by adding a new layer of mulch, you are helping conserve moisture and adding needed nutrients. Adding mulch that slowly decomposes into your soil is a win-win for any garden bed.
Plants are trimmed back about one third this time of year, and this includes roses, sages, salvias, chrysanthemums, chile pequin, firebush, zinnias, copper canyon daisy, Mexican mint marigold, asters, petunias and skeletonleaf goldeneye. These are some of my fall plants that become leggy or top heavy and need to be revitalized for another growing season. Certainly many other plants can be added to this list.
NOT to be trimmed is American Beautyberry. This wonderful plant is a “must” in my garden as it starts its beautiful magenta-colored berries in August when everything else is blistering in the heat. American Beautyberry tells us “hang in….fall’s coming!” It’s like the herald trumpets before the horse race.
I do not need to tell anyone that this time of the year is our most brutal. Head outdoors early morning or late in the afternoon armed with hat, gloves, bug repellent, (I wear long sleeve thin shirts), cell phone and plenty of good cold water. Hydration is such a must for all of us!
Trim and mulch plants, hydrate and take a rest as needed, and then run back into that air-conditioned house.
–Next month part two of Getting Ready for a Glorious Fall Season!
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