Not many experienced gardeners will dispute the statement that July and August are not the best times to plant our plants in the garden. It’s too hot and dry so plants transplanted in these months generally don’t do well.
I say “generally” because of course there are exceptions to this rule. In fact, I have broken this rule many times when I find a plant that I “have to have” in a nursery or at a farmers’ market. But in that case, as often as not, I will leave it in the pot in a place where I remember to water it at least once a day. If I do put in directly into the ground (and plants that are root bound in their pots will thank you for this), I am diligent about watering before it looks to be stressed and not wait until its wilting.
Moving plants in the garden in this season is also a decidedly bad idea, and for the same reasons. The exception I have to this is when a plant is failing dramatically and I have good cause to believe moving to a different location will help it. But here again, watering is crucial, and I may need to do so twice a day if there is no rain and if it is hot or windy. Wind will dry out a plant every bit as quickly as hot sun.
But just because we can’t move plants doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be in the garden. There is still a lot to be done. Weeding is the first chore that comes to mind and it is best to stay ahead of the weeds even if you have to work in the early mornings or evenings to avoid the heat of the day. My particular nemesis is morning glory (aka bindweed) and by July, if left to its own devices, it will be strangling all the perennials in its effort to take over the garden. Luckily it is easy to find once it starts to bloom as the white flowers act as a beacon. I can pull it by the stem to get it out of the plants, but it is best to follow that stem back to the roots and dug it out. A real chore!
I recently took a morning to clean out my tool bucket and I must say that was time well spent. I found all sorts of plant labels that belonged in my garden journal, as well as a brand-new pair of gardening gloves I forgot I had. I also got out the sandpaper and sharpened my digging tools as well as my loppers and pruners. I am pretty good about doing this at the beginning of the season, but after some hard use in the spring, those tools can use a little TLC. After sharpening, I clean them and rub a little vegetable oil on the blades – and in the case of the pruners, at the joints - to keep them from getting rusty.
I have a couple of unusual tools in my bucket that can’t really be considered to be “gardening tools.” The first one is an old dust pan. I find this to be really helpful when I am scooping up bird seed hulls from around the feeder. It also is great for moving small amounts of soil from place to place. And when I am sweeping the sidewalks, a dust pan makes it easier to move the debris away from the paths. I used to sweep leaves and such back into the flower beds, but that gets to be unsightly when you have a pile of leaves and dirt sitting on the hosta or heuchera leaves.
Another tool that came from the inside of the house is an old steak knife. I find the serrated edge makes it easier to cut through root balls when I am dividing day lilies or hosta in the spring. It can be handy for weeding the cracks between the paving blocks. I also have a larger chopping knife that I use for bigger jobs.
My third unusual tool is a pair of scissors. These weren’t old; I bought them expressly for the garden and paid a little more for a pair that doesn’t dull easily. These I use for deadheading some of the perennials, but mostly they help when I need to cut open a bag of mulch, bird seed or fertilizer.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get helpful tools for the garden. Flea markets, thrift shops, or garage sales are good sources for old knives or dust pans. And who knows what other treasures you may find a second, outdoor use for?
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