Late Summer Gardening Solutions

Over the years, I have been heartily complimented on my beautiful gardens.

The gardens included a rose garden with approximately 20 rose bushes in it, an iris garden which is breathtaking in the spring, various lovely perennials in the summer – too many to mention, an area full of holly bushes, specialty gardens with Korean spice trees, lilac trees, wisterias, smoke bushes, and of course my ever present bi-annuals complimented with numerous varieties of annuals situated throughout the property, in addition to many types of evergreen trees, evergreen bushes, pink chains, maples and oaks.

As well, I tend to purchase more than necessary, potted and hanging plants which look so wonderful when I buy them and add so much to the look of my property.

To the point, when it comes to late summer, many of our plants tend to look somewhat bedraggled. This is the time when I enjoy reviving them to their original beauty.

Every hanging plant needs to be trimmed and dead headed (removing all the remains of dead flowers and leaves). Using a fork, I poke it into the soil around the plants and twist gently, loosening the soil until it is nice and fluffy.

If the roots are coming up above the soil, I add a good quality potting soil – just enough to cover the roots (any more and you will suffocate the plant and tend to have the stems rot out when you water).

Then, I give each plant a good watering, allowing the water to soak in, but not so much as to have it running out the bottom.

Now is the time for you to apply a good flower fertilizer. Personally, I use Miracle Grow, but there are many other good products on the market.

From this point forward, I make a point of fertilizing at least once every 10 to 15 days and watering faithfully.

I submerge into the soil, copper pennies – 4 for each 10 inch pot – fewer for smaller pots and more for larger ones. The copper gives you larger and more vibrant blooms (don’t ask me why, but that’s what my mother did and it worked for her, as it does for me).

Even the most neglected plants respond favourably to this treatment.

If you are fertilizing petunias, be sure not to get the liquid fertilizer on the leaves or blooms as they will turn brown, but it is okay to put it directly on to the soil and they certainly benefit from this treat.

I make sure to fertilize all of my plants, including flowers, bushes and trees. I use a special fertilizer which is readily available and marked “vine fertilizer”, for my clematis, wisteria, honeysuckle, trumpet vines, etc.

A remarkable change and improvement is noticeable very quickly and you will be able to enjoy a well groomed garden and your potted plants to the fullest.

I hope you have enjoyed this Gardening post and come back to see me tomorrow, perhaps I will be in my garden.

Ingrid

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