Let’s Get Gardening!
Every time I think I have seen it all with regard to Michigan weather, I am proven wrong. We all know that the weather in Michigan can be… choose your adjective – changeable? unpredictable? frustrating? interesting? challenging? – whatever word you use to describe it under normal circumstances, I have to say that last month pretty much took the cake! It was 80 degrees on May 2nd. We had freeze warnings mid-month. It got to almost 90 last Tuesday. And just because it could, we had overnight lows around 40 for the last two nights. Oh yeah – and it snowed somewhere in there, too!
Fortunately, I haven’t had the time to plant my basil yet, so I didn’t have to worry about it getting hit by the low temperatures the last couple of nights – basil doesn’t like it below 50 degrees, and the last two nights would have seriously challenged the basil, had I managed to plant it already. I guess being too busy sometimes has its benefits.
Jennifer
In this month’s issue of Let’s Get Gardening
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for seasonal gardening advice and recommendations for your garden, yard, and bird feeding.
In this month’s issue:
Along with getting basil planted, there are lots of things to do this month!
In the veggie garden:
- Finish up planting all of your summer veggies as soon as possible. This includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant,
squash, cucumbers, and herbs. Waiting much longer will mean fighting mother nature at the end of the season to end up with a good harvest for all your hard work. - For anything that needs support, be sure to get stakes or cages in at the time you plant so that you don’t damage roots later. Be sure to mulch them at the time of planting, too.
- Make a plan to spray tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash with an organic fungicide regularly, throughout the season. Begin as soon as you get the plants in the ground, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for frequency (usually weekly).
- Weeding is an important part of keeping your plants healthy and producing, even if it’s not everyone’s favorite chore. Weeds compete for water and nutrients, and they can also be disease carriers.
- Be sure to immediately and thoroughly water anything you plant, and make sure the soil is kept moist where you sow seeds.
- Cabbage and broccoli can be started at the end of the month for fall harvest. Plant seeds directly into the garden, or start them indoors and transplant the seedlings into your garden by late August.
In the flower garden:
- Plant summer-blooming bulbs if you haven’t already. This includes dahlias, gladiolus, lilies, begonias and canna lilies.
- Wait to trim back the foliage of your spring blooming bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips and alliums, until the foliage has died completely.
- June is prime planting time for perennials and annuals, but be sure to water them in well when you plant them, and keep them well-watered throughout the season.
- Perennials will be spending the summer putting out lots of roots so that they can be well-established when winter hits.
- The secret to keeping your container plantings blooming all summer long is to keep them fed and watered. As container
planters fill up with roots, they don’t hold water very well, so you need to be sure to keep them watered. - Keep an eye out for pests in your garden, and get them before there are so many that they overwhelm your plants.
Trees and shrubs:
- Prune back early-blooming shrubs such as forsythia and quince after they have finished blooming. This will encourage new growth and more flowers next spring.
- You can pinch back evergreens once they have put out new growth. Pinching the new “candles” back by half will encourage them to bush out.
Be sure your trees and shrubs have a good layer of mulch over their roots to keep them evenly moist, and to prevent weeds.
For the Birds:
- When you are out in your yard, keep an eye out for things like killdeer nests (they build their nests on the ground), and be careful to keep activity away from them as much as possible. Also watch out for baby birds that have left the nest but not yet mastered flight.
- This has been a really great season for Baltimore Orioles and hummingbirds! If you don’t have feeders for them, you really should – they are so entertaining, and they’ll stick around longer if you give them something to eat.
- Remember to clean out and fill your bird baths regularly, too.
- If you don’t already have one, consider adding a water mover to your bird bath. This can be take a number of different forms – drippers, misters, and wigglers are all good options.
Happy Gardening!
Dad probably doesn’t need another tie.
We’ve got great Father’s Day gifts Dad
will really enjoy, including garden tools, bird houses,
bird feeders, weather vanes, fire pits, and more!
We are open for appointments Tuesday through Saturday.
Come in to find just the right thing for your Dad.
If you haven’t discovered the shopping page of our website yet, you can find it here.
We have a number of our products available for purchase there, and are adding more every day. If you don’t see something you are looking for there, give us a call, or make an appointment to come in and shop.
We’re here to help you find just what you’re looking for in whatever way works best for you, including offering curbside pickup.
