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Plants are proliferating in the garden, and chores are piling up. Date published: 5/29/2004
JULY AND AUGUST weather are already with us, and neither this gardener nor his garden knows quite what to make of that. The weather is such that early morning is the only comfortable time to work outside, though late afternoons, especially if one can find space out of the sun to work in, is also endurable. Late afternoon is likely to be muggy and uncomfortably damp, so I limit work outside then to watering plants in containers, deadheading and other tasks that require minimal energy. I know that those younger than me, which includes much of the population, may not share my aversion to perspiration, or to the sun, but I have enough skin cancers already, and can get quite enough exercise without dripping water all over. I shudder to think of what summer, still almost a month away, will actually be like, but if it takes its cue from spring, it will be a Lulu. Meanwhile, in spite of all my efforts, the garden is a jungle. Everything is early, and nothing seems to want to go away. I am finally pulling daffodils and other bulb foliage, but find that some of it is not yet ready, and a tug dislodges bulbs along with foliage. Since I don't need replanting chores just now, I give a careful test before I yank, and unless the foliage separates easily, leave it in place. About the only plus I can see to the abundance of foliage this spring is that weeds are not as obvious as they would otherwise be. This is no real blessing, though, for many are so well hidden that they will reach seeding size before I find and pull them, which will only cause more weeding problems later. One reason one clears bulb foliage and foliage of plants that have already gone through their first blush--other than just the fact that neatness counts--is to see what is yet to come. Once I can see it, I can decide how to handle it. At some places, this means not only removing dead or dying foliage, but removing plants that have not yet reached blossoming stage, to give more desirable plants a chance.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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