Filed under: Cactus, Flowers, Fruits, Natives, Perinnials, Succulents, Vegetables
The wonderful late rains really made the garden a different place this year, the blooms came earlier and more frequently on just about everything. We have only one Puya Raymondii this year and it just makes me so mad at the State Ag and whoever forced Eternal Hills to bulldoze
one of the most spectacular plant collections in North County in the name of returning the area to its native condition, I am sorry but I would much rather see 50 puyas in full bloom than rabbit ear cactus. I can take solace in the magnificent epiphyllum bloom this year, the rain and the conditions produced several plants with over 30 buds and they are breaking loose now.
This is a great time to plant your tomatoes, basil, green onions, summer lettuce; they have been doing really well in my garden this year. As usual I recommend Green Thumb in San Marcos for Heirloom tomatoes; they have a pretty good selection. I personally have never been to tomato mania at Quail gardens as I think they do it too early here to successfully plant, but I know they have good stuff. I am on my second round of tomatoes, having lucked out in my planting just before the last cold snap. I have my first set too!
The beets have been outstanding this year, a great crop to grow and put up. As most of my good friends know, I have had a very successful turnip crop too. It was a mistake planting, so of course they grew perfectly. They are wonderful young (like radishes) but kinda hard to give away as adults. Don’t shy away from summer lettuce; it can work, with the addition of some frames with 50% shade cloth and lots of water.
Once again this year I am letting sections of the lawn (so beautiful in the rainy months) go dry and spending my water on veggies.
Don’t forget to thin your stone fruits; peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots should all be picked down to a couple of fruits per spur to ensure the branches don’t break and the fruits are sizable
Get out there weed, thin, mulch (very important this time of year) and plant.
Once again into the breach and late again, as usual. We rely upon Charles Ledgerwood’s “Reliable Seeds 1994”, here we go:
Caps indicate best plantings for the month.
BEANS, BEETS, CARROTS, CANTALOUPE, CORN, CUCUMBERS, EGGPLANT, LIMAS, OKRA, parsley, PEPPERS, PUMKIN, RADISH, N.Z. SPINACH, SQUASH, SUNFLOWER, TOMATOES, JICAMA, WATERMELEON & SWIS CHARD.
For flowers, this is a big month:
Alyssum, Ageratum, Asters, Asparagus fern, Balsam, Baasil, Bells of Ireland, Candytuft, Carnation, Celosia, Centaurea, Cobaea, Convolvulus, Calliopsis, Cynoglosum, Cosmos, Dahlia, Daisies, Delphiniums, Dianthus, Didiscus, Dimorphotheca, Dusty Miller, Fountain Grass, Gazania, Gloriosa Daisy, Geranium, Gourds, Gypsophilia, Helichrysum, Impatiens, Ipomoea, Larkspur, Lavender, Marigold, Nasturtium, Passiflora, Phlox, Petunia, Platycondon, Portucula, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Salpaglossis, Scabiosa, Statica, Sweet Sultan, Tithonia, Thumbergia, Torenia, Sunflower and Zinnia.
Remember this list is from 1994, please check Sunset Western Gardens for more information on plant names and more importantly for drought tolerance.
Fire Mountain Garden Exchange 