Mid July Slowdown

This is the time of year for garden shows and garden walks. And it is also, in my yard, a time when things seem to slow down a little. And also, the insect damage is becoming clear. In order to have my yard ready for any such show in the future, I will need to pay more attention to gardening in June - fertilizer, water, insect control of some sort, etc. Don't want to get too involved in chemicals, but just more vigilant in detecting early damage and nutrient needs and dealing with them appropriately.

For example: the impatiens on the front porch are not blooming as well as they were earlier. The alyssum in several places isn't really filling out, likely due to some sort of insect. Several things throughout the yard, daisies, some conflowers and some others have round dead tissue dots on the top leaves and flower buds. I'll have to inspect them closer to be sure what the problem is, but it is almost certainly insects of some sort.

Both of the hibiscus plants on the deck are getting the yellow lower leaves that have plagued my hibiscus always. I don't know what the problem is. Other deck planters are doing well. I'm always amazed how the big planter does. When I plant it and show it to Bill, his reaction is usually something on the order of "huh?" It just doesn't look like much. But the plants I use are the ones that love the hot, dry days of late June and by July they are beginning to fill the entire planter, and by August they will be dramatic for sure. The elephant ears are amazing.

The tamarisk is coming into it's most beautiful time. If you keep it in check it rewards with a graceful airy presence. Just try not to think about what it is doing to the Grand Canyon and other areas of the Southwest where it is a terrible invasive and unwelcome newcomer. Their version or our Buckthorn.