- Author: Mari Moore
We did it! We finally got through the deadheading and the pruning of all the gardens that that applies to. I have to tell you that this is a very hard time for a garden and its admirers. Spring comes in with a blast of blossoms in what seems like a blink. Then a month later, we're talking about deadheading and pruning plants that have spread and / or flopped. It seems like we hardly get to enjoy them. The upside of this situation is that by removing the old blooms, you make room for a fresh, new garden that will pop up in a few months. You will notice that there isn't any pictures this time. That's because the garden has been trimmed to the ground. This heat is very hard on the plants as well as us even though the plants are drought tolerant. We have also been experimenting with the irrigation system. To let you know, we water the All Star Garden one time a week for about 30 minutes. However, the heat has changed the dynamics so we're watering at least 50 minutes a week to be evaluated at the the end of the week. The key is to watch the plants for wilting, drying and general flopping. An example would be the Yarrow. The stems grow very tall with beautiful clusters of white or yellow flowers. The next time you see them, it looks like someone sat in the middle of the plant. We've tried blaming it on raccoons and little kids but the fact is, the plant just flops. Our consultant, Dave W. who is a Master Gardener and owns Spring Fever Nursery, says it may be from too much water in the form of rain this year. I have not found a good resource regarding this problem. If anyone has seen a good article on this problem, let me know. This winter we will be evaluating what can be done to reduce this general floppiness by using some sort of frame that's designed for just this sort of thing. We've also lost several plants to the heat. We'll be replacing them as the temperature cools down. So if you come out to the gardens, just know that this is seasonal and we're on it. I had lots of help on Friday from three new MGs and 3 MGs who are staunch supporters of the garden. Thanks a ton to everyone.