Just One More Thing 

The flush of spring flowers is waning. The garden summer doldrum is a time of reflection on our time together. Over the past decades we dug, planted, then replanted again and again, weeded, pruned, and ached — all in the hopes of a greater garden. No matter the tenacity of our efforts, there was always “one more thing to do before taking off our boots.” 

Writing a gardening column — and several gardening sections — for this paper over more than a 20-year period has been time well spent. I’d try to provide common sense suggestions and planting ideas, with an injection of humor, and the boss would bring out the big clippers. Routinely, I’d be directed to go back and replant my column. I’ve enjoyed the back and forth, the thoughtful feedback, the flowering of friendship. 

A column, after all, is like a garden; it needs regular care and at least a season to grow roots. So, without further ado, here are a few more things to do.

Peonies: Clip dead peony flowers, don’t cut leaves.

Roses: Cut back all climbing roses after blooming. All roses should be pruned free of any dead, dying, and crossing branches. Remove dead flowers and stems back to an outfacing leaflet of 5. Clean beds of any rose debris.

Mulching: It keeps weeding to a minimum.

Lilacs: Remove all dead blooms — now!

Forsythia: They are active growers. Do not be shy, aggressively cut them back. Same for weigelia and privet.

Tools: Sharpen, oil, and tighten. Then clip boxwood, ilex, and spring-flowering shrubs. Ah, feel that upper body workout.

Tidying up: Use a rake, broom, and dustpan. No need for mechanical accoutrement. Not to mention that raking and sweeping are excellent upper-body workouts, while the repeated bending to tidy up does wonders for your mid-section. Goodbye gym.

Irises: Lift, divide, clip leaves in half, spread out, fertilize, and water.

Pansies: They’ve gone straggly, so cut them back and water freely.

Gardeners: Don’t attempt too much gardening on torrid days. Get the work over before 10 in the morning.

Hollyhocks: Those tall, flowering stalks clutching a house corner or garden gateway can take the most jaded person’s breath away. To ensure they thrive, remove any signs of rust-damaged leaves. Spray with natural Neem oil now, then repeat. Next year start spraying earlier.

Lawn: Set your mower blades higher to reduce stress on the grass.

Deadhead: The more you deadhead bedding and perennial plants, the more blooms they will produce.

Tomatoes: Pinch out the side shoots weekly. Cut off any leaves growing below the lowest ripening fruit trusses to improve air circulation and prevent disease. Catch runaway vines rework them within cages. Boost your tomato crop with diluted tomato fertilizer weekly. 

Put a stake in it: Stake and support flowers, vines, and plants that grow taller in July, so they do not fall or break. When staking plants, keep ties loose so the plants continue to grow freely.

Bulb catalogues: It is time to leaf through, tab, and order spring-flowering bulbs.

Water: Summer heat is upon us, stressing plants and making adequate water a priority. Water the soil base of plants, not the foliage. Make pools around individual plants so that the water is directed straight to the roots where it’s needed. Consider installing sprinkler systems or an automated drip irrigation system. Water potted plants daily.

Compost: Turn the pile often to keep it well-aerated.

Bird baths: Keep them filled in hot weather.

Weeding: A never-ending story. The first and last task of any good gardener. Weeds are easier to pull when soil is damp after a good rain. 

As Samuel Pepys ended his diary entries, “And so to bed.” It is a fitting close to a wonderful journey through the garden that Robin Jovanovich, editor par excellence, has allowed me to take you on. Rumor has it that the paper will live on under new ownership and I look forward to continuing down the garden path.