Once upon a time, there was a girl shorter than a hydrangea bush who asked her uncle how he turned the pink flowers blue. He told her he uses blue spray paint. Thirty-plus years later, she writes gardening guides. Thankfully, hydrangeas are a little less mysterious to me these days, and by the time you’ve…
In the pre-internet era, Victorians sometimes used flowers to send messages they didn’t want to put into words. According to some Victorian flower dictionaries, handing someone an azalea meant “Take care of yourself for me.” Turns out, old-timey suitors had the right idea. Azaleas demand that exact same protective energy right now. And in August, a…
Roses are like cats: designed to draw you in, backed up by razor-sharp physical consequences if you handle them carelessly. And neither does well staying soggy, August or not. I’ve got both, very much alive and thriving, which makes me somewhat of an expurrrt on the topic. By August, roses are usually showing you exactly…
It was a relief to discover that peonies are tough, and leaving them alone is 80 percent of the August battle. The remaining 20 percent breaks down a handful of small jobs worth doing now, along with two mistakes I make sure to avoid if I want plenty of blooms next spring. 1. Leaf Them…
August isn’t for forcing buds. It’s the high-stakes maintenance window to keep the plant healthy and let its summer growth mature before fall bud-setting begins. If you’re staring at a pot of limp green stems wondering, “What the cactus am I doing wrong?” take a breath. Here are the seven August tasks I focus on before the fall…
I don’t think anybody can truly prepare for August heat, but your dahlias deserve that you at least try. Staying ahead of top-heavy stalks, dry soil, and relentless pests right now can decide whether the garden stays red-hot until frost or turns into a David Lynch landscape before Labor Day. If yours are barely flowering…