Keep your garden colorful in May, June
Take advantage of spring weather to continue your gardening work in earnest now, because soon summer’s heat will be upon us. If you wish to add plantings to your landscape and garden, it’s best to do most of it soon, before summer’s extreme heat arrives. That doesn’t mean you can’t still plant in summer, but it’s much more pleasant to work outdoors now, and it’s less stressful to start new plants while temperatures aren’t as high.
Watering and irrigation
If you add new plantings, make sure you have a system in place to water them until they become well established. One of the most common causes of failure of new plantings is under- or overwatering. I’m a big fan of micro-irrigation, a low-pressure, lowflow-rate type of irrigation that efficiently delivers water directly to where it is needed most, the root zone of plants.
You can find much information on the internet about micro-irrigation for home gardeners. You can find the parts needed through local garden centers or the internet.
A simple system can consist of a supply hose that attaches directly to a water spigot. To that supply hose you will connect smaller distribution tubes and/or emitters to distribute the water exactly where you will need it. It’s really not that complicated or expensive, and it can be well worth the small investment to make sure the money you invest in new plants isn’t wasted.
Even if you already have a complete underground irrigation system to water your landscape, you may still find that a simple micro-irrigation system is worthwhile for a new planting. It will ensure that the new plants’ roots receive adequate water as often as needed without you having to run the entire underground system so often and overwatering established plantings.
What to plant for color
So what are some of the plants you may wish to be planting now? Color in the garden is a priority for many of us and nurseries are now loaded with many options. Make sure you visit a nursery that has informative plant signs that give you details to help you make the best selections. I often hear people say that they want all perennials, so that they don’t have to buy and replant each year.
While using perennials has its value, using a combination of both annuals and perennials will give you more continual color. After hard winters such as this past one, some perennials return slowly in the spring, or they may not return at all, or they may only bloom briefly. Annuals can give you color during such down times with perennials.
Firebush (Hamelia patens), Turks cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii), cigar flower (Cuphea micropetala), Plumbago, and Thryallis are among large shrubby flowering perennials that I enjoy. Agapanthus, Rudbeckia “Goldsturm.” purple coneflower, Pentas, and California bush daisy are among reliable smaller perennials. All of these need a lot of sun to flower well. If you need one for an extremely hot, dry location, try African bulbine. Explore various perennial types of Salvia too, because like the already mentioned Turks cap, cigar flower, and Pentas, most types of Salvia attract hummingbirds.
Annuals that will flower for a long time in sunny locations during the summer include Sunpatiens, vinca (Madagascar periwinkle), Melampodium, and various types of Zinnia. Marigolds can give a great show of color, too, though they may not hold out quite as long. Given adequate watering, Sunpatiens, appropriately named, will tolerate the full sun, though they can be used in shaded areas too.
Your easiest options for color in shaded areas are red shrimp plant (perennial) and plants with colorful foliage such as coleus, crotons, and variegated shell ginger (perennial).
Replace overgrown shrubs
You may be replacing overgrown shrubs close to your house with more appropriately sized plants this spring. Some interesting ones I’ve seen in the nursery that may grow no taller than 3 to 4 feet are “Touch of Gold” holly, Loropetalum “Cerise Charm,” “Florida Sunshine” Ocala anise, and two cultivars of Distylium – “Cinnamon Girl” and “Swing Low.” Spreading or prostrate Japanese plum yew, Cephalotaxus harringtonia “Prostrata,” is another commonly used shrub that is easily maintained at a low height.
And, remember, all your foundation plants don’t have to be woody shrubs. Plants such as Lomandra, Dianella (flax lily), Crinum, and Agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) can be good foundation plants too. If you’re having a difficult time figuring out how to redesign your overgrown landscape on your own, consider contacting a nursery for landscape design help soon, as schedules tend to get booked out well in advance this time of year.
Lawns and more
If you do have problem areas in the lawn, this is an excellent time to buy grass plugs or pieces of sod to fill in areas of the lawn. If it’s an area that you continually replant, be realistic about whether there’s really enough sunlight for grass to grow well there.
Crape myrtle flowering season is just around the corner. When selecting crape myrtle cultivars, consider the mature height and spread of the plant and make sure you select a cultivar that won’t outgrow the site. You shouldn’t have to prune a crape myrtle to keep it at the desired height. There are shrubsized and patio-sized crape myrtles if that’s what you need. The garden center personnel should be able to help you find the appropriate variety if you tell them your needs.
Fertilize vegetable plants that you planted in March or April. You can also still plant heat-tolerant vegetables such as okra, eggplant, peppers, Lima beans, southern peas, and sweet potatoes, as well as herbs such as basil, fennel, and rosemary.