Q: Am I too late to plant vegetables and perennials in the garden? We had such a soggy spring that I’m behind the eight ball. —J. C. Easthampton
A: You absolutely can still plant vegetables and perennials, J.C. Think ahead to fall harvest and flowers. The key to planting as the weather gets increasing hot and dry is to water, water, water your plants well.
If you are looking for summer sun plants, consider bold colored perennials that will carry you into autumn such as golden Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida and other varieties), Sunflower (Helianthus), and brightly hued Coreopsis. C. ‘Red Elf’ is a lovely deep red and C. ‘Jethro Tull’ — for the rockers out there — is a fun fluted yellow variety. Zinnias and snapdragons also like the heat and make nice cut flowers for summery picnic and barbeque tables.
A marvelously pretty shade-friendly flower with exotic orchid-like blooms appearing in late summer or early fall is the Toad lily (Tricyrtis formosana and other Tricyrtis species). Perfect for a woodland setting.
Regarding vegetables, I am in a bit of the same boat as you, J.C. as I only just set out a few cherry tomatoes and herbs I hadn’t gotten around to putting in the soil. The trick with planting tomatoes later in the season is ensuring your chosen variety has enough time to ripen before cooler fall weather arrives. Some varieties take anywhere from 75-90 days to mature from seed. You will likely want to purchase plants already growing well.
Also keep in mind Late Blight, a disease which typically arrives later in the growing season and will do a nasty number on tomato leaves and fruit. If you are buying tomatoes now, consider Late Blight resistant varieties.
While early crops of other vegetables are done, there are still plenty you can plant now. One of these is bush beans. Most varieties have a harvest period of a few weeks at most, so planting now will give you beans in plenty of time to enjoy them. Plant them every 2 weeks through mid-summer for a continuous yield. You can also plant summer squash, carrots, and fall cabbage, among others.
Need a green that can take the heat? Try escarole or endive. They handle heat better than lettuce. Did you know – escarole and endive are annual chicories from the same plant species? The species name is Chicorium endivia. The only difference between them is their leaf shape. Endive’s leaves are deeply cut while escarole’s are broad. You may best know the very narrow-leaved, curled endive called “frisée” – French for “curled”.
You have lots of good options still available – keep on planting, J.C.! Thanks for asking a (local) Master Gardener.
Have a gardening dilemma? Please send questions, along with your name/initials and community, to the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association at AskAMasterGardener@wmmga.org. One question will be answered per week. wmmga.org