The dog days of late summer are upon us. Depending on the weather, I see-saw back and forth between wanting to throw in the towel and vowing to persevere and conquer. Now is not the best time to get out there and start digging. The ground is too hard and the flies and mosquitoes too fierce for that, at least where I live. But it’s not a bad time to walk around and assess what’s going well and think about possible solutions to things going not so well.
On the positive side, I am amazed by the continuing vitality of the two big pots I planted on the patio. I try to mix it up a bit differently every spring, but I find myself going back to some of my old favorites: luscious blue lobelia, calibrachoa, something variegated and trailing, a bit of silver or burgundy. A couple of unusual coleus—neon “lime time” or feathery and delicate “under the sea bonefish”—for the shadier pot. By this time, some of my early June plantings are leggy and bloomless, begging for a severe haircut I’ve put off far too long.
I have no idea what I did differently this year. My lobelia are still blooming robustly with not a snip. Spires of white Angelonia rise above a mound of bubblegum pink calibrachoa and something weird called “curry plant,” a spiky silvery thing that actually smells like curry powder. A variegated Plectranthus coleoides ‘white surf’ has deployed its flowing, fragrant branches artfully throughout the pot and down the sides. The only plant I’ve deadheaded is a pink and white verbena, and that keeps coming back with cheerful new bursts of blossoms.
Okay. Here’s the only thing I can think of that’s different this year. In the past, I have often mixed a bit of the old potting soil with the new. This year, I started out with entirely new potting soil. Perhaps that’s the magic trick: spring for the extra bag or two of high-quality potting soil.
On another subject, I have written occasionally in the past about the mysteries of the amaryllis. Some of my gardening friends haven’t bought new amaryllis bulbs for years. They just tend the old ones through the spring, stick them outside in the summer, and bring them back into a cool dark place in the fall for a couple of months of hibernation. I’ve had mixed success with this technique and various modifications.
Last year, I had only one amaryllis because I gave the others away as holiday gifts to people on my list who are otherwise impossible to shop for. The one I kept was a doozy: double red with white streaks like a Fourth of July firework. I kept it fed and watered through the spring, put it out on the patio in its pot in June, and watered it—not all that regularly. Last week I noticed that it had fat buds on very short stems 4 inches or so from the base. Yesterday, an enormous red and white flower unfurled its spectacular striped petals. There’s another bud on its way. The more I try to learn about how best to coax my amaryllis into repeat blooming the following winter, the more puzzling it seems. Anyway, I am enjoying my Christmas in August surprise. Who knows what will happen next?
Mickey Rathbun, an Amherst-based lawyer turned journalist, has written the Get Growing column since 2016.
Groundcovers and low-mow lawns
Raise your hand if you’re tired of caring for your high-maintenance lawn. On Aug. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston is hosting a talk by Kathy Connolly about how to cover every inch of ground with durable groundcovers. Options include low-growing flowering perennials, native ornamental grasses, low-mow lawn mixes, sedum, ferns, moss and more. Connolly will discuss some new developments in groundcovers. She will also “look under the hood” at the roles of soil, water and site selection in successful ground-covering strategies. Finally, she will talk about how land care and maintenance regimes change in a post-lawn landscape. Extensive plant and resource lists will be included.
Kathy Connolly is a landscape designer who helps homeowners and communities develop and maintain naturalized settings. She emphasizes native plants for birds and pollinators, and uses earth-friendly planting techniques in her work. Members: $26/nonmembers: $40. For more information and to register, go to towerhillbg.org.
Dog Days at Berkshire Botanical Garden
On Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge will host a day of canine carousing. Dog Days of Summer offers activities for both canines and their humans including dog-related workshops, vendors and demonstrations. Dog pools will be located throughout the garden and there will be plenty of photo ops. Food will be provided by Main St. Hospitality, beverages provided by Barrington Brewery. The first 100 dogs to be admitted into the garden will receive a Tito’s Vodka bandana, and promotional items and waste bags will be provided by Earth Rated. Workshops on canine health and safety include Garden Dangers for Your Dog and Dog Preventative Health. There will be canine frisbee and agility demonstrations and a presentation by the Mass. State Police K-9 Unit. Admission is free for members, $15 for non-members, and $5 for each dog that will be donated to the Berkshire Humane Society. Dogs must be up to date on shots and vaccinations. Non-retractable leashes only.
Beehive management class
Berkshire Backyard Beekeepers is offering a class on Fall Hive Management for Successful Overwintering of Beehives on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to noon. This is an in-depth program on fall hive management of honeybees that will focus on how to prepare beehives to survive the winter, including hive preparation, feeding and pest control. Beekeepers will gain critical information and most especially timing of important management techniques to prepare hives for the cold. Weather permitting, there will be a hive inspection in the BBG apiary. Bring protective equipment. Members: $10/non-Members: $15