Laboring in your September garden

o7The summer night is like a perfection of thought.

f7--Wallace Stevens

o7September tries its best to have us forget summer.

f7--Bern Williams

We have caught a break in the weather again -- prior to the last

holiday of summer. These past warm summer nights transport me from

Laguna to Baja and Costa Rica by merely closing my eyes. With autumn

only a few weeks away, I treasure the clear, sultry afternoons and

evenings.

September garden chores begin with shopping for spring-flowering

bulbs and sowing sweet pea seeds for winter bloom. If you like your

lawn a rich, green color, it is a must to maintain watering and

fertilizing. If your tomatoes have petered out, it’s time to seed

cool-season vegetables, such as carrots, lettuce, peas, and spinach.

Your September questions for the Plant Man included:

Q. What flowers can I plant near the ocean?

A. It depends on how close, but alyssum, geranium, lantana,

petunia, portulaca and statice generally do well as we head into

September.

Q. What is Labor Day?

A. Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and dedicated to

the achievements of American workers. It’s also a good day not to

labor.

Q. What are good plants for a low hedge?

A. Nothing surpasses Japanese boxwood (o7Buxus f7o7microphylla

f7’Japonica’), but dwarf myrtle (o7Myrtus communisf7 ‘Compacta’)

deserves consideration.

Q. My strawberry tree (o7Arbutus undeof7) blooms but does not

set fruit. Why?

A. Trees prefer good drainage, acid soil and protection from wind.

If conditions are favorable, the tree might just be a poor bearer.

Q. Is there any special care for my bird of paradise?

A. Let it grow as it pleases, with plenty of water and fertilizer

prior to blooming in the fall.

Q. Why is my lemon losing its leaves?

A. A heavy crop of fruit will often strip a lemon of most of its

foliage. Over watering in poor draining soil may also cause the

condition. Thoughtful watering and application of citrus food should

bring the plant back.

Q. Should I prune my crape myrtle after it stops blooming?

A. Pruning of unsightly shoots should be considered this month, to

encourage new growth and further flowering.

Labor day weekend means a quiet walk with Catharine and Karina,

from Heisler Park to Pearl Street and back, and possibly pancake

breakfast with Eve and David. Later, I can count on a sumptuous

dinner with James and Lynn, in their beautiful garden. And for sure,

I’m going to enjoy my homegrown tomatoes and watch the bamboo grow.

It’s going to be a perfect weekend! See you next time.

* Steve Kawaratani is happily married to local writer Catharine

Cooper and has three cats. He can be reached at 497-2438, or e-mail

him at [email protected].

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