At this point in the season, I have to admit much of my garden, especially the flower beds, have gotten kind of leggy and out of control. As the days get shorter and shorter, the flowers are reaching for the sun and stretching out into places I don't necessarily want them to go. In order to try to control the chaos a bit, I am adding stakes in the beds, tied with twine to hold back the blooming masses. This blends in to the foliage and you really can't even tell it's there! You can also buy curved metal stakes (kind of like a half moon shape) that will do the same trick.
Along with the last gasp of crazy growth, most of my flowers are now producing seed. This means along with continuing to gather and dry seeds, I need to start thinking about those seeds that want to be sown in the fall (versus in the spring).
This is probably something that a lot of people don't think about or realize, but there are many seeds that want and need to go to ground at this time of year. This is because they need to stratify over the winter. Stratification is the process a seed goes through to break down the seed coat and allow moisture to enter the seed, triggering the germination process when the soil warms up again. Some seeds need a period of cold to trigger this and so those are the seeds that you can sow in the fall to naturally go through this process.
I've been lucky enough to also have been gifted some native seeds this year! These are plants that are especially suited to our environment and soil conditions and therefore, need very little extra water or special care. The only thing you have to watch with them is how easily and successfully they spread themselves! I'll be putting some of them in a sunny spot that is already a bit wild, so they'll fit right in! With these seeds especially, you want to mimic the course that nature takes and sow these now and into the fall.
Here's the list of seeds that I have that I'll sow this fall:
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia- Native)
Columbine
Garlic (this takes 2 years before its ready for harvest)
Wild Bee Balm (Bergamot-Native)
Grey-Headed Coneflower (Native)
Mountain Mint (Native)
Larkspur
Meanwhile, here's my list of other things to do in the garden-
Don't let weeds go to seed and spread! Get them out now!
Keep deadheading garden flowers for continued blooms through late summer
Tall garden Phlox has started to seed. Harvest them when they are fully brown and dry
Now is a great time to purchase and plant small shrubs and trees. The prices are great and they still have enough time to get established before the hard freeze of winter.
It's time to buy bulbs! For the best selection buy NOW... but remember, no planting until Mid-October!
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