Some Like It Hot

In an herb spiral, climate varies from arid Mediterranean at the top to moist and subtropical at its base. Heat-loving herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and sage, bask in the dry, sunny upper region that is 2 or

3 feet above ground. Bricks or stones placed along the spiral capture the noonday heat, storing it to keep herbs toasty at night. In a “trickle-down” effect, water drains down into the lower levels, leaving the arid-loving plants high and dry, while the middle and lower levels stay progressively more moist. The varied environments provide an ideal growing medium for tansies, chives, garlic, parsley, and chamomile in the middle level, and lemon balm, coriander, and moisture-loving mints at the base. Some gardeners place a small pond at the lowest level for watercress and other water plants.

An Upward Spiral

Start with a sunny spot in your yard or garden within an accessible range of your kitchen. Clear an area about 6 feet in diameter. (If grass is present, use a spade to remove any sod.)

Find the middle of the plot, then drive in a stake. Using a 2 ½-foot string with a loop placed around the stake, mark out the desired diameter of your circle with a pointed stick or screwdriver.

Using bricks or rock, lay out the spiral either from the center out or from the outside in. Position the bottom end of the spiral on the south side. You can “eyeball” the spiral, but for more accuracy, place a two-gallon plastic pail upside down in the center. Tie a 4-foot string around the base of the pail and secure with duct tape. Place a weight on top of the bucket, then measure out the desired radius. Hold a pointed stick or screwdriver at that point on the string and mark the ground as you go around the pail. Keep the line taut. You will end up at the pail with a nice spiral.

Build the spiral until it is 2 to 3 feet high at its top. Fill the middle with stones, sand, or brick pieces, leaving about 8 inches at the top to fill with soil. Mediterranean herbs that will thrive at the top level prefer poor soil. As you descend the spiral, add more compost for herbs planted in the middle and base.

Consider the growing habits of each herb when planting. Shade-tolerant plants will grow best on the east, west, and north sides of the spiral. Rosemary can become large, so place it at the top. Creeping plants such marjoram and thyme may be planted so they can cascade over the edge. Situate herbs from 1 to 2 feet apart. To fill gaps, plant parsley, kale, calendula, or nasturtium throughout your spiral.

Build an Herb Spiral The Saturday Evening Post

Greenhouse growers have long used cold frames to harden off vegetable and flower seedlings. Transparent-roofed enclosures, built low to the ground and placed in a sunny location, cold frames are minigreenhouses whose tops can be opened, allowing new starts to acclimate before they are planted in the garden. But today’s home gardeners rely on them just as much to extend the harvesting season. Plants sheltered in a cold frame are protected from chill winds and rain. Solar energy captured through the glass or transparent plastic lid keeps the soil from freezing. With an inside temperature 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than outside, a cold frame environment simulates a growing location 300 miles farther south.

With a cold frame, gardeners may harvest cold-tolerant vegetables and greens for a month longer in the fall and enjoy crisp homegrown salads a month earlier in the spring. Some hardy plants such as Swiss chard can survive all winter in a cold frame if it is covered with a heavy cloth on the coldest nights.

Building a Cold Frame

Commercial cold frames range in price from $99 to more than $450 and are available from garden supply stores and over the Internet, through such Web sites as yardiac.com and thefind.com, among others.

But you can save money by using salvaged materials to build your own.

All you need is an old window frame for the top and some lumber. You can even use an old shower door—clear or frosted—for the top, which only needs to be translucent to allow solar energy to pass through and warm the soil below.

A cold frame can be any length, but limiting the depth to 4 feet or less can spare you from having to stretch when planting and harvesting.

Before you begin, find a proper location. Your cold frame should be placed in a south-facing spot that receives sun for most of the day. Up against a house, garage, or outbuilding is a preferred location, but simply setting one out in your garden patch will work.

Take care that the soil under your cold frame has good drainage. If you are unsure, dig down a couple feet and fill with gravel, then place a layer of soil over the stone.

For an early-spring crop, plant seeds directly in the cold frame in mid-January. When the soil begins to warm, the seeds will sprout. (For an early-winter crop, plant in late August or September.)

Prop the top open during the day to vent excess heat in spring and fall. You won’t need to vent in winter. Also keep the soil watered until freezing weather sets in. The soil under a cold frame will dry out more quickly than outside.

Cold Frame Plan

Illustrated by Niff Nicholls

Using a salvaged window 32″ x 26″

Materials:

• 2 8′ 1” x 6” pine boards
• 1 4′ 1” x 2” pine board
• 14 1½” exterior grade screws
• 16 1¼” exterior grade screws
• 3 2” hinges
• 18 1” exterior grade screws

Directions:

1. Cut 3 30” 1” x 6” boards and 4 24” 1” x 6” boards. Build 30” x 24” bottom frame. Predrill and screw sides onto front and back pieces with 2 1½” screws at each end.

2. Attach 2 10½” 1” x 2” braces to the inside back corner of the frame using 1¼” screws. Predrill and attach top back piece to the corner braces.

3. Place the top side pieces in position. Using a straight edge, scribe a line from the top of the back to the front bottom corner of the board. Cut each board on this angle.

4. Attach one angled board to the back and one through the tip into the bottom frame using 1½” screws. Attach a 9” 1” x 2” brace—made from the 4′ pine board— at the center of each side with 1¼” screws.

5. Place the window on the box. Position correctly and mark for the hinges. Predrill the hinge holes and screw the top, using 1” screws, into place.

Garden All Winter Long The Saturday Evening Post

Flatbed Feeder

Illustration by Niff Nicholls

Materials

• 1 4-foot long 1-by-3-inch cedar board
• 1 12-inch square section of window screen
• 8 1 ½-inch wood screws
• 2 36-inch-long pieces of film twine, leather, or nylon boot ties
• 4 ¼-inch eyebolts
• Copper upholstery tacks

Directions:

• Cut board into 2 12-inch and 2 9-inch sections.  Stand short pieces on end.  Lay longer piece across top.  Line up so ends are flush.  Pre-drill two holes on each end with a ⅛-inch drill bit.  Insert screws.  Repeat with the opposite end.  Attach screen to bottom with upholstery tacks.
• Screw eyebolts into each corner of top and attach ties.

Log Feeder

Illustration by Niff Nicholls

Materials

• 1 small log (7 to 21 inches long: thickness may vary from 4 inches or larger)
• 1 ¼-inch dowel rod
• Wood glue
• 1 medium eyebolt

Directions:

• Square off the ends of log.
• Drill 1-inch diameter holes, ¾ inch deep on all 4 sides. Space holes evenly.
• Drill ¼-inch holes beneath larger holes.
• Cut 3-inch dowel pieces. Add wood glue to one end and insert into small holes.
• Screw eyebolt into top and hang (using heavyguage wire) from a porch or nearby tree.

How to Build a Winter Bird Feeder The Saturday Evening Post

They were a big hit back in Europe when introduced there by New World explorers in the 1500s. One giant sunflower grown in Padua was said to have reached 40 feet in height. Today the tallest sunflowers, “Mammoth Russians,” grow up to 12 feet. Russian Czar Peter the Great (nearly 7 feet tall himself) discovered sunflowers growing in Holland and started one of the world’s first large cultivation programs. The Russian sunflowers were reintroduced to America in the 1880s and are still available in today’s seed catalogs.

Sunflower growers now have some 2,000 varieties to choose from, from the tallest to the newer dwarf varieties such as Sunspot and Teddy Bear that grow approximately 12 to 18 inches.

At this time of year, sunflowers are at their most glorious, crowning gardens with colors ranging from pale yellow to red, bronze, burgundy, chestnut, mahogany, and white. Actually, Italian white is an extremely pale yellow, shading to nearly white, and looks like a large daisy.

The seeds can be harvested once the flowers have turned brown. Late in the season, you can cut the flower heads off at the stem and hang the flowers upside down in an airy location to allow them to dry. Rub two flower heads together, and allow the seeds to drop onto a sheet or into a container. A small patch of giant sunflowers will produce a lot of seed for your birdfeeder this fall and winter.

Cutting varieties of sunflower such as Italian White, Parasol Mix, and Indian Blanket will branch after cutting, producing many smaller flowers. Many gardeners prefer pollenless varieties such as Prado Red and Velvet Queen, which don’t stain fingers when touched.

Sunflowers are actually composites of 1,000 to 4,000 tiny flowers. The showy flowers around the edge are the male, or “ray,” flowers. The female “disk” flowers are in the middle and produce the seeds. The seeds can be harvested once the flowers have turned brown. Late in the season, you can cut the flower heads off at the stem and hang the flowers upside down in an airy location to allow them to dry. Rub two flower heads together, and allow the seeds to drop onto a sheet or into a container. A small patch of giant sunflowers will produce a lot of seed for your birdfeeder this fall and winter.

For a delicious sunflower seed snack, cover the unshelled seeds with salted water, using ¼ cup salt for two quarts water. Simmer for two hours. Dry the on paper towels. Or soak the seeds overnight in saltwater. Spread the dry seeds on a baking sheet and roast in a 300 F oven for 30 to 40 minutes.  Stir the seeds occasionally, and taste to determine if they are completely roasted. Store the seeds in an air-tight container.  For immediate eating, you can mix the freshly roasted seeds with melted butter or olive oil and favorite seasonings, onion or garlic salt, or Cajun or barbecue powder.

Following the Sun The Saturday Evening Post

Our cover artists, quite inventive in their own right, have been chronicling America’s quirky new devices for decades. In observing our reactions to them, they have shown we are all pretty much like kids with new toys (with the exception of Rutherford B. Hayes, that is). It’s the kids, however, who take to the “new” at lightning speed, be it telephones, computers, or e-books. They garner new technologies for their own use, leaving their clueless elders far behind. And kids are inventive, too. But look out when they start thinking they are Henry Ford, the Wright brothers, or Alfred Nobel (inventor of dynamite). Kids in inventor mode, our artists suggest, can sometimes be unsettling.

Contributing writer: Joan SerVaas.

Classic Covers: Children of Invention The Saturday Evening Post

How to Build

Using a combination square, inscribe horizontal lines at 7½, 9½, 10, and 12 inches from the top end of each 6-by-6-foot post. Extend the lines around all four sides. With your skill saw blade set at 45 degrees and a depth of 1½ inches, cut out V-shaped sections on all four sides.

To make the pointed top, inscribe lines from the ends of the top line to the midpoint of the top. Then cut off with the skill saw.

With a post hole digger or auger, dig two 3-foot-4-inch deep holes and place the posts exactly 8 feet apart. Use a level to keep posts perfectly vertical. Backfill with soil and tamp down. For more permanence, fill the bottom half of the hole with dry cement mix and the remainder with soil.

To make the top rail, cut a 3∕4-inch notch ½ inch deep down the center of one side of the two-by-four. Make sure the notch is just wide enough for the lattice to slip into it snugly. Cut a 2-by-½-inch rabbet at each end.

Assembly

Screw two one-by-twos, 3∕4 inch apart, to the center of one post, 16 inches from the top of the post. Slide the lattice panel into place and affix the other two one-by-twos at the opposite post and screw in. Leave the lattice panel sticking up ½ inch above the top of the one-by-twos. Fit the top rail into place and screw at both ends.

Build a Classic Border Fence The Saturday Evening Post

Flowers are out in full  force in late summer and fall, and this is the perfect time to preserve some of that color and beauty to brighten your home in winter.

Drying flowers is easy and inexpensive, requiring just a little know-how. The trick is to cut flowers at the right time of day, late enough in the morning so that the dew has evaporated, but before the blossoms become wilted by the sun. Pick immature blossoms for the best results. If cut at their peak of perfection, flowers will open farther during the drying process and leave you with a less than perfect result. For dried bouquets, however, you may want to pick flowers ranging from buds to nearly fully opened blossoms.

Once flowers are cut, to prevent fading, remove them from the sunlight. Gather in bunches of six to 10 stalks. Tie the bunches with a string or a rubber band about 2 inches from the stem end and hang them upside down in a dark, ventilated place such as a barn loft, potting shed, or attic. Darkness is the key to maintaining color. Blue, orange, and pink are the easiest colors to retain.

Then comes the hard part—waiting. Drying can take from 24 hours to three weeks, depending on the type of flowers and the humidity. Flowers are dry when they feel brittle and the stems snap easily.

Some flowers, such as baby’s breath, globe thistles, and Chinese lanterns, are best dried upright. Place them in wide-mouth jars or coffee cans. Other top-heavy flowers, such as Queen Anne’s lace, dill, or fennel, can be dried upright with the stems stuck through the holes of ¼-inch hardware cloth (metal fencing material).

Drying Agents
To dry larger or more delicate flower heads, such as anemones, daisies, pansies, and zinnias, use a drying agent such as sand, laundry borax mixed with white cornmeal, or kitty litter (fresh, not used). Many now use silica gel, available at craft stores. Spread an inch layer of the gel or one of the other drying agents in a shallow, lidded glass or plastic container and place the flower heads face down in the drying agent. Then cover the flowers with an inch of drying agent. Seal the container and store in a dark area for 3 to 5 days.

You can speed up the process by placing the container in a microwave oven on high for a few minutes, then allow to cool before opening to check for dryness.

Arranged in bouquets, wreaths, or table decorations, everlastings can, as their name implies, last for many years. Keep them out of direct sunlight to prevent fading. Clean them with a gentle feather dusting. To store them, wrap in newspaper to keep out moisture and place in boxes. Avoid storing them in overly damp places such as basements.

Some Flowers for Drying

Asters
Calendula
Cornflower
Globe amaranth
Larkspur
Marigold
Mums
Pompon dahlia
Roses
Statice
Strawflowers
Yarrow
Zinnias

Everlasting Flowers The Saturday Evening Post

August is a sweet time for melon lovers. Muskmelons pack up on sugar in their final days of growth. Anything that interferes in the process may result in less tasty fruit. But you can help by removing any immature fruit that has appeared since midsummer. Those fruits are unlikely to develop fully before cooler weather sets in and will only sap nutrients that could be going into more developed fruits. Also, take care not to walk on melon vines or destroy leaves, as the leaves are the source of the sugars that sweeten the fruit. The more leaves the better. A number of fruits ripening at one time will also diminish sweetness. Some growers prune off all but one newly forming melon every two weeks to provide maximum sugar concentration.

To flourish, melons prefer several months of temperatures in the 80s or higher with nighttime temperatures no lower than 55 F and plenty of sun. Some gardeners choose to trellis their cantaloupe, tying up the vines as they grow to get them off the ground and provide optimum sunlight to the leaves. A trellis may have to be 8 feet high by 20 feet wide and solidly constructed. The growing fruits should be cradled in netting.

Melons require 1 inch of water per week during the growing season. Stop watering them, however, about a week before you think they will be ripe. Excess water in the final stages can dilute sugar and reduce sweetness.

You can tell a muskmelon’s ripeness by its skin color, which turns from gray-green to yellow-buff. Generally, a muskmelon is ripe when it separates easily from the vine. Ripening stops when a melon is picked, so take care not to pick one prematurely. Honeydew ripeness is a bit more tricky to judge. The melon turns cream colored, and the blossom end should give just a bit when pressed. Watermelons are ripe if they sound hollow when thumped.

The type of soil may also play a role in melon sweetness. Melons require rich soil. When planting, scrape back soil in a 2-foot square area and fill with 4 to 6 inches of manure or rich compost, then rake the soil back up into a hill. When melon runners are 1 foot long, feed the plants with a mix of one part blood meal to two parts bone meal, 1/3 cup per hill.

After picking your melons, keep them refrigerated until ready to eat. They will keep for up to two weeks. Don’t wash them until they are ready for use to prevent mildew or spoiling.

Growing Sweet Melons The Saturday Evening Post

Weeding—Don’t let the weeds get away from you. The more you remove before they develop seeds this time of year, the better for next year’s garden. Remember to keep your asparagus patch well weeded, too, but allow their fern tops to grow so they can feed the crown below ground.

Trimming—Continue to shear back leggy annuals and remove spent blossoms of zinnias and other flowers to spur new bud growth.

Transplanting—When daylilies have faded, you can divide them and replant at will. Hostas may also be divided at any time. Late August is also the time for dividing and transplanting peonies and bearded iris.

Seed Harvesting—Remove the seed heads of self-seeding flowering plants such as larkspurs after the plants have faded. Resow the seeds any time until heavy frost.

Pinching—Pinch back basil and other herb flowers to keep them producing, and trim herbs such as summer savory and marjoram for a nice full bush.

Planting—In some areas there may still be time to add bush beans or start new rows of chard, radishes, arugula, spinach, turnips, beets, or lettuce for fall crops.

Fill in bare spots in flower beds with flowering plants such as crocosima and phlox, available now at nurseries and supermarkets.

This is also the time to plant fall-blooming bulbs—fall crocus and autumn crocus (Cochicum) that will provide showy flowers September through October. Fall-blooming crocuses are true crocus plants that happen to bloom in the fall. They include C. banaticus, light to dark purple and resembling an iris, hardy into zone 4, C. hadriacticus, hardy into zone 5, and C. sativus, the saffron crocus (most expensive), purple-flowered with orange stigmas that’s hardy into zone 5.

Colchicums, “autumn crocus,” bloom like giant crocus blossoms, but are actually a separate genus. They prefer rich, well-drained compost and grow in full or partial sun. Varieties include C. agrippinum, checkered, pink-purple flowers; C. byzantium, rosy white petals dating from the 16th century; and C. speciosum, a violet colored tulip look-alike.

With a moderate amount of upkeep, you can maintain a vibrant and colorful garden through the hottest days of summer and long into the fall.

August Gardening To-Do’s The Saturday Evening Post

Also, you can store herbs to preserve their flavor by chopping or pureeing them in oil and freezing them. Use 2 cups firmly packed leaves to 1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil. Process in a blender or food processor, then place in a lidded freezer container and seal. Break off pieces to use in cooking. To prevent botulism, keep frozen until use. Never store in the refrigerator.

Basil, borage, calendula, cilantro, dill, nasturtium, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme are good sources for herbal vinegar infusions.

Use a good quality vinegar that has at least 5 percent acidity. Use white wine, red wine, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Do not use distilled vinegars.

How to Make:

1. Rinse fresh herbs or edible flowers and dry thoroughly.
2. Lightly bruise the herbs and stuff into sterilized and thoroughly dried jars or bottles.
3. Fill about 1/3 with herbs.
4. Bring the vinegar to boiling and pour over the herbs, filling to within 1/2 inch of the top.
5. Allow to cool and seal bottles.
6. Let steep in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.
7. Strain out the herbs and rebottle the flavored vinegar to increase the shelf life of the infusion.

Vinegar should be kept refrigerated and consumed within four to eight weeks.

For an attractive look, you may also place fresh herbs in the finished bottles before sealing. Be sure to remove the fresh herbs, however, when they are no longer covered by the vinegar.

Some Good Combinations:

• Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (an easy one to remember)
• Basil, garlic, dried red peppers
• Dill, garlic, dried red peppers

Oil Infusions:

For oil infusions, use light oils, such as nut, seed, and vegetable oils. The best herbs for oil infusions include chives, cilantro, basil, bay leaf, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. You don’t need a lot of herbs, just a few sprigs. Be sure herbs are clean and dry. Bruise them slightly with a mortar and pestle. Don’t crush.

1. Heat oil on low until just warm. Place prepared herbs in wide-mouth canning jar and pour warm oil over them, completely covering herbs. Seal jar airtight.
2. Place in refrigerator for three to four days before use.
3. Strain oil through cheesecloth and pour into sterilized, dry bottles. Refrigerate to extend shelf life, but use within four weeks.

Important Information:

Oil infused with fresh herbs, garlic, or dried tomatoes can introduce botulism, which is not detectable by tasting. Be sure to clean jars and bottles with household bleach, rinse thoroughly, and dry them before use. Always keep the oil infusions refrigerated and keep track of the shelf life. Date each bottle to make sure you know how long it has been stored.

Making a Splash with Herbs The Saturday Evening Post

When planting new seeds for fall, check the time-to-harvest information on the seed packet and add an additional time for tender plants that grow slower in cooler weather. Then count backward from the first frost date in your area to determine planting time. Tender crops, such as beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, and summer squash will be destroyed by the first light frost. Semihardy vegetables, such as beets, swiss chard, spinach, radishes, carrots, and lettuce, will tolerate temperatures in the upper 20s (Fahrenheit). Hardy vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and turnips, can survive into the low 20s. Minnesota’s Norwegian gentlemen farmers can tell you that some cool-season vegetables handily survive light frost, and cold weather actually “sweetens” them, improving flavor. The supreme example, of course, is parsnips, best if left in the ground and harvested for Christmas or New Year’s dinners or even later.

Hot summer soil can inhibit the germination of seeds, so before sowing for fall harvest, turn the soil over, add some balanced fertilizer to replace that taken by the previous crop, and apply a light mulch to help cool the soil. Water periodically. Some gardeners prefer to start the seeds in a shade house, or sun-protected flat, and then plant the seedlings after they’ve developed true leaves. Others simply presprout the seeds between moist paper towels before planting.

With a little forethought and care, midsummer plantings can keep your garden producing until frost and even after, providing fresh herbs and salad greens long after your neighbor’s garden has given up the ghost.

Planting Fall Crops The Saturday Evening Post

Cut roses, daffodils, gladiolas, and irises when the flowers are in bud. They will open in the vase. Other flowers such as marigolds, delphiniums, and dianthus should be cut after opening. After cutting the stems with a sharp, nonserrated knife, immerse the stems in a pail of lukewarm (never cold) water and place in a cool spot out of the sunlight for a few hours. This will increase longevity.

Flowers with hollow stems, such as daffodils, delphiniums, and amaryllis, will live longer if you turn them over after cutting, fill the stems with water, then place a plug of cotton in the base and submerge the stems immediately in the vase.

Before putting daffodils, hollyhocks, hydrangeas, or poppies in a vase, singe the ends briefly with a lighted match. This will keep the milky substance in their stems from coagulating and blocking their water supply. It will also prevent the milky substance from entering the water and adversely affecting other flowers.

To prepare clematis flowers, pour boiling water on the stems and then place them in cold water. Additionally, like some people, these flowers prefer a little nip to stay happy. The Japanese dip them in an alcoholic beverage, such as champagne, for a few hours before putting them in a vase. We don’t know if they drink the champagne afterwards, but we don’t recommend it.

For bouquets with gladioli, cut the flower when the lowermost floret is opening, and remove a few buds from the top.

Other Bloom-Extending Techniques

Use products such as Floralife, a powder that is added to the water. Or make your own by putting flowers into a solution of one gallon of water with one can of clear soft drink added. Or by adding two teaspoons of a medicinal mouthwash. Others suggest adding an aspirin, a sugar cube, or some bacteria-killing laundry bleach.

To resuscitate wilted flowers, cut a couple inches off the stems and place in a few inches of warm water for a half hour; then put back into the vase with fresh, cool water. In a hot room, place some ice cubes in the water. Or place the flowers in a cooler room for a few hours.

And for that final touch to keep your bouquet looking spiffy, why not cheat a bit? Spray cut flowers lightly with an aerosol hair spray to prevent blossoms from falling. Let us know if this works!

Cut Flower Care The Saturday Evening Post

How do you make the most of this abundance of scents and colors and keep the fireworks going for as long as possible? Here are some suggestions from garden experts around the country.

Keep flower beds weeded and remove dead blossoms.

Pinch back snapdragons after they bloom to promote a second flowering.

Stake tall flowers such as delphiniums and tie them with a soft twine to prevent wind damage.

Keep sweet peas blooming by mulching heavily to retain moisture and cool the roots.

Cut back all side shoots on dahlias to produce larger flowers.

If annuals have faded, cut them back by half and fertilize them with 5-10-10 fertilizer.

When cutting flowers, use a sharp knife or scissors so as not to injure the plant.

Keep roses well watered and add fertilizer once a month.

Cut back bee balm right after blossoming to stimulate possible second blooming.

Lightly fertilize chrysanthemums every two weeks.

In July, sow seeds for foxgloves, hollyhocks, Canterbury bells, and sweet William for blooming next year.

Protect perennials from slugs with copper strips, available from garden centers. Most slugs won’t cross them, although occasionally some will be daring.

Perhaps the best way to keep your garden producing is by planting the longest blooming perennials such as the following:

• Purple coneflower
• Dayliliy
• Garden phlox
• Hibiscus
• Speedwell
• Mallow
• Obedient plant
• Poppy mallow
• Japanese aster
• Gaura
• Balloon flower
• Pincushion flower
• Joe-pye weed
• Catmint
• Black-eyed Susan
• Stonecrop
• Boltonia
• Japanese anemone

July in the Garden: Keep the Fireworks Going The Saturday Evening Post

For some tips on lavender growing in a hostile environment, the Country Gentleman visited the cottage lavender farm of Kieran “Kie” and Elizabeth “Libbe” O’Connor. Former city folk and gardening enthusiasts, the O’Connors turned eight acres of Indiana clay (a soil guaranteed to kill lavender plants) into a flourishing retirement business. They provide culinary lavender to local chefs and sell lavender sachets, bouquets, and bundles. “Lavender is really about getting it established, so in two or three years you say, ‘that looks really good,’ ” says Libbe.

“Lavender does not do well in clay or anything that holds water around it,” Kie says. “Wood mulch is not good. Use decorative rock or something that provides reflective heat and allows airflow around it.” The O’Connors nurture lavender in raised beds, which are at least 12 inches deep by 12 inches wide, with a mix of equal parts topsoil, compost, sand or pea gravel, and a smattering of lime. “The other big thing is to know how to prune them,” Kie says. “Some varieties of hybrids (Lavandula intermedia) you prune only in fall because they set buds in winter. The true lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) you prune early in spring and throughout summer. By keeping them pruned, you get inner growth and a nicely shaped plant.”

How to Harvest and Dry Lavender

Harvest lavender just as the buds are beginning to open, when the essential oils are at their peak. This will ensure the flowers retain their scent and bluish color when used in sachets or potpourris.

1. Take a bundle of lavender and cut the stems above the leaves using garden shears. Leave a few inches of green growth.

2. Wrap several stems together with a rubber band.

3. Hang the lavender upside down in a dark dry place and allow seven to 10 days for the stems to dry.

4. To remove the buds from the stems, place the stems on a large towel and roll into a tube. Roll the tube back and forth on a hard surface. This will remove the buds from the stems without crushing them.

5. Store the buds in an airtight container for use in sachets, potpourris, or recipes.

Sweet Smell in the Country The Saturday Evening Post

Summer pruning, on the other hand, reduces a tree’s energy reserves by taking away leaves that contribute to growth. It opens the tree to light, producing bigger, healthier fruit. Summer pruning is not a way of controlling the tree’s size. That is the job of dormant pruning.

Summer pruning requires a good set of secateurs (pruning clippers) and should be done using the whole blade rather than just the tip that may snag or tear a branch.

The goal is to remove the season’s new growth by cutting off the basal cluster, the whirl of leaves at the end of a new shoot protruding from the old wood. Cut through the branch about ¼ inch above the basal cluster at an angle slanting away from the tree. New growth from the cut will thus be directed away from the tree. Prune any branches that are blocking light from the forming fruit. Opening up the canopy also allows better air flow through the tree, promoting rapid drying that minimizes disease and allows better penetration of pesticides. The light penetration also promotes the growth of flower buds that will set fruit in the next year’s growing season.

You can summer prune from eight months after blooming until mid August. Overall, summer pruning will slow the growth of a tree by reducing its root growth, helping keep dwarf trees a manageable size.

After summer pruning, thin out the fruit. Leave a hand’s width between young fruits, and reduce clusters of fruits to just one. Also eliminate any fruit that has been damaged.

When a tree is very young, you can achieve a good open shape by using 1-inch square wooden spreaders with nails in each end to keep lateral branches growing at an open angle. A fruit tree should be wide open enough in the middle for a bird to fly through without hitting the branches.

Summer Pruning for Healthier Fruit The Saturday Evening Post