Things the Garden (Yard) Taught Me This Month

Story and Photos by Kat Long / Contributing Writer

Funny. We (people) believe ourselves to be the gardeners, the keepers of the seed and the growers of the things. The yard taught me this week … it does what it wants. I did try some new things this spring, and here is my report on what the yard taught me this month.

Succession sowing is a definite must in Oklahoma. You want to grow things from seed? Then plant seeds. And repeat two weeks later. And then again, two weeks later. I have never grown pollinating flowers successfully. Since my sunflowers are not allowed in the front yard anymore, I researched the best way to grow flowers from seed. And for Oklahoma, that means succession sowing. Starting in the fall. So here is what I did along my fence line. My privacy fence, which used to be the backdrop for my sunflowers, is about 45 feet long. It runs along most of the north part of the yard. Three years ago, I moved the orange day lilies from their happy little clump by my front door and spaced them out along the fence line. And they were sad looking the first year. And the second year.

This year, however, I took a chance and bought lots of perennial, butterfly and pollinator bags of seed anytime I had a spare $10. I scattered some seeds in the fall (on sale and Dollar General flower seed), but really started succession sowing when it rained in February; I went out and sprinkled the first $10 bag along the fence line. And continued to do this after each rain through May. There weren’t a whole lot of opportunities, because it didn’t rain often. I did get all three bags sprinkled by and around the day lilies. I also added seeds I had picked up, as one does, in my travels which included sweet alyssum, clover, delphinium and others I don’t remember.

Fast forward to this month of June. There are poppies and little sunflowers, delphinium, clover, nasturtium and the day lilies look full and happy again. This flower thing really does take quite a bit of time to get right. If you want to use this method for growing produce, every two weeks plant some more of your carrots, squash, watermelons, beans, okra or other hot-weather-loving plants. This will ensure that some of your seeds will have the correct soil/water ratio to sprout and grow. Especially carrots. You can sow them every two weeks right up to October and overwinter them for a spring harvest. But we will talk about fall gardens in August.

As you may (or may not) know, I garden by the survival method: if the seed, plant or produce grows and survives in the yard, fabulous. I usually do not go to extraordinary measures to keep them alive other than watering, adding compost and pulling weeds. Enter the apple tree saga. For the last four years, I have been waiting for my apple trees to give me some apples. The nectarine tree started fruiting the year after I planted it. The compost pile is right next to it, which may have something to do with its hardiness. But I digress.

Of the three apple trees planted in the yard, two of them get the most horrible orange rust spots every summer. The one orange rust-resistant tree has bloomed two years in a row, but no apples. This year, enter the copper fungicide. I sprayed all the trees when the first leaves emerged. Waited until the blossoms were gone, and then sprayed again. Spraying fungicide, even one labeled “Organic” will harm the pollinators, so spraying must be done later in the evening when they are not collecting pollen or laying eggs.

Still, I probably have cut down my ladybug population, but darn it, I want some apples. On the upside, the apple leaves are green and spot free. Yay fungicide!

Back to the sunflower remark from earlier. I have grown sunflowers in my north yard by the street for 12 years. They replant themselves every year: easy peasy. This year, all the sunflowers must be relocated. I have given several dozen sunflower starts away and have pulled hundreds out of the yard. I replanted about 25 of them on the east side of the house with a handy-dandy tool called an auger. Not just any auger, but an auger that fits on a regular drill. And then you “drill” holes. In the ground. Just the right size. This is a gamechanger for me. Garlic? No sweat. Use the auger. Relocating plant starts? No problem, use the auger. It is not expensive (under $25), saves your back and if you have kids in the 8- to 10-year-old range, they might even help in the garden if they get to use power tools. BONUS!

We had two seed swaps this spring, and I hope everyone who attended and picked up some seed or plants is having good luck with everything. It’s not too late to put the sun-loving plants in the ground, including okra, Malabar spinach, cucumbers or sunflowers. Heck, you can even put some tomato or pepper plants in the ground this month and get a decent harvest. And there is always the fall garden which can be planted from seed starting in early August for a nice October harvest. I hope I saw everyone at The Herb Festival at LA Cann Gardens or the Farmer’s Market. If you attended Herb Festival, get those plants in the ground. And of course, Happy Gardening.

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