After returning from about a week away from the garden, I looked around last week and noticed two things:
- Overall, I’m pretty happy with how the garden is looking this year. I tend to think my garden is always in shambles, but a bit of time away made my heart grow a little fonder for my little piece of dirt.
- There are a lot of holes in my garden this year.
Blame it on the weather or blame it on the gardener, but a lot of things are not working out as I had planned this year. Last year, the garden was happily overrun by zinnias, all direct sown.
This year, some of the zinnias I started in trays in hopes of earlier blooms are hanging in (although nowhere near blooming) and it appears that absolutely none of the seeds I planted even germinated. I’m so disappointed about that.
On Saturday I stopped by a nearby nursery and hit up the sale benches to buy some annuals to stick in the holes. I would have bought some perennials too, but the selection was really picked over. I felt like I bought a lot (16 plants), but they barely scratched the surface. Then Monday, I swung by the local hardware store that had a bench of really shabby looking annuals on a bench in front with sign that nearly glowed (in my gardener’s eyes, at least).
FREE PLANTS.
Of course I didn’t want to be greedy, so I took a tray of 4-inch annuals, mostly ostospermums, a pathetic calibrachoa and a little lantana.
I have no idea if I can bring them back to any kind of vigor. I started by giving them all a really good soak in some Moo Poo tea, and once they have a chance to get rehydrated, I’ll probably cut them back, plant them, baby them a little and see what they can do.
It actually feels a little like a personal mission now, to bring these plants back to what they should have been. I’ll keep you posted on their progress.
6 Responses
Congratulations on your end-of-summer deals! I hope they fill in your bare spots. I can totally commiserate — I have gaping holes in some of my borders — very dispiriting. Next year I'll know what to do!
If anyone can do it, you can. I' sure with a shot of moo poo, a haircut and some TLC, you'll have blooms within a week or two. Just in time to take the garden into the colourless period of August (I never seem to have colour in the garden then).
what exactly is Moo Poo tea??
Oh shoot, I meant to put a link in there! I'm sort of addicted to the stuff. Basically it's composted manure tea that is very easy to make because you just drop a "tea bag" of dried manure in a five-gallon bucket. I pretty much have a batch brewing all the time now and I feel like I've seen really good results from it. Anyway, here's the link: http://www.manuretea.com/tag/moo-poo-tea/
After our miserable winter and going on garden tours in person and online, I am buying lots of plants and moving things around. We also finally made some decisions about an unfinished area and one that is aging and needs help. Found a few plant deals but nothing free! I bet they will respond fine to your care. Most folks are too nervous to buy a plant that's been sitting around.
I'm betting you can do it! I admire your restraint in not bringing them all home. : )