For many of us, this is the weirdest, scariest August of our lives… so I wanted to remind you of some good, garden-ey things and give you a few tips to make life more pleasant. Those puzzles and kid’s gardening sets we ordered in March that never came because a pandemic broke our country’s supply chain? Well, the gardening sets have finally arrived and more puzzles are arriving this week. The delay turned out to be good timing, because kids will be back to school online in the coming weeks and they’ll still need fun stuff to do at home when they’re done with their online learning. Puzzles! Gardening! Wholesome family fun during a time when nothing is certain.
August days are hot, but a trick for making your gardening experience as pleasant as possible is to get up early to do your gardening work! Yes, that means going to sleep earlier in the evening so you’re not sleep-deprived. Even on the hottest days, most mornings are blissfully cool, and getting cooler every day as we head into Fall. An added benefit is that birds are more active in the early morning, and this month you might spot a hungry Rufous hummingbird or Black-headed Grosbeak, both of which are making their way south to winter (mostly) in Mexico. Keep those hummingbird and seed tube feeders full to assist them on their journey! And oh, snap! Get some binoculars and you’ll officially be a backyard birder! New pandemic hobby gained, yay!
Another cool thing about hot August is that while we are still able to plant a wide array of stunning summer perennials and annuals… it’s also time to start planning and planting for Fall! Our growers are now serving up cool-season veggie and herb starts, and the menu will only grow in the coming weeks! Come see what’s on our tables and seed racks for planting now. Wear your mask… socially distance… and focus on the sweet things we still have in our lives like picking backyard tomatoes and planting for a new season.
