Thanks to crape myrtles, even downtown office buildings are pretty in August.

Click here for the latest advice from the experts at Behnkes.  And if you see an item we left off, let us know – just leave a comment here.  We want this monthly round-up of advice to be as helpful as possible for gardeners in the Metro DC area. (Note, no one from outside our region was asked to contribute to the list.)

The winner of our give-away of this terrific new book is Beltsville customer Kathy Kircher – congratulations!  But we can’t withhold such great information about gardening with deer from the rest of our readers.  So here are Ruth Clausen’s top picks for deer-resistant plants:

Perennials: Monkshood, Bigroot Geranium, Black Snakeroot, Baptisia australis, Euphorbia polychroma, Hybrid Astilbe, Dicentra eximia, Hybrid Sage, Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis), Hellebore orientalis, Epimedium grandiflora, Brunnera macrophylla and Yarrow.

Grasses:  Fountain grass, Hakone grass, Acorus, Carex morrowii, and Switchgrass.

Bulbs:  Daffodils, Leucojum, Colchicum Waterlily, Snowdrop, and Allium moly.

Ferns:  Autumn, Christmas, Cinnamon, Ostrich and Japanese painted.

Herbs: Basil, Greek oregano, Rosemary, Sage and, Thyme.

And here are more tips from an interview with the author on Ken Druse Real Dirt

• Wind chimes often spook deer.
• Clean up fruit that’s dropped onto the ground.
• Wrap the base of young trees during rutting season.  It’s easy to do and generally works.
• Raise hanging baskets and bird feeders high enough so the deer can’t reach them.  Ruth said she once caught a deer standing on its hind legs casually eating everything in the hanging basket on her front porch. (Oh, yeah, she’s got ‘em bad!)
• This may sound too obvious, but she insists that it needs to be said:  Keep your deer fence closed!

You might ask, what about sprays?  She says that “Spraying things isn’t my gig.”  Me, either, but I DO spray my 8 shrub roses that are growing where the deer sometimes roam – because I don’t want to lose them.  I spray monthly when there are leaves on them, and it just takes 5 minutes so I don’t really mind.

Posted by Susan Harris

July Color!

The last time Garden Shop manager Bob Peterson appeared on this blog he was recommending mulches, potting media and compost.  This time he’s going big-picture, with his tips for how to best use your time in the garden this month.  (See, isn’t that a happier perspective on the subject than calling them “chores” or even “things to do”?)

We thank Bob for his hard-earned knowledge of gardening – great list!   For  July to-do tips from all the Behnkes experts, click here.

Watering
July is a time when you can sit back for a moment and enjoy the fruits of your labor in the garden. Primary concern will be assuring ample supply of water for your plants.  Amount of water depends on the weather. Primary rule of summer watering is water thoroughly and deeply each time you water. Allow the soil to dry between watering. Deep watering will allow the plant’s roots to grow deeper, where they are less likely to dry out, as well as the added benefit of anchoring the plant better. Light surface watering actually wastes water because the water never actually reaches the root zone of the plant, and moisture rapidly evaporates from the top inch of soil.

The best way to tell if your plants are receiving enough water is to take a trowel or shovel and dig down a few inches. The soil should be moist at least 4 to 6 inches deep to ensure the moisture is reaching the root zone. Of course if you planted drought-resistant plants you will not have to water as often, but the principle of deep watering still applies.

Watering Containers
As the weather dries out, your container plants may need daily watering. Push your finger into the soil in your container plantings at least once a day to feel for moisture and be certain that plants are getting enough water. Apply water until it runs out of the drainage holes.

When to Water
Try to do your watering during the morning hours so that the leaves can dry off before the hot sun hits them. Evening watering is sometimes acceptable if the temperatures are warm enough to ensure that foliage dries before the temperature drops at night. (Wet foliage makes plants susceptible to fungus and disease.)

In the Veg Garden
Empty areas of the garden, where crops have finished, should be replanted with either a fall vegetable crop, or a cover crop to help control weeds. Cover crops can be tilled into the soil later, to add humus and nitrates to the soil.

Lawn
Contrary to popular belief, a brown lawn isn’t necessarily a dead lawn. Grasses go dormant in times of drought, but will quickly return to life with the fall rains and cooler temperatures.

Remember to mow cool season grasses at the 3 to 3 ½ inch height or as high as your mower will cut. This helps to retain moisture and cool the roots of these grasses. (Warm season grass like Zoysia is cut at the 2 inch height and will be green throughout the summer.)

Wildlife
Remember to change the water in the bird baths regularly, and keep them filled.  Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquito larvae.

Pests
Be alert for slug and snail damage. These guys will be hiding during the heat of the day, but will come out of hiding in the cool mornings and evening hours or after a rain. Seek and destroy all slugs and their eggs! Use Sluggo for best control.

Final Word
As always gardening is as fun as you want it to be, so enjoy your time in the garden.

What percentage of homeowners say they want a “low-maintenance” garden or landscape?  Pretty near all of them, I betcha.  What percentage of self-described gardeners want the same easy-care garden?  Not quite as many, but still most, I’m betting again (in the absence of actual, you know, data).

So because MOST people want their garden to be pretty without being overly burdensome, I’ve written my own tips and those of some Behnkes experts for creating that type of garden, and it’s here on the Behnkes website. If you have any suggestions for more tips, come back here and leave a comment!

by Susan Harris

I hope you’re walking around the garden at least every other day to spot plants that desperately need a drink, and not waiting til the weekend (or later) to do it.   Plants are dying out there in this 90+ degree heat with no rain in weeks, but that doesn’t have to happen to yours.  The secret to keeping plants alive during hot, dry periods is first, noticing the weather.  (Long-time gardeners, like farmers everywhere, can tell you roughly how long it’s been without a rain that counts – not a quick thunderstorm).  And then, like anxious parents, checking up on your plants, especially the new ones.

Drooping Hydrangeas

Now about these hydrangeas in my garden -  the unidentified lacecap variety on the left and the oakleaf hydrangea on the right – drooping on hot sunny days like today.   The natural assumption is that they need watering – now!  But I once heard the president of the American Hydrangea Society, no less, say to wait til the next morning before judging whether or not the plant really needs to be watered.  That’s because drooping is a natural response to the heat and sun, not necessarily a sign that watering is needed.   If it’s still drooping by morning, it definitely needs a drink.

What almost died in my garden

Just the other day I was horrified to notice one of my year-old Iteas (also known as Virginia Sweetspire) looking awfully crispy – gasp!  So I gave it and its companions (a group of seven) a long drink and am happy to report that they look fine now, though I think one more day without water would have killed one or more of them.   That’s despite the fact that I walk my garden every day, so I guess I wasn’t looking carefully enough, huh?

Keeping a list of thirsty plants

I DO keep a mental list of the plants in my garden that need special attention during hot, dry spells, but I hadn’t added Itea to it because my older ones had done just fine without any coddling.  The difference?  These new Iteas are in a spot that gets a bit of late afternoon sun.  Okay, mental list amended now.

Here’s lots more information about watering your garden.