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| 4 inches of rain on Sept. 30, 2010 |
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I don't know about you, but my gardens -- as well as my enthusiasm for gardening -- were severely stunted by this summer's prolonged heat and lack of rain. How bad was the summer of 2010? Here in the DC-area, we set a number of heat records, including the warmest ever June, tied the record for the warmest ever July, and had the warmest ever summer. There were 64 90-degree days extending well into September. See
The Washington Post for a complete run-down on this summer's heat records.
Cooler temperatures and soaking rains (including
a record rainfall on September 30) have gone a long way to reviving my flagging interest and my garden's withering stems. So what now?
Here are the top 5 things I plan to do in the garden in October.
1) Plant a couple of shrubs I picked up at recent plant sales while the soil is still warm
2) Collect seeds for sowing next year
3) Clean up some beds neglected in the summer heat
4) Prune drought damaged branches -- testimony to my frugal ways with water
5) Bring in tender house plants that have summered outdoors.
What is on your list? Post a comment to share your garden plans for October.
Here was a happy accident: a cantaloupe sprouted along the walkway to the front door. Initially, I didn't recognize it as a cantaloupe -- it could have been a zucchini or pumpkin, for all I knew. But the large leaves offered a nice contrast to the smaller-leafed caryopteris, and the two seemed to enjoy a happy co-existence. Since they were happy, I was happy, particularly since my attempts to grow tomatoes and raspberries haven't yielded much of a harvest. Today's breakfast table included the first fruits of this accidental blending of edibles and ornamentals, a practice I plan to continue. In fact, I think I'll save some seeds for next year.
