Fall back in time this Sunday morning
Daylight Savings Time ends in the U.S. and Canada, Sunday at 2 a.m. The easiest way to remember which way to turn the clock, in November, we “fall back.” We do not fall back, of course, but the hands on the clock go back.
I suppose everyone knows you can turn the clock back when you go to bed Saturday evening and everything works out OK.
There are always a few empty pews on the Sunday morning of “fall back.” I have been there done that, over the years.
Gardeners who have lived in the area for at least a year understand that they can fall back on their newfound gardening education, learned last fall; here, spring is in the fall. Yes, you still mulch, always to keep weeds down, always to get a little more enrichment into soil, and, of course, to make planted areas look their best.
You must have noticed by now that there is not as much rainfall, it will be like this for months. This is not a problem unless you mulch everything up to its nick and do not make sure it will be irrigated properly.
It does not really make any difference what color mulch you use as long as you read what type mulch you are getting and know its best use. Do you want large clunks, or fine mulch?
You can make your own mulch by recycling your kitchen and garden waste. This type of compost is invaluable as a soil conditioner, but time consuming and you may not want to be that friendly with your mulch.
You can buy all manner of prepared mulch, by the bag or by the yard. Check prices and ask other experienced gardeners where they shop and what they can recommend. You will get a verity of thoughts and recommendations.
This is the necessary process to making your gardening area, be it vegetables or flowers. You might just want some bushes and trees to help out the local animal habitats.
Trees also provide much needed shade during the summer months. I do not have trees shading my air conditioner but I do have some tall plantings that are planted to grow between the hot afternoon sun and the air conditioner.
Remember to leave room for proper air circulation. I also have the air conditioning drain going into those plantings so they get some extra free watering during the hot summer.
I know a lot of people turn their nose up at considering a palm tree as a shade tree. Well, I do not have a real definition to go by but several palms grouped appropriately will make a nice shaded area. Some are cold sensitive, some need more care than others. Attend some of the many garden sales and seminars available.
I also have several 20-foot-high queen palms that nicely shade areas of my house. My only complaint, I have mostly palms and it is not that easy to grow free range orchids that need some shade. I have seen queen palms with stag horn ferns attached and they were doing well. The stag horns being placed so they would not receive a full blast of sun, ever.
I have one bottlebrush tree; it is home to a reasonably large stag horn and houses several orchids off and on. It also provides me with beautiful bottlebrush-looking bink blooms, which I have entered in the horticulture division of local flower shows and won a blue ribbon.
There are a lot of things you can do in our Southwest Florida location. Whatever you learn this year will give you the confidence and knowledge to fall back on and improve tour tropical lifestyle even more next year. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
New residents always seem to ask what they can plant that will bloom all year, and need no care?? That is not gardening. Gardening is an ongoing project that you do one way this year, another way next year and enjoy the prospect of a new challenge or the thrill of seeing an old project prosper, just for you.
The veggie growers just itching to grow tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, radishes, beets and other goodies should be very happy right now.
Time for cool weather annuals, blue daze and alyssum, dusty Miller, petunias and geraniums. I have geraniums that made it through the summer heat again. Yea for me!
I did not plant any of last year’s poinsettias in soil so do not have any in my yard this fall. They are out there though and as soon as Thanksgiving passes I will be filling up spaces with all sizes and colors of those beauties.
One thing I just do not fall back on in a timely fashion is remembering to feed my palms. I am sure all our wonderful rainfall has just washed away any nourishment they may have had.
Keep sunburn free and mosquito free. Happy gardening till we meet again.
H.I. Jean Shields is Past President of the Cape Coral Garden Club.