Plant something fun
Fall is kind of a slowed gardening time, not the bustle of spring planting and not yet the cold season to worry about. It is kind of clearing out some over-done summer flowers and veggies, and tilling a little more clear space as we look over what is now out as far as annuals.
We really are supposed to be cooling down about now, however not doing too well with that this week. Even the rain; still muggy.
The fertilizer ban has now ended so you can fertilize the lawns, and citrus trees. Make sure your sprinkler system is turned on correctly. They should not have been working too much this summer and you may have forgotten what the settings are. Remember there are still rules about when and how long you water the lawn. The summer rains may have watered your lawn several times a week, but you do not need to run them more than once a week now.
Watering newly planted trees and bushes will, of course, be needed on a different time line. You know the drill, if not, read your plant tags or find some information from other gardeners or the trusty home computer.
You might try some herbs. You can have a pot of any size for oregano. Basil is OK for a while, with dill, parsley and others. You can cut them whenever you need something for a salad or the soup pot. You know, of course, not to spray anything you are going to be eating.
Maybe you just want to have some clear spaces of nice tilled soil or a spot of fine mulch where you can put a pretty pot of something. This time of year, a colorful addition, no digging and no spraying – could be a big fat pumpkin, or a collection of smaller pumpkins and gourds. You will need to remember that our Florida sun will still be hot and pumpkins prefer some shade and they will last longer.
A baking pumpkin is not something you want in your yard. My first fall in this area I “planted” a large pumpkin right beside the garage door. I was so happy to see it as I drove up the driveway. I guess I was still in my fall “up north” glow, and planted a few here and there.
The local supply of pumpkins of all sizes and shapes and the many colorful gourds are amazing. It seems to be a good way for local churches to make some money. Prices and verities are best away from the usual markets and it is more fun to walk through a patch of pumpkins.
My next door neighbor at that time hesitantly said that the pumpkins in the sun would not last the whole season. I was not worried in the least. My pumpkins up north weathered the hot sun, whenever we ever had hot sun in October.
That big pumpkin lived through the season, looking a little saggy by Thanksgiving, but sweet. I was a little lax in removing them in a timely manner. Several were really soft when I started to remove them. The big daddy one was mush!
An 8-pound mushy pumpkin is not an easy thing to move, all in one piece. I had a nice ol’ husband at the time, he brought out a shovel and a bucket, then disappeared.
So I learned a gardening lesson. When you plant something outside, even on top of the soil, you still need to know how to be rid of it when necessary.
Gardening is full of gardening experiences though, and I did learn a good lesson. Actually two. One is the Florida sun is HOT and needs to be respected. Two is now whenever I put pumpkins out, I set them on a small plastic plate I can throw away, or a secondhand plate I will throw away, with the mushy pumpkin. Works great!
I do not have to worry about working with mushy pumpkins any more because I now live in a condo world and am not allowed to have flowers and plants and pumpkins setting anywhere but inside or on the nice lanai. It is just not the same as coming up the drive and seeing that happy reminder of fall, baking in the sun.
However, we all have to adjust to the trials of life and as a gardener. I am sure there will be some little pumpkins out there on the lanai with my 20 other transported plants, soon.
Happy gardening till we meet again.
H.I. Jean Shields is Past President of the Cape Coral Garden Club.