The summer swings into full flourish with the Glorious Fourth. And gardens swing into full flower and fruitfulness post-solstice, with heat and lots of daylight; so does crabgrass. In fact, there is so much going on that it is hard to choose where to start.
Important to be aware of are the consequences of the recent high temperatures. Foliage of many plants and trees will have suffered. Expect yellowing and leaf drop. However, as with many other natural vicissitudes, plants have strategies for managing heat. As long as the condition or stress is not unrelenting or incessant, they can manage.
Hydrangea love
Or is it lust? Fervor, or is it fever? Well, the bloom heads that spent the spring developing have colored at last, finally — a moment impatient hydrangea lovers await avidly.
It fascinates me to observe the variations in flower color on the same plant from one season to the next, on Island soils generally considered to be acidic.
Although aluminum sulphate and ammonium sulphate are available to manipulate the color (and often, in my view, produce an unpleasant uniformity of shade), if the plants are left alone to respond to life and circumstances, they may actually be bluish one season and pinkish the next.
Hydrangeas in my garden growing side by side, ‘Nikko Blue’ and ‘Summer Crush,’ are quite blue this year. Two summers ago, ‘Summer Crush’ was so pink it was almost cerise. (Last summer, unknown: Deer deprived me of every flower.) These receive no treatment to deliberately alter color.
This refers to Hydrangea macrophylla, not to other beautiful members of this family, such as H. quercifolia (oakleaf), H. arborescens (“smooth”), and H. paniculata grandiflora (“peegee”). Subtle shadings and variations are part of the macrophyllas’ charm.
In a nutshell, be aware that H. macrophylla (also known as mopheads or hortensias) originates in mild, coastal regions of Japan, lacking extreme swings. However, all varieties require lots of water. Site them where there is quality, moisture-retentive soil, and not in baking sun. These are shade-tolerant plants. If hydrangeas are requiring continuous irrigation to perform well, then they belong in another spot.
Hydrangea lovers are urged to check out Michael Dirr’s hydrangea books at the local library, “Hydrangeas for American Gardens” (2004) and “The Hydrangea Book: The Authoritative Guide” (2021). Dirr is the authority, and describes so much more that the hydrangea realm comprises.
Dawn and dusk
My garden abounds with white foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. It is no accident. It makes me feel a bit sheepish to admit this, but I selected for them. Several seasons ago, I started deadheading the purples before they could cross-pollinate. Why take such a draconian approach with these lovely woodlanders of all hues, from pastel pink to purple?
Mainly, it is because the garden is very shaded, with low light levels; and I leave early and come home late. The white foxgloves’ stately spires carry well and show up at dawn and dusk, as do all white flowers.
Circuit Avenue tree planting
Congratulations to Oak Bluffs on the tree lilacs (Syringa reticulata) planted on Circuit Avenue. Check them out. They replace a form of Callery pear, a tree whose downside issues have emerged in the wake of the original enthusiasm for them.
Tree lilacs are an original choice for a street tree, and should result in an enhanced streetscape that will work well for Circuit Avenue. For success, any and all municipal street tree planting schemes depend heavily on attentive aftercare. These costs have been taken into account by the town, we assume.
In the garden
Although the Technicolor springtime rhododendron show has passed, they are still with us, blooming in more subtle guises, such as pinxter-azalea and R. maximum. A visit to Polly Hill Arboretum will spark ideas on extending the season of this family of flowering shrubs in your own garden.
The after-bloom pruning of spring flowering shrubs has been attended to, right?
Both bulb lilies, Lilium, and daylilies, Hemerocallis, are coming onstage. Deer love the buds; keep up with repellents, and cross your fingers. The monocot Lilium has just one chance to flower. If rabbits or deer munch that growth point, that’s it for bloom. Although also monocot, many modern hemerocallis varieties have been bred to rebloom. Look for these: for themselves, and the gardener, a second chance.
Birds are major allies in garden insect control. They also help themselves to many berries in a berry patch, unless it is netted. The rule of sharing applies, for garden allies at least.
A birdbath, or two, in every garden is the goal. The flurry a bathing bird creates in a birdbath is something we need more of, sweet and calming. A hummingbird picking aphids off trellised sweet peas is almost reason alone to grow them.
Sow successional plantings of bush beans and salad greens. Keep peas picked. Snip scaping garlic. Allow leeks to bloom, to supply next year’s seedling plants. Cease asparagus harvesting and allow to fern, when stalks peter out and lose size.
Top-dress roses with compost, or a cup of low-number soil food (fertilizer). Deadhead and rake up petal drop as well as possible. Deadheading of early-blooming perennials and annuals extends flowering. Containers will need a liquid feed.
Learn to recognize the seedling or juvenile forms of desired biennials, such as lunaria, digitalis, and columbine (aquilegia, technically a short-lived perennial).
Likewise, learn to recognize the seedling forms of English ivy, bittersweet, and privet — just three of the most typical unwanted volunteers — before they grow to where removal is difficult or impossible: hedges, especially.
Gardeners’ reading
The Fourth of July has great meaning. Derive deeper insight into the lives and mentalities of our nation’s founders by reading the wonderful book, “Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation,” by Andrea Wulf.
Don’t scratch — investigate. Tick check every night.