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Greetings, and welcome to the new subscribers!
The last two months have been brutal for the garden! May was insanely windy, and June was scorchingly hot. Both were stupid dry. I sold lettuce starts this year, but I didn't plant any, you know, cuz I'm kinda retired... In hindsight, though, I'm glad. Trying to keep those little plants alive in those winds would have broken me. Kudos to all of you who've battled the elements to have a garden this year!
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As of Friday July 3, there's rain in the forecast most days next week. That seems like a normal monsoon season, but we'll see if it holds out. Let's hope we get rain to help douse the wildfires. The West is burning up! So sad.
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How My Summer is Going
My aim this summer is to attract birds and pollinators. They go hand in hand, as the bugs feed the birds. Sorry, but that's the food chain.
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I planted two beds of flowers. I'm also making a record of anything else that's blooming. I'm pretty impressed with the native plants putting on nice displays despite the drought. I was afraid there'd be no flowers this summer, but there's been a constant bloom since spring. I find, though, that plants and flowers are smaller, and bloom times are shorter. They're doing their best with what they've got. At least they're flowering! And pollinators are visiting! And I have lots of birds! I actually watched a Says Phoebe feed a big ol' grasshopper to her offspring! Amazing stuff, the natural world.
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In one of my flower beds, gophers immediately ate two of the three Tithonia I planted. They also snagged one out of 10 zinnias. I went to Ace the other day and bought a six-pack of Stock to fill in the bed. So far, it's all still there. Gophers also love the larkspur that reseed every year. That's fine, because there's a lot of it! Bumblebees love larkspur, so I let it grow! It has a very short bloom time for an annual, but because it blooms in the spring, it feeds the early arrivals.
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Garlic was in one half of the other bed. I planted six Scabiosa starts and direct seeded some Double Click Cosmos in the other half. After pulling the garlic, I seeded Badger Flame Beets. I always tell people to grow the expensive stuff. Beets are expensive! Hopefully this planting will provide enough to carry me into winter.
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As always, dill and cosmos reseed and are scattered around the garden, sometimes in inconvenient spots, but I'm leaving them so they'll flower and feed my insect friends.
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In my backyard, I have two planters and a trellis where I normally plant annuals. They need considerable water, so I left them empty this year. Instead, I made a Drought Year Garden of old rusty stuff I found in a new-to-me dump in the 'hood. I'm not sure it will hold up to the wind, but don't we love an experiment?!
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I butchered my Butterfly Bush again. It was wild! Look at it! Out of control! I think that's because I did a really uneven job pruning it last year. I'll prune it every year until I get it into a 'shape.' Ha! I've considered cutting it down to the ground and letting it start over. It bloomed beautifully, but the one rainstorm I got ruined the flowers. I gotta say, though, the winds are doing almost as much damage!
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Butterfly Bush (Buddleia alternifolia) - before
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Butterfly Bush (Buddleia alternifolia) - after. This picture is from two weeks ago. It's put on a lot of new growth already, and that's where next year's flowers will bloom.
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There's been a discussion on Facebook about drought tolerant trees. Paul Cross said that Paul Bryan Jones recommends Box Elder 'Sensation', a male cultivar that doesn't get box elder bugs. He said it grows 3-5' a year in Taos. Sign me up for that one! I'll sacrifice mountain views for some shade. My house doesn't cool off the way it used to when it rained every day.
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Other recommendations were hackberry, thornless locust, ash, honey locust, and lacebark elm (which is not the same as the invasive Siberian Elm).
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July Garden Tasks
Normally I would say 'With all the watering you've been doing, stay on top of the weeds!' I feel it's different this year. I don't have a lot of weeds, not even in the yard, because it's so dry. The white mallow is my nemesis, and even it is growing slowly. I'm actually leaving the plants this year, because the gophers love them! I find a dead clump almost every day. They chew through the root and eat the bottom of it, I guess. They never eat the top or take it down into their burrow. But there's not much else out there to eat, so have at it and leave my few flowers alone!
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Finish pruning your spring flowering shrubs so they can put on new growth for next year's flowers. If you have summer flowering shrubs, they should be pruned in late winter/early spring. They'll flower on the current year's growth. I know. It's confusing....
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Side dress with compost. I've put it around my trees and shrubs to give them some slow-release nutrients. I scratch it into the soil and water it in. Hopefully the forecast rain will finish the job. There are also fast-acting, organic fertilizers if your plants need a shot in the arm right away. The two in tandem will feed your plants well.
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You should be harvesting and enjoying your spring greens, and later in the month, tomatoes, peppers, cukes, and squash will start to produce!
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Succession plantings of green beans, carrots, beets, and greens will give you fall harvests. When one bed gets emptied, add more compost and plant something else. Remember that with shorter days, growth will slow, so it will take longer to get to maturity.
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Sponsored content from a trusted local resource.
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July sale for newsletter subscribers only!
Mention this ad, and get 10% off the entire store
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More on Earthgoods from Jason
He sent me this text today for the newsletter. It will be going out to the public this week.
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Business Opportunity in Taos
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Have you ever dreamed of owning a business that’s already established, respected, and part of the Taos community?
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After nearly 20 years, EarthGoods is looking for its next owner.
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I love EarthGoods. I love what I do, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the friendships and relationships this business has brought into my life. But sometimes life presents a new adventure that’s simply too good to pass up.
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Rather than closing the doors, I’d love to find the right person to build on everything EarthGoods has become.Whether your vision is to continue serving our loyal customers or expand the business into something even bigger, the opportunity is here.
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If you’ve ever wanted to own a business rooted in organic gardening, healthy soils, and community, I’d love to visit with you.
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Thank you to everyone who has supported EarthGoods over the years. I can’t wait to see where the next chapter takes this business.
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Serious inquiries are welcome, and all conversations will remain confidential.
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The New Book
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The New Book is at Gutiz, Moxie, Earthgoods, Crone & Crow, Taos Herb, Petree's, and op.cit. Books. Hit me up if you need a signed copy for yourself or shipped out. You can order The New Book directly from UNM Press below. Please avoid buying from third party sellers. Thank you!
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Scarecrow by Christie Bundy
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Nothing New on Substack Again
I have one piece that needs polishing and pictures and at least ideas for four more essays. Stay tuned.
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In the meantime, subscribe to Backstories and Brain Chatter! Buy me a coffee with a paid subscription for $8/month or $80/year. Limited time offer to get 20% off your first year with an annual subscription!
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Etsy
I adorned a coffee mug with my non-binary collage people! I also have a tote bag with one of my line drawings on it. If you're an Etsy shopper, please Favorite the store to see what I'm up to. There''s more to come! Thanks!
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