Connecticut Garden Journal

September is a great time of year to plant perennial flowers. Most gardeners shy away from fall planting because they worry the plants won't survive winter. But if you plant in September, your perennials will have plenty of time to put down their roots before the cold.

Another advantage to fall planting is nurseries and garden centers are offering sales to move their stock. You can even find public gardens holding plant sales to raise money and offer some rare and unique plants. One such plant sale is happening at the Hollister House Public Garden in Washington on the September 11th. Check it out. You can get inspired by their display gardens while picking up some unusual plants.

Once you get your plants home, don't delay in planting. The sooner they're in the ground, the faster they'll get established. Find the right location with proper sun or shade and well-drained soil for your new babies. Remember a garden that's shaded in September, may be in full sun in June, so plant based on the other perennials in that bed.

Plant in groups of 3, 5 or 7 for the best display. It's okay to cut off blooms or yellowing leaves. The plant is probably going dormant this time of year anyway. Take a photo, mark or draw on a map where you planted the newbies because in spring, you may forget. For perennials that might be a little tender for our climate, mulch with a 3- to 4-inch thick layer of wood chips in November to protect the roots and prevent frost heaves from unearthing the new plant. Don't be surprised if your new plants are a little slow to emerge next spring, but just for the first year.

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People often wonder why we grow potatoes. After all, they're plentiful year round in grocery stores. But there's something very elemental about potatoes. They grow easily from little seedling potatoes that yield an abundance of new potatoes. They are a treat to harvest, especially with kids. And I think they taste better.

One question I often get is when do I harvest my potatoes. You can start harvesting when they flower. Yes, some varieties of potatoes flower in midsummer with attractive purple colored, star-shaped blooms. You'll mostly harvest small sized, new potatoes. Of course, if you harvest too many you'll have fewer potatoes in fall.

In late summer, the potato plant starts dying back, and that's you can harvest them completely. If you see mice and vole activity you might want to harvest sooner than later.

On a dry day, gently dig around the base of the row or potato plant with a shovel or iron fork to unearth your spuds. Try not to damage the potatoes when harvesting or they won't last long in storage. Bring the potatoes into a warm, airy room, garage or barn with no direct sunlight. Place them on racks or a dry surface and let them dry for a few weeks. This toughens the skin so they last longer in storage. Brush off the soil and protect them from light with a covering or they might turn green. Green tinged potatoes are still okay to eat, they just won't taste as good. Store in a dark, basement or room where the temperatures stay around 40°F. They should last into winter.

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My mom always loved flowers but in her later years she really couldn't garden much anymore. So, when she was still living at home, my brother planted a Rose of Sharon shrub in the front lawn just outside her kitchen window. Mom spent a lot of time in the kitchen and even though it wasn't the best spot for the Rose of Sharon, she loved seeing the late summer blooms.

Rose of Sharon is in the hibiscus family as you would guess from the brightly colored, trumpet-shaped flowers. It's a hardy shrub in our landscape. Most varieties grow 8- to 12-feet tall, so watch where you plant it. The Chiffon series is a newer type that offers semi-double flowers in colors such as blue, pink, white, rose and lavender. There are dwarf varieties such as 'Lil Kim' with white flowers and a red eye. And 'Sugar Tips' that has variegated leaves and double pink blooms.

Rose of Sharon is not a fussy plant. It grows in full sun or part shade on average soils. It tolerates heat and humidity and once established it's drought tolerant. It will flower into September. 

Rose of Sharon has a graceful vase shape and looks great planted with other deciduous shrubs in a border or hedge, at the back of a perennial flower garden or as a specimen plant in the yard. It doesn't require regular pruning, but it can grow 2 feet a year. If you need to reduce its size, prune in late winter or early spring. Deadhead spent flowers to keep your Rose of Sharon from setting seeds and spreading.

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As students are getting ready to head back to school, it has me thinking of gardening with kids. Many schools have integrated gardens into their classroom curriculums with great success. Research has shown that kids who garden at school learn to appreciate nature more, eat more fresh vegetables at school and at home, score higher in science achievement tests, learn to work better with other kids and generally enjoy being in school more.

While the benefits of school gardens are many, there is often a hesitation from teachers and administrators to start a program. This is understandable, especially if the teachers aren't gardeners themselves. But there are lots of resources available to help with the basics of gardening, lessons planning and finding volunteers. The Connecticut School Gardens Resource Center offers classes and information, Connecticut Master Gardeners can be a volunteer resource, and kidsgardening.org offers lesson plans.

There are some tips for starting out with a school garden program. First, get the administration, other teachers, parents, and facilities and maintenance staff on board. Including them from the beginning will help alleviate some future problems. Start small with a raised bed or some containers. Find a safe and convenient location, such as a courtyard, in full sun with a water source nearby. Work with the kids, volunteers and parents on what to grow. This fall, if you're ready, plant garlic, shallots and spring flowering bulbs in October.

Finally, be patient and realistic with your time. Take it step by step. Once you have a plan and program, you'll see the kids, and plants, will thrive in the garden.

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Whether it's a cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon, there's something about the sun warmed, sweet, juicy taste of a melon.

All of these melons grow well in our Connecticut gardens, but we do need to know when to harvest. Some melons are easy to spot when ripe and others take practice.

Probably the easiest melon to grow and know when it's ripe are musk melons or cantaloupes. Watch the netting on the cantaloupe skin. When it turns light brown give the fruit a gentle tug. If it slips off the vine, it's ripe. Also, check for the sweet, melon fragrance by sniffing the end of the fruit.

Honeydew melons are little more complicated. They don't slip off the vine and usually don't have a strong aroma. Harvest honeydews when the skin color changes to a yellow color and the blossom end has a little give to it when pressed.

Watermelons are probably the most confusing to know when to harvest. Like honeydews, they don't slip off the vine or have an aroma. The best clue is when the small, curly-cue vine that's closest to the fruit turns brown. You can also check the bottom of the melon to see if it's turned yellow. Some gardeners thump their watermelons and listen for the right sound when its ripe.

Melons ripen best with sunny, hot, dry weather, Cut back on watering as melons get large for best flavor. Protect ripening fruits from birds and mice with metal cages.

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It's August and in many perennial flower gardens, the color show has waned. Maybe the rudbeckias and echinaceas are still going strong, but many flower gardens can benefit from a pop of color from some late summer and fall bloomers.

While the traditional asters and sedums will provide some color, if you're looking for a big splash, nothing beats the hardy hibiscus. Unlike the tropical hibiscus, this perennial dies back to the ground each winter and is hardy in Connecticut. It produces dinner-plate sized, white, pink, bi-colored or burgundy colored blossoms from late summer into September. Most plants grow about 3- to 5-feet tall and wide and they make a statement in your garden.

Monk's hood or Aconitum is an impressive, tall, upright perennial that thrives in part shade. The hood-like flowers come in white, pink, or purple colors and the plant loves the cool, moist weather of fall. Just make sure animals or kids don't eat the leaves or flowers because they are poisonous.

Another tall, late-blooming perennial is Rudbeckia Hortensis 'Golden Glow' or the privy plant. Originally grown to hide the outhouse on farms, this rudbeckia grows 6- to 7-feet tall and can spread. The bright yellow, double petaled flowers bloom right into fall and make a nice cut flower.

For something a little lower growing, try the Montauk daisy. Originally from Japan, this perennial daisy has naturalized on Montauk, Long Island, hence the name. It only grows 1- to 2-feet tall with bright white, daisy flowers that bloom from fall to frost. It adds a splash of brightness, contrasting well with fall mums.

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It's berry season. Whether you're growing your own or harvesting berries at a pick your own farm, knowing when to harvest the berries is key to getting the tastiest, sweetest fruits. So, let's talk about harvesting some popular and unusual berries.

First of all, become familiar with the type of berry and variety. Some berries mature to different colors making it important to know what to look for in the berry patch. For example, raspberry fruits can be red, yellow, purple or black, depending on the type.

Strawberries are mostly finished producing, so let's start with raspberries. When picking, wait until the color is solid across the whole berry and the fruits come off the plant with just a gentle tug.

Blueberries are producing right now as well. You'd think it's easy to know when to pick a blueberry, but many people harvest too soon. Wait until the berry is blue all around to harvest. However, I've found that even if you pick a little early, it's okay. We leave blueberries at room temperatures for a day after harvest and I swear they get sweeter.

Blackberries are a bit easier to tell when ripe. They should be black, of course, but they should also come off the plant with a gentle tug. If they resist, check again tomorrow.

Wait until elderberries are plump and black, and then harvest the whole umbel with scissors for making juice, jelly and wine. Currants can be red, white, pink or black. I cup my hand under a group of berries and gently tickle them with my fingers. Ripe berries drop off easily.

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As the nights become cooler in late July and August, powdery mildew disease starts making its appearance on many vegetables flowers, trees and shrubs.

This fungal disease thrives when humidity goes up and temperatures cool in late summer. There are a number of different fungi that cause the disease. It can attack plants such as lilacs, crabapples, bee balm, phlox, tomatoes, squash, zinnias, and many other plants. Beside the white, powdery growth on the leaves, powdery mildew can also cause leaf rolling or deforming and yellowing or greying of the leaves.

While powdery mildew disease usually doesn't kill plants, it can reduce production of vegetables and be unsightly in a garden. Luckily, there are many ways to reduce the infection. First, you can move to a drier climate (just kidding). But better would be to space plants further apart to increase air flow and cause the leaves to dry out, clean up infected plants well and grow resistant varieties. Some good powdery mildew resistant varieties include 'Marshall's Delight' bee balm, 'Volcano' and 'Candy Store' phlox, 'Butterbaby' butternut squash, 'Purple Dome' aster and 'Indian Summer' crabapple.

Start looking for diseased leaves now as it gets started. Pick, remove and destroy the leaves. If you need to spray to control powdery mildew, select organic pesticides and spray now before the diseases starts spreading quickly. Bio Neem oil, Bacillus subtilis (Serenade) and sulphur sprays all will reduce the spread, but not kill established disease. Even a baking soda mixture can help. I've sprayed a 1 tablespoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of liquid soap and 1 gallon of water mixture to prevent the disease.

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Each year the Perennial Plant Association chooses a perennial plant of the year to highlight and encourage gardeners to grow. This year they chose a beauty. Little bluestem grass is a hardy, clumping grass native to the prairies that has visual interest from summer through winter. Unlike other ornamental grasses where the show really starts in fall, little bluestem has attractive blue gray, spiky leaves all summer that turn an orange-red color in autumn. It produces white, dainty flowers and seed heads for winter interest and is a good source of food for birds as well. The leaves also can host native butterfly larvae. Depending on the selection, little bluestem can grow 2- to 4-feet tall. Varieties best adapted to Connecticut include ''Standing Ovation' and 'The Blues'.

Little bluestem grows well when paired with a variety of perennial flowers. Grow it next to asters, cat mint, lamb's ears and butterfly weed. You can also grow little bluestem in large groups. Plant them where you can enjoy the plants and seed heads in winter from indoors.

Little bluestem grows best in full sun. Once established, it can resist drought and grow in less than perfect soils. It also tolerates heat and humidity well. It does like well-drained soils. Too much moisture and fertilizer and a lack of sunlight can cause the flower stalks to flop over.

This ornamental grass needs little maintenance to keep looking good. Let the seed heads and leaves persist over winter for the beneficial insects and for an added visual appeal. Cut back the plant in spring after a series of 50 degree days.

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There's nothing like the taste of home grown cantaloupes and other melons from your garden. The warm summer weather is perfect for melon growing, but now also is a time when problems can arise. So, let's do a little melon troubleshooting.

Melons like heat, well-drained soil, water and fertility. Ideally, grow on raised beds amended with compost. Once they start vining, add a small handful of an organic granular fertilizer, such as 5-5-5, around the plants to keep growing strong all summer. Run a soaker hose in the melon patch to insure the soil stays consistently moist, especially during our summer droughts. Use a timer so you don't have to remember to turn the water on and off.

Like all cucurbits, melon plants have male and female flowers and need bees to pollinate the flowers to form fruit. If you notice fruits rotting and falling off when they're small, it may be due to poor pollination. You can help by pollinating the flowers yourself. In the morning, go into the melon patch with a cotton swab. Swish the swab in an opened male flower, one with a straight stem behind the flower. Then swish it in an opened female flower, one with a small fruit behind the flower. Voila, you've pollinated the melon flower.

Cucumber beetles can cause damage to young plants and spread disease. Control beetles by placing yellow sticky cards around the melon patch. Squash bugs love to feed on the leaves. Squish the copper colored, squash bug eggs that are laid in groups on the undersides of the leaves. Check the leaves every few days.

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