IT IS TIME FOR "TRIAGE" WATERING!

Current conditions are dangerously dry and no significant moisture is in the forecast. My own routine in this weather ((I don't have a watering system) is to spot water new plantings from this year or last year. Today I will put out a sprinkler for 2 hours to water a bed that has 5 trees and numerous shrubs and perennials. Supplemental watering in drought conditions should always go to the newest and/or largest plants. TREES ARE MOST IMPORTANT! A tree damaged by drought can take years to recover (never mind replace), so lengthy, deep waterings are an urgent priority.

While this writer is in Tennessee, her thoughts on dealing with drought are applicable everywhere.

MOSQUITO SPRAYING KILLS POLLINATORS!

HABITAT PROTECTION AND OTHER SIMPLE MEASURES ARE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE.

Please read this authoritative and eye-opening article from the American Horticultural Society magazine before you engage the services of one of the many companies providing these types of services.

Apparently catnip is also an effective (and safe for all) repellent against mosquitos. Definitely worth trying.

Another effective - and safer - option is the "mosquito bucket" method, see below.

FUN, HELPFUL AND JUST PLAIN INTERESTING LINKS

Sweden’s Secret to Well-Being? Tiny Urban Gardens. I saw these in a park in Stockholm, they are truly amazing!

How a Soggy Spring and Hot Summer Nights Made 2025 an ‘Exceptional’ Year for Fireflies  

The Bunny Buffet: How to Garden without Losing Your Mind.

YES, TICKS ARE AROUND, BUT HERE'S SOME HELP

Should you (or your pet) have the misfortune to attract a tick, you can submit a photo to TickSpotters – Tick Encounter at the University of Rhode Island, and they will identify it for you.

"DOG DAYS" PLANTS THAT STILL LOOK GOOD IN MY (MOSTLY UNWATERED) GARDEN

(native plants marked *)

*Amsonia (done blooming but foliage looks great)

Anemone japonica

Catmint (still blooming!)

*Clethra - summersweet

(mobbed by pollinators!)

Hosta (if spared by bunnies)

*Inkberry - Ilex glabra

*Virginia sweetspire - Itea virginica

*Oakleaf hydrangea

*Phlox paniculata - tall phlox

Roses (many still blooming, especially Rosa rugosa)

*Indian pink - Spigelia marilandica (re-blooming after a cutback!)

Ornamental grasses, especially *Panicum

virgatum - switchgrass

Sedum

*Senna marilandica

*Snakeroot - Ageratina altissima

Thyme

*Vernonia - ironweed

*Veronicastrum virginicum - Culver's root

Looks like somebody could use a bit of water (and dog shampoo)!

THESE ARE THE DOG DAYS

OF SUMMER



Given the plethora of VERY hot days and the alternating drenching rain / lack thereof, this summer has, in my opinion, gone to the dogs. Which may explain why I have not sent a newsletter since early spring! Yikes and sorry.

Since I have officially named this the Summer of the Dog, you will see many photos of Hari, my almost 10 year old Cardigan Welsh Corgi. I think he's so much more pleasant to look at than the dried up stuff in my yard, a/k/a the August Garden. (Even if he is totally useless at chasing rabbits.

THE HUMMINGBIRD

IS STILL VISITING

Every year this gorgeous hunk of bird comes around to sip the nectar from my salvia and fuchsia, and a few other things, too. Hope you enjoy watching him as much as I do.

GUESS WHO ELSE VISITED? A MONARCH BUTTERFLY!

I don't see these very often, they come less and less frequently as the years go by. So I was super excited to see this one taking its fill of nectar from my butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa, the orange one). It would occasionally fly off as if it were leaving, but since literally no one else on my block seems to grow butterfly weed, it kept returning to my yard. I must say, I feel vindicated.

I'LL BE BACK TO GARDEN MENTORING IN SEPTEMBER!

I had a bit of a break this year, due to vacationing, weather that was too hot (or too rainy), and life in general. But I will be booking appointments again starting soon after Labor day, September 2, and would be happy to help with your "dog days" (and other) garden issues.

EVERY DAY IS A "DOG DAY" FOR THIS GOOD BOY!

I hope this newsletter has made you a more well-informed gardener, or perhaps even made you decide to start gardening. If you're a hands-off type who just likes to sit and enjoy the garden, some of the design ideas may appeal to you. If you have specific concerns about your landscape or need more than a few tips, why not make an appointment to meet with me for a consultation? I can give your entire landscape the benefit of my experience, with individualized garden plans and suggestions for improvements. Initial consultations are two hours long and cost $300. Follow-up consultations can be from an hour long to whatever you require, at the hourly rate of $125. 

Let me show you how to make your landscape more beautiful and less work!

 Garden Mentor

Joanne Neale, Owner/Designer

781.444.3553 (leave a message) 

jmneale@gmail.com

https://gardenmentor.net

“An addiction to gardening is not all bad

when you consider all the other choices in life.”

Cora Lee Bell