by Patty Leander
photos by Bruce Leander
Texas Bluebell (Eustoma grandiflorum)
We have officially transitioned from warm season to hot season which leaves little to do in the vegetable garden that doesn’t involve heat, sweat, bugs, bites and intense sun. This is a good time to go dormant in the vegetable garden while you dream, plan and prepare for the fall season. Make a list of what you want to grow, and decide if you want to grow your own transplants or buy them from a nursery. Growing your own is very rewarding and allows you to try new or unusual varieties that may not be available at
Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
your local garden center. While you are at it, make a sketch or diagram of your garden and note your target date for planting outside. This will help you determine when to start transplants and when to have your beds ready.
One thing we can always count on, no matter what time of year, is the beauty of the nature that surrounds us. If you know my husband, Bruce, you know that he uses an artist’s eye and a photographer’s skill to capture this beauty, and one of his favorite settings is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Over ten years ago, he approached the executive director with a proposal: in exchange for 24/7 access to the grounds, which allows him to shoot at the golden hour of sunrise, he would give them rights to utilize all of his images. It has turned out to be a beneficial partnership — he has a gratifying outlet for his photography interests, and the Wildflower Center has access to his outstanding photo collection for their newsletter, website, pamphlets, brochures and more. You’ll rarely see his name attached to a photo, as he prefers the anonymity. Several times a week he leaves the house in the pre-dawn hours and heads to the Wildflower Center to scout the gardens for flora and fauna. The security guards and staff know him and are no longer surprised to see his car in the lot or his camera bag on the path. Included here are some of his photos taken during the month of July at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Hope it lifts your spirits way above the heat.
Here is the vegetable gardener’s checklist for July:
- Peruse the seed catalogs and place your order for vegetables you plan to grow.
- Grow your own cool season transplants.
- Clean out beds, removing spent crops and weeds and replacing mulch as needed.
- Mulch fallow beds with a thick layer of straw, hay, leaves or compost to protect the soil and microorganisms in anticipation of fall planting.
- Start a compost pile using kitchen scraps, grass clippings and garden trimmings, and be sure to keep it moist to encourage microbial activity. Ideally, place it in the shade or cover the top to keep it from drying out.
- Set out transplants of peppers, eggplant and tomatoes in late July or early August. Water well and shade young plants from hot afternoon sun.
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus dummondii)
Scarlet Musk-flower (Nyctaginia capitata)
Ribbon snake
Daddy Longlegs
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