The best plants to plant as summer wanes
In the months leading up to autumn, herbs, and salad greens will flourish. Do you feel like you have missed the boat on gardening? Maybe you were planning to create a new or improve an existing border, but never got around to doing it. Perhaps your lush greenery is becoming dry and barren due to the recent heatwave.
You thought spring was the best time to plant. Even though the days are getting shorter, there are still some situations when it is the best time to plant. It is still quite a while before the first frosts, so there is plenty of time for new plants’ roots to grow and create an attractive garden.
Plant a salad
There are 4 components to a salad. These are lettuce for bulk, salad leaves like a rocket for flavor and herbs for interest, and salad vegetables (such as fennel or radish) that are thinly sliced with a mandolin to give it texture.
This is the best time of year to plant many of these varieties. Some leafy crops can bolt (flowering and going seed) when they are grown in the summer heat. However, now is the best time to sow these varieties as autumn is coming.
Flea beetles can nibble on cabbage members such as the mustard Red Frills and mizuna during hot weather. They are best to wait until August to sow. Planting a 2 x 1 meter patch with weed-free soil in the spring will allow for more harvests in the spring, as well as allowing you to enjoy the seasonal garnishes and early cropping of the autumn. For faster results, seedlings can also be started on a sunny windowsill.
Sow using lengths of guttering filled with peat-free soil in a protected corner or greenhouse. The seedlings are then able to be laid in a prepared U-shaped trench. There are three types of lettuce to sow: Batavia Red and Merveille de Quatre Saisons.
Wild rocket, Medania and Rubino spinach varieties, as well as wasabi mustard greens, can be used for an unusual flavour.
Curly Scarlet Kale can be grown on smaller plots or in containers. A good time to sow beetroot now is to have sweet leaves in the spring.
Salad herbs that are best to sow now tends to be biennial and related to parsley. These herbs belong to the family Apiaceae and are sometimes called umbellifers.
Umbels
Umbellifers aren’t just herbs. They can also be decorative, showy plants. Their blooms resemble cow parsley and have many small flowers that are attached to spokes, much like an umbrella.
These flowers add a cottage-like feel to the garden and can be paired with upright plants like veronicas or foxgloves. Plant directly in pots, or in gaps in a garden bed. The seed will germinate quickly, and then grow into sturdy plants that will overwinter to produce flowers next year.
Daucus carota dara is an ornamental carrot that has feathery leaves and flowers that turn white to pink, then burgundy. The Ammi Majus, a lacy white Ammi, adds a romantic touch. Its shorter, chunkier cousin Ammi visnaga bears tighter, more domed umbels.
Bupleurum Rotundifolium Griffithii, a variety from the UK’s Hare’s Ear has zingy green flowers. Orlaya Grandiflora is a wild plant that grows in the Mediterranean. The outer petals of the florets have a unique touch. They can be up to eight times larger than the rest. It thrives in semi-shade. These umbellifers are beautiful cut flowers.
Get some shrubby salvias!
Salvia is a diverse genus. They are pollinators’ favorite because they are prolific and rich in nectar. Salvias can continue to flower until November if they are in full bloom now. Before you purchase, I recommend that you see a live plant in bloom.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to choose the right color from a catalog or screen. Near Ripon, North Yorkshire, Newby Hall has a stunning collection of 40 salvias. The beds are surrounded by shrubby salvias. The beds are surrounded by taller salvias, Indigo Spires or Amistad, which are mixed with castor oil plants, tithonia, and zinnias.
Harrogate Flower Show will be held at Newby Hall on September 16-18. Middleton Nurseries will exhibit at the Harrogate Flower Show from September 16-18. William Dyson is the owner of a nursery that specializes in salvias at Great Comp, near Sevenoaks, in Kent. He recommends Cerro Potosi, tough and shrubby salvia, with large magenta blooms.
Pink Pong, a newer variety, has deep pink blooms. Salvias thrive in sandy, well-drained soils that are either sunny or partially shaded. They are well-suited for association with roses, penstemons, and ornamental grasses.
These plants are easy to cut back after spring’s last frosts. Vigorous varieties can also be cut back in July. At this time of the year, salvias from the “Wish” series have a shrublike appearance.
- Coral-flowered salvia in large pots. It is paired with an orange-flowered Mirabilis jalapa, and a trailing, peach-flowered verbena.
Some herbs can be planted
This is the best time to plant new herbs in your herb garden, especially woody ones. Thyme, sage, and hardy evergreen rosemary are essential herbs for herb gardens. They can be used in stews, roast meats, and other stuffings.
Thyme requires well-draining soil. Jones suggests that you plant Thyme in a terracotta container with perlite or gritty mixed into the soil. This will allow for water to drain through.
These Mediterranean herbs should be placed in a “winter sun spot”, ideally against a south-facing brick wall, and away from frosty areas.
Mint is easy to grow. Mint spreads easily but can be controlled by planting it in large plastic pots that are sunk into a border. To encourage tender leaves, you can cut the plants down to their base. Mint, as an herbaceous perennial, naturally goes dormant for winter. French tarragon can also be extended by lifting roots and potting them up for a window or greenhouse.