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Letter to the editor

Plant a splash of color

Take advantage of the cooler weather to add some color to your garden or plant seasonal vegetables.

By MARY COLLISTER, Gardening
Published November 7, 2007

We're quickly entering the best time of the year to be out in a Florida garden. The humidity has dropped and the temperature is starting to fall. It's a pleasure to be outside and you can undertake almost any garden project and expect success without the heat exhaustion.

Adding fall color is always a favorite, and the list of flowers is almost endless. As I have suggested, mix your favorite fall flowers (those with which you have repeated success) with a few experimental varieties. Your list of favorites may expand as the newbies become season must-haves.

- Tried and true flowers include marigolds, pansies, petunias, impatiens, rudbeckia, salvia, porter weed, mums, cone flowers, asters, calendulas, candy tufts, carnations, daisies, dianthus, hollyhocks, lace flowers, lobelias, nasturtiums, snapdragons, sweet peas, Sweet William, verbenas, zinnias and a multitude of others. Take a slow walk through your local nursery and you'll see a vast variety of choices.

- Herbs. Always in good taste. Most don't have showy flowers, but they do offer different colors and texture of foliage, and of course are edible. Try anise, basil, borage, chives, chervil, coriander, fennel, garlic, lavender, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, sesame, sweet marjoram, thyme and most other herbs.

- Vegetables. If you want these to accompany the herbs, now is the time to plant. Try beets, broccoli, cabbage, celery, Chinese cabbage, carrots, collards, cucumbers, escarole, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, okra, onion sets, parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, rhubarb, romaine, rutabagas, spinach, squash, strawberries, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes and turnips. Choose a few your family will enjoy and give it a try.

For best results, make sure your soil is healthy before planting vegetables. Work in composted organic materials and add a little slow-release fertilizer a few days before planting. Moisten the soil before planting and keep it moist during the growing season, as vegetables typically need more water than most other garden plants.

If you add plants to your garden, remember that October is the beginning of the dry season in Florida, so you will probably have to add water to keep your new charges healthy. Don't think this season is all work; take a break and enjoy the labors of other gardeners.

* * *

I was recently reminded of the old saying "Good things come in small packages" at a visit to a townhome with a small rear garden. It can't be more than 10 by 12 feet, but every square inch is used to its maximum potential.

There is no grass, and paving stones fill about half the space. The entire garden has a wonderful canopy of oak and elm trees that are high enough to offer shade but also allow sunlight to enter the area. The area is used by humans and two small dogs, which enjoy the garden as much as the people do.

Having moved from a large home with a large garden, these residents had to downsize. This garden may be lacking in space, but certainly not in design.

The homeowner added two crape myrtles and has let them grow to about 10 feet high and will let them reach their potential of about 20 feet. The garden has PVC fencing on two sides and a masonry wall along the back.

The fences act as a definite boundary and with the trees overhead give it that secret-garden feel.

A nice lanai, large enough for a small round table and two comfortable chairs, greets you as you leave the house. Large pots add color and texture to the area and allow a variety of plants to be grown and rotated through the area with the change of seasons.

It was a great example and a beautiful reminder that gardens don't have to be overwhelming, large or labor intensive to provide a relaxing place for family and a few friends.

[Last modified November 6, 2007, 22:39:31]