Stop and Smell the Flowers

August, in East Central Illinois, can be harsh and it’s our hottest time of the year. It’s a time for back to school and gearing up for harvest. We are a farming community and our seasons revolve around planting and harvest. Tomatoes are beginning to ripen and it’s time to put some in the freezer for those long winter months. Peppers will soon follow and if you plant squash, cucumbers or pumpkins, it’s time for them, too. 

August is also the time that I stop deadheading spent blooms and let the flowers go to seed. Their cycles are almost finished and soon the colors of fall will be upon us.

It is also a time to plan and look ahead. I plot and make lists for spring bulbs. And it’s also a great time to plant trees and shrubs and divide iris beds.

Tulips, daffodils and crocus are my favorite spring bulbs to plant. Last year we put in 40 new tulip bulbs and they were a joy to see after a long, hard winter. We bought an assortment, as I kind of like surprises, and I handed them to my son and his friend who were here to help with the fall decorating. I gave them the shovel and told them to plant them anywhere they wanted and walked back inside.

I had so much fun this spring checking every inch of my beds for little surprises. I am going to do the same thing this year. If you don’t have children who can do this for you, find a garden buddy. Take turns planting in each other’s yards, and no peeking! The fun is not knowing what or where something is going to come up.

August is also a great time to just walk around your yard at different times of the day to see if you need to add a little shade or color here or there. There are still gardening centers that have a few leftovers and it’s a great time to pick up some bargains! Softwoods grow faster than hardwoods.

Ask questions and read labels so you know what you are getting. Take a drive around town and through the parks for inspiration. Remember to keep all the tags of new plantings and the receipts just in case the plant doesn’t make it through the winter. Most places will refund your money, but only if you have the tag and receipt. It also helps you remember what you planted after a very long winter.

As summer winds down and the weeding comes to end, take time to just sit and enjoy what God has blessed you with this year. Soak up the sunshine, inhale all the smells and listen to the birds sing.

Tete Dennis is a Christian, wife, mother and hopefully a grandmother someday. She loves to garden and create. Although she has fibromyalgia and degenerative arthritis, which limits how much she can do most of the time, gardening is her best therapy. It keeps her moving. She also bottle-feeds baby kittens from the local Humane Society. She loves everything old, vintage, shabby, peeling paint and rust. In addition to gardening, she has an antique booth in a local mall and enjoys anything to do with history. She considers herself far from perfect but she likes to say that “God isn’t done with me yet.”

You can visit her blog at:  http://tete-beyondthegardengate.blogspot.com/.