Entering The Doldrums

"A lot of people like to enjoy the desert from air-conditioned rooms." 

Usually by this time of year, there is a temptation to not head out into the heat and humidity as much.  This year we have experienced a rather cool June with tons of rain that would otherwise make us jump for joy to have such true summer weather, but then we got the mosquitoes... Weeds start getting aggressive, intense blooming perennials like peonies have long since bit the dust, and the mid-summer bloomers are really not quite there just yet.  I call this period the doldrums, as it has the power to knock the wind out of a gardener's sails.

The best thing to do at this point is inventory walking.  Take slow, focused walks through the garden and engage in some moderate weeding, perhaps to free some veggies and flowers that might have been buried.  See if anything could use a little perking up, consider transplanting some friends to free up them and others.  Even just spending 15 minutes a day out there will add up into keeping the garden in mind and/or out of neglect.  Yeah, things might seem like a chore, but a little attention out there can turn it back into a delight.  If nothing else, there are going to be berries out there!

The best is perhaps still yet to come; spring is a glorious renewal but summer is an incredible bounty and tapestry getting ready to shine.  In addition to glads, daylillies, and the amazing Russian Sage (Perovskia Atriplicifolia), the vast majority of our most amazing native prairie plants are getting ready to bless us with a show that launched a thousand plant-collecting ships to decorate European gardens with North American splendor.  As we speak, billions of various liatris species are about to turn the world pink and purple, to the delight of every butterfly in the state.  If you don't have any of these species, perhaps a trip to a local nursery is in order; the annuals might be all gone, but so will the crowds, and the perennials will be in bloom and probably on sale. 

To keep up the inspiration, try seeing what's cooking at a local nursery.  Go for a visit to one of our many preserves and state parks to see our native flowers in action.  Better yet, consider volunteering at one of the DNR's volunteer workdays; you get to learn about native flora and invasive species, and they almost always take place at an off-the-beaten path, remnant natural location that might otherwise not be marked or ever visited.