The Final Days of Summer; Setting Seed and Planning for the Future

Dana Ecelberger, Master Gardener at the Stanford Inn by the Sea 

         Like many things in Life, the garden goes into a frenzy of activity just before it shuts it eyes for the long, dark winter months; if you have little ones, you know what I mean! How do they get all that energy right before bedtime anyway?? All summer the bees, butterflies, birds, frogs, snakes, bats along with a multitude of other creatures great and small (including the gardener) have been busily tending the flowers, herbs, veggies and fruits. The garden has been occupying itself with spreading its roots, stems, and leaves down, up and out. It has been seeking out water and nutrients that, if we have done our work correctly, are readily available. In return, the garden gives us all manner of delicious and beautiful bounties to nourish our eyes, noses, tummies and spirits. As summer winds up to a grand finale we must gear ourselves up for one last explosion of activity.

      Late summer is the time to be extra careful about watering, as the days often heat up to nearly unbearable temperatures. Early morning watering is the best as it gives the plants what they need to get through the heat of the day. Tomatoes, beans, squash, melons, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, basil are all setting fruit faster than we can keep up with them. It is critical to keep them picked regularly in order to keep them producing. Flowers need to be "dead headed" as soon as the flowers start to turn brown or drop their petals. To do this you simply snip the flower and its stem down to the next flower bud. We can delay the plant from making seed until the last minute by not letting any of the fruit get too big and removing finished flowers so the plant continues to produce new flowers.

      If you are getting overrun with all the produce and flowers your garden is joyfully presenting you with (lucky you!), find out where your local Food Bank or homeless shelter is and make their day with a gift of fresh goodies. You can also involve the family in preserving some of the harvest for winter by canning, drying or freezing the excess. A great resource book is "Preserving the Harvest" by Carol W. Costenbader. Some of my happiest childhood memories include making fruit leather and dill pickles with the berries, apples, beans and cucumbers we grew in our small garden each year. Late summer is a great time for wild blackberry picking also.

      If you planted your Bird and Butterfly Garden now is the time to observe the birds flocking to your porch or backyard to enjoy the Sunflower heads that are ripening. Get a bird identification guide for your area and make a chart of all the birds you can identify and the times they come to visit your garden. Many flowers are peaking now and the butterflies and bees will be ecstatically enjoying the late summer nectar. Spend some time quietly observing their habits. What time of day do they seem to be most active, least active? Are there differences in wing designs? Draw a picture of your favorite one.  And, pay attention to which plants they favor. Start to notice now which of the flowers are the largest, most brilliant in color, least likely to wilt in the heat. Or, which of the tomatoes are the tastiest and most prolific. Which squash the sweetest? Tie brightly colored ribbons around these individuals. These are the ones you will gather seed from in the Fall. As August comes to an end, stop picking their fruits and flowers so that they will set seed. In September I will tell you how to harvest and save the seed for your garden next year, or to give as gifts. Nothing says hope in the future like a seed.

      Enjoy the beautiful bounty of your garden! Check back in September for seed saving tips and an idea on how to make pretty envelopes to save them in.