Watching bees and butterflies with pollen-coated legs buzz about my garden fascinates me. While I don’t plan to grow my leg hair until it can collect yellow nodules of plant magic, I have decided to join these insects’ efforts to pollinate my tomato blooms.
Memory triggers include anything from childhood toys, favorite tunes, or scents that punch the start button on videos of our past that cycle over and over in our heads. Each spring when lilacs bloom, I get a full two weeks of scented prompts that start those mind movies rolling.
A trip from the High Plains to the Coastal Plains of South Carolina brought Skip lots of new gardening images and ideas. One of the most interesting botanical finds was Spanish moss, a wispy airplant with an unusual history. This week Growing on the High Plains will take a look at an area of the country that is as botanically different from the flatlands of Kansas as day is different from night.
Hollyhocks thrive in this arid climate we call home. It does not flower the first year, but sends up a tall stalk the next that will bloom most of the summer. The best time to plant your seeds is late summer, giving it time to sprout and get established before winter sets in. The most common disease is rust, which can be managed by actively removing affected areas or with chemicals.
Most plants in Skip's garden got a jump on spring, producing foliage, buds, flowers, and fruits earlier than usual, and thus allowing an amazing harvest of ripe tomatoes in mid-June.
