August brings hot and sticky weather to Hampton Roads. With it, too, comes the full enjoyment and bounty of the edibles and flowers you've tended during the spring and early summer. The most important thing to do in your garden right now is... enjoy all the beauty you've accomplished!
Sit back, relax and enjoy that gorgeous view. Here's a few easy tricks to keep your garden in tip-top shape through the rest of the summer:
JAPANESE PAINTED FERN (Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum')
When you think of ferns your mind wanders off in imagination to places of lush shady forests, babbling brooks and misty rain. Ferns can add a touch of softness to any shady garden and thanks to the Japanese Painted Fern they can also offer a splash of color in an area that can often be challenging to bring color to.
Mulching is one of the easiest and most beneficial practices you can use in the garden. We define mulch as a protective layer of material that is spread on top of the soil. It can either be organic -- such as grass clippings, pine straw, bark chips, and similar materials -- or inorganic -- such as stones, brick chips, and plastic. Organic mulches improve the condition of the soil. As these mulches slowly decompose, they provide organic matter which helps keep the soil loose.
CRYSTAL FALLS® MONDO GRASS
It’s crystal clear... you need to add this plant to your landscape. If you've been looking for that perfect plant for a shady spot, look no further than Crystal Falls® Mondo Grass. This evergreen grass is shade loving and cold hardy. With wide, dark green this slow spreading mound will produce leaves that grow 24 to 30 inches long. Panicles of star shaped, white blooms appear from July through September. Following the bloom period, very large berries are produced which turn bright blue by November.
It’s hot and humid and with that comes the threat of Brown Patch in many local lawns. Brown Patch presents itself in a circular pattern appearing brown, yellow or tan anywhere from 6 inches to several feet in diameter and spreads rapidly. This fungus is more prominent in fescue grasses and is common when there are moist conditions and night temperatures are above 60 degrees. It is most severe when low and high temperatures are above 70 degrees and 90 degrees. When turf grass is wet for 10 or more hours, the fungus will infect grass quickly.