Summer Planting

         Hi everybody and welcome! This week as I am writing to you from the windy city of Chicago. We are on vacation here for the week and the weather has been absolutely beautiful. Since we had an expert tour guide, my daughter and her fiancé, we were able to see more of the city in four days then the average person would see in two weeks. I think one of the most overwhelming concepts was relaxing by the pool on the eighth floor with the cascading shadow of the Sears Tower in the background. Another aspect of the city that I was really impressed with was how well manicured the city is as far as landscaping and planting flowers. City landscaping has many challenges and one of the most prevalent is simply the lack of space to plant in. I have seen this challenge conquered with beautiful flower gardens set up on balconies along with flowerboxes being draped from the sides of buildings. One of the most widely used flowers in the city is the petunia. In many of the arrangements, petunias surround grassy plants such as pampas grass and daylilies. Rooftop gardens are also a very common sight. I think one of the things that I fond most intriguing is that these gardens will only last about 3 months before the cold weather sets in and all the work has to be done again next year. All in all it's a great place to visit. Also if you do visit here, a trip to the Chicago Botanical Gardens is a must if you are a plant lover.

                As we return our focus to the Sunshine State, we are going to talk about plants that can be planted in the heat of the Florida summer. Last week I mentioned several plants that do well during the summer months. Another addition to the mix is Brown-eyed Susan. This is a great option if you are want a flowering plant to grow up a large trellis or to overtake an arbor. Mine are growing and blooming so much you can’t even see the arbor through the dense leaves and bright yellow flowers. This plant is a climbing plant that can reach heights of nearly 60 inches. It is a fast grower and once established needs very little attention. The Brown-eyed Susan is actually a wildflower and it grows well in many sail types and temperatures. The plant produces a bright yellow flower with a distinct brown center. The flowers can reach sizes of up to two inches wide. The plant is also known as Coneflower. Mine blooms some almost all year however the largest mass of color is during the summer and fall. They may be hard to find locally however they are readily available online. Just do a search and will find several places that sell them.

                Night Blooming Jasmine is another popular summer favorite. These plants are most noted for their strong sweet fragrance. When someone has some of these plants in their yard and it is blooming, the entire neighborhood can be in for a treat. The fragrance can be smelled for some distance around the plant when the air is still and conditions are just right. This plant is considered a tropical tender perennial and a mature bush can grow up to 10 feet high. If you want to use them as a hedge you should plant them about 4-6 feet apart. The Night Blooming jasmine requires a sun to partial shade condition in order to thrive. If their location is in too much shade the plant will not have as much opportunity to bloom. One word of caution: all parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested. Although you can get blooms almost any time of year, you will receive the most numerous blooms during the summer and fall.

                Care for your Night Blooming Jasmine is quite simple, just be sure to water on a regular basis. I have seen even larger plants wilt when they do not receive ample water. Their water needs are much greater when the plant is new and has just been placed in the ground.

                That’s all for this week and I hope you found the content enjoyable, informative and entertaining. See you next week!