After Labor Day

IMG_29411-1024x768What do you say about summer gardens after Labor Day? Well in Santa Fe, many people consider this the best time of year. While many Santa Fe gardens are fading out, the air is crisp and the light is perfect. At this point I usually slow down on the deadheading because the bloom cycles have mostly ended and many of the plants still look good, in a fall kind of way, as they fade on the stalks. Seed pods such as those on echinacea and snapdragons can be very ornamental in their own rite.

Inspect your trees. I am starting to notice tent caterpillars. If you see a branch covered in webbing like a spider web, your best bet is just to remove the branch and throw it away.