Late summer is known for tons of tomatoes, asters and goldenrod in
bloom, and white patches on lilac, birch, phlox, bee balm, squash and
other leaves. It all sounds ideal, except for those white patches. They
are the sign of powdery mildew disease.
Ahh echinacea. This simple native midwestern prairie plant has garnered so much interest from a medical standpoint, that some people overlook its beauty in the perennial garden.
Peaches are a special summer treat that have a long history. Early explorers of North and South America brought peaches to the New World, but it was the native Americans who spread them, planting peach pits as they traveled the countryside.
Of all the fruits, apples are the most interwoven with our folklore. From William Tell’s arrow, to Newton’s theory of gravity, to a man named Johnny seeding trees around a new country, apples are part of our culture.
When you want fresh vegetables through the fall, you’ll want to plant now. Charlie also explains why it’s good to be merciless in the mid-summer garden on this week’s Vermont Garden Journal.