Planting Last of Spring and First of Summer

Alstroemeria, bearded iris, sunflower, nasturtium.

Epiphyllum.

Fragrant heliotrope.

Rat-tail cactus blooming.

Quito Amaryllis.

Temptation Amaryllis.

Estella Amaryllis.

Amaryllis.

Barbara Karnst bougainvillea.

Rich brown bearded iris.

Dutch iris.

Veggies sown months ago and being harvested till now.

Lettuce bolting. Before harvesting, taste a leaf to make sure it hasn't become too bitter for your preference! If it has, move it to the compost pile.

Bright orange-ribbed chard.

Artichoke #1.

Artichoke #2.

Artichoke #3.

Volunteer beans from last year's crop joining this year's tomato.

Desert King fig fruit set.

August Pride peach fruit set needs thinning.

Boysenberries full of blooms.

Bromeliad bloom.

Breadseed poppies blooming and a couple of seed pods.

     You’ve noticed that the weeds are growing lushly and even putting out their blossoms and setting seed.  Time to pull them immediately, with no more delay, since you definitely don’t want them to propagate and recycle themselves. 
    Watering the day before weeding will ease the chore, and weeds' entire root systems will come out more readily. If you leave pulled weeds in garden pathways as drying mulch, be sure to leave them with their roots up so they don't reroot. But never leave weeds that have already developed their seedheads -- some seeds may continue to mature before the foliage completely dries up and some will undoubtedly germinate next year.
     This spring, like last year, has developed into being longer and cooler weather that’s just now transitioning into warm weather.  But, since we don’t know what the real weather will turn out to be over the next month, we can sow and transplant both the last of spring veggies and flowers and the first of the summer ones.  Yes to beets and cilantro and lettuce and parsley and peas -- especially heat-tolerant varieties.  And also yes to tomatoes and cukes and squash and peppers.  No more need to delay since the soil has been thoroughly moistened from the rains and is warm enough to foster great root growth as the air temperatures increase steadily into summer. 
     Ultimately, if the warm weather really settles in, we may not get much from these just-planted cool-season veggies.  In fact, some of my spring-sown cilantro and parsley are already bolting (sending up those sturdy stalks and setting seed), so I’m harvesting them in big clumps and sowing more seed for hopefully another couple of months of eating if the air temperatures remain moderate.
     But if we get more cool or moderately warm weather, both those and the warm-weather seeds and transplants will do nicely as well. Then, it’s win-win for both.  Always good to provide for success regardless of what the weather does..
     Volunteer beans are coming up from last year where I’ve planted tomatoes this year.  I’ll let them coexist on their trellises. I’ll just make sure to keep my eye out for beans amongst the tomato foliage since they’ll set first!
 
Encouraging Pollinators
     Encourage bees to visit your garden for better pollination. They'll come more readily if you provide their favorite plants--including basil, borage, calendulas, catnip, hyssop, lemon balm, mint, summer savory, thyme, and other plants with blue flowers.
     To attract butterflies to your garden, plant asters, lantanas, buddleias ("butterfly bush"!), marigolds, sweet Williams, tithonias (Mexican sunflower), zinnias, and other daisy-like flowers.
 
Trellising
   Trellises provide support for greater fruit production per square foot of soil and for longer periods because more leaf area is exposed to sunlight for more effective photosynthesis, and more air circulation means less fruit rot and ground-insect attack. Vines spreading on a trellis can also provide shade for a porch, patio, or wall. Crops grown on a trellis are easier to pick and cleaner, not available to snails and slugs, and not prone to ground rot.
 
Watering Patterns
     Watering patterns you begin now will help or hinder your plants' abilities to thrive -- not just survive -- during the extended heat of summer.
         When germinating seeds, water the beds or flats both in the morning and in the evening to keep the soil surface moist until at least of the seeds have germinated.  Then, water the baby plants at least once a day until the second set of true leaves develops. "True" leaves look like miniature versions of mature leaves. Then, shift to watering every other day until the plants are large enough to transplant.
     When transplanting seedlings, use less-frequent and deeper watering to encourage roots to grow several inches deeply down into the soil for moisture rather than spreading just below the soil surface because of frequent shallow sprinkling. During hot, dry spells, these deeper roots will have access to moisture for continued strong growth, but the shallow-watered roots won't. This watering pattern will also save you time and irrigation water, since the water will sink deeper and evaporate less. Build soil basins around large plants and trees to prevent runoff until it's absorbed.
 
For more timely garden tasks, see May.
 
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