Repost from August 2014:
August Gardening Chores
Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, USAUSDA Zone 9
Typical Weather for Our Area
Red Bluff, California. Natural History Studies at our Home and Gardens
The Spirit of Gardening
August Gardening Chores for Us
Water plants: take advantage of cool early morning hours, use daytime shade, water plants deeply and less frequently.Avoid watering leaves during the heat of the day.
Water in the early morning.
Use any ditch water carefully and wisely.
Conserve water during our drought in California.
Move potted plants to areas that get some shade in the afternoon, e.g, along the east side of a fence that runs north/south.
Water potted plants carefully on very hot days.
Mow lawns infrequently with high cut settings.
Prune branches of trees; remove dead limbs and branches.
Mulch and compost: cuttings, leaves, twigs, chips, shredded paper, garbage.
Water compost pile areas.
Manage cutworms, larva, grasshoppers and other garden pests.
Weed around vegetables.
Use mulch to help control weeds and cool soil.
Maintain the lawn mowing equipment and power tools.
Work on carpentry projects.
Pick and save or eat fresh vegetables and fruits.
Thin out excess fruit on trees.
Mulch with straw, chips, compost.
Train vines on support structures.
Read, listen to music, relax and rest in the shade during the heat of the day.
Tend to and enjoy annuals in bloom.
Maintain lawn: water, fertilize, mow, clean, plant, spray, etc..
Mulch, mulch, mulch, mulch....
Harvest and preserve fruits and vegetables.
Paint outdoor art objects.
Cut and stack wood so it can dry thoroughly.
"Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven with repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.
Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through.
The dusty attic spider-clad
He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;
And through the broken edge of tiles
Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.
Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy's inmost nook.
Above the hills, along the blue,
Round the bright air with footing true,
To please the child, to paint the rose,
The gardener of the World, he goes."
- Robert Louis Stevenson, Summer Sun
August: Quotes, Poems, Sayings
Lammas: Extensive Bibliography, Links, Lore, Poems, Prayers, Preparations, Crafts, Quotes, Notes
