Good day, gardeners, and happy annular eclipse day for those of us in the Americas! I hope this newsletter finds you healthy and well. Here’s some knowledge and inspiration I wanted to share with you.
In this month's episode of The Plantastic Podcast, Susan Poizner shares her passion for fruit trees. Susan delves into key practices for successful fruit tree care such as mulching with compost or manure, the cycles of fruit tree growth, and the significance of proper pruning. She shares her wisdom on choosing the right varieties, using holistic sprays for pest control, and fostering biodiversity around fruit trees. Her commitment to community involvement and storytelling in education shines through. This episode provides a delightful and informative journey through the world of fruit trees and is full of value to help everyone become better a orchardist.
A heads up if you are in the St. Francisville, Louisiana area. I’ll be speaking at the Southern Garden Symposium this Friday, October 20 on “Gardening Australis: The Craft, Inspiration, and Wisdom of Growing a Flora with a Southern Flair.” Come say hi and learn about many great plants that call the south home.
Fergus Garrett is hosting a virtual seminar Sunday, October 15 on “Planning ahead for Spring and Summer” using his famous mind maps (one page example here). I’ve already booked my ticket for 7 pm UK time / 1 pm central, and I look forward to learning how he stages tasks more into the winter to help Great Dixter get ahead for the next growing season.
Many of the grasses we love for fall like Andropogon ternarius (splitbeard bluestem) and Muhlenbergia sericea (pink muhly grass) have awns, bristles in the inflorescence that glow in the low light. Shannon Currey shared this and more about grasses in this recent post on Izel Plants.
This week at Ephemera Farm, I’m enjoying our asters like ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ and ‘Purple Dome’, which in its second year has been even more impressive than 2022. I wrote about some new varieties I’m trying last year.
As always, thanks for welcoming me into your inbox each week to share what I’m learning about plants.
Cheers, and keep growing!
Dr. Jared