One More Time

Even after several days of dry weather, there are still some areas of my yard that are a malarial swamp after the torrential rains that we received.

However, I have been able to get out and work on the garden.  Thankfully I have not heard of any cases of West Nile Virus here this summer because there is an abundance of mosquitoes.

My plan is to go through all the flower beds... weeding, removing spent blossoms, and cutting back perennials that are done blooming and are no longer attractive.  I want to spruce up the gardens before I leave for Mexico in August.

As I go through the beds, I am putting down another application of Preen, a granular weed preventer.  (No, I was not paid by the makers of Preen for this plug.)  Preen is not an herbicide, but it helps keep weeds from germinating.  It's not 100% effective but it is a big help.  In early spring I put down Preen before I left on my April trip to Mexico.  When I returned in May the garden was not overrun with weeds as it would have been otherwise.  I put another application on in late spring when I worked on the flower beds.  In most areas, the weeds are still few and far between.  This application should keep the garden from being overrun until after my return in September.

And then, I hate to say this, before long it will be time to think about chopping down the perennials in preparation for winter.