We are open this week, Monday thru Friday. 9-6 I have some new plants here for your gardens. Have a look.

image from aquaportail.com 

      Good morning….we see the sun and a clear blue sky.  No rain this morning, but this afternoon and tonight we will get rain showers.  Tuesday looks like more rain for all of us.  It is going to stay humid, which makes working outside not much fun.  I spent the weekend watering twice a day to keep them plants with moisture with the wind, and heat they died out.  I will continue to water which is my main job during this. 

Now about last week we had 2 ½” of rain on Tuesday afternoon from 4-7.  All that rain caused it to flood the greenhouse.  We had 6” of water standing in the greenhouse.  When we are in a low spot of Dougherty, all that water goes downhill.  The water will pond around the south end of the grass around and when it is too much to go through then it backs up and goes into the greenhouse.  It was gone by Wed morning.  But I did save the baby kittens.  3 were on high ground, one was crying outside, and the others were floating in their box.  But they are all ok.  This happened again on Friday morning, another 6 inches of water through the greenhouse.  That took all day to pump down, but Larry got the water to move.   Another adventure at Becky’s Greenhouse.  Flooding water, and baby kittens. Hope we don’t have that amount of water quickly, so flooding happens.  See what happens.  Stay cool, stay safe. 

Australia family and friends are having the opposite of us.  They are having the end of fall, and their winter has started.   Tuesday June 24 will start out cold at 33F(1C) with rainy conditions and a high of 67F(19C) They too will have wind. Stay warm, stay safe. 

I am open this week Monday -Friday 9-6.  We are closed on Saturday 28th, Sunday 29th for our 50th wedding anniversary.  I will be open June 30, July 1, July 2, July 3. Closed on the 4th and the weekend.  THEN you know what is starting July 7 we will be loading up and taking things to the fair.  Franklin Fair Co will be starting July 9th.  Becky’s Greenhouse will be there.  Here we go. 

Do you know of any greenhouse grower that plants for just sales in June and July?  I guess I am one of those.   I have echinacea’s (coneflower)for summer color.  We have daylilies that are starting to bloom, and Asiatic and Oriental lilies planted that haven’t bloom yet but are looking great.  Sweet potato plants for the sweet potatoes we eat are looking good.  I would give them a try and plant in your garden yet. 

You are wondering about tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons. I would give them a try if you wanted and have room in your gardens yet.  All the vegetables are on sale.   
I have onion sets that are still nice and firm.  They still can be planted to eat as green onions or grow for large onions. 
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Looking for a flower that’s tough, pretty, and pollinator-friendly? Coneflowers (aka Echinacea) are native wildflowers that bring color, charm, and goldfinches to your garden, with barely any fuss. Let’s get growing.  Of course, this plant is good for humans, too, with many medicinal properties; today, it’s especially popular as an herbal tea to strengthen the immune system.
Do Coneflowers Spread?  This is not an aggressive plant, but it will naturally self-seed and spread, which you can encourage if you wait to cut back until late winter (or prohibit self-seeding if you deadhead the flowers right after they fade). Hybrids will not self-sow; most are sterile (they do not produce viable seeds). Hybrids aren’t of much interest to birds, either.
Planting  Coneflowers prefer full sun and well-draining soil; they are drought-tolerant. Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches and mix in compost or aged manure. (These plants will tolerate poor soil, but results may vary.)
When to Plant Coneflowers  If buying plants from a nursery (most common), plant coneflowers when small with blooms on the way, in spring or early summer.
Growing  Coneflowers are drought tolerant, but new plants need water occasionally and more often if the spring season is especially dry. Native in-ground coneflowers seldom need fertilizer. To delay blooming for fall enjoyment (and compact growth), cut back stems 1 foot when plants come into bloom. For staggered bloom heights and times, cut only a few stems.
Beneficial, wasplike soldier beetles may appear in August. They feed on insect eggs and larvae and pollinate plants. Do not harm them In late fall, lightly spread mulch in colder regions. Cut the stems back to the soil level when they wither or after frost. Divide or transplant coneflowers in spring or fall.
Stop in and see me at Becky’s Greenhouse.  Thanks for all that have stopped.
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365 Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer, or Becky’s Greenhouse