Southern Gardening Potpourri for June

Over the past few years, a new holiday has been created in the State of Alabama, Juneteenth. It celebrates the date of June 19th, 1865 when the enslaved persons of African descent in Galveston, Texas learned of their emancipation. Officially called Juneteenth National Independence Day and celebrated as a national holiday since June 2021, it became a state holiday on May 9, 2025.

The month of June brings with it a couple of garden tasks which should be completed now. If you have pulled out all the spring weeds, there are new weeds on the way. It is best to catch them early before they get out of hand. So weeding is a must. It's always a good idea to have a planting diagram as to where you have sown seed, as weed seedlings look very much like the sown seed. This diagram gives you an overall picture of where your other choices of plants will be put into the garden. One mistake the diagram prevents is overplanting. One year I forgot that I had sown zinnia seeds in 2 different areas and I planted a clump of perennials smack in the middle of one of the areas. Afterwards, to not waste all those zinnia seedlings, I had to transplant them to another area. All went well, except this wasted my time. Also before you plant perennials or annuals, work some 8-8-8 regular commercial fertilizer into the soil and save the expensive Osmocote or other time-release fertilizer for later. Many flowers do not tolerate raw fertilizer on their leaves, such as begonias, and it will either burn their leaves or outright kill the plants.

For those who have a problem with pests in the garden, hydrogen peroxide may be able to come to the rescue. It is a cheap gardening tool which adds oxygen to the soil and kills harmful fungi. Also it is useful to boost germination of seed, improves the growth of the plants and only costs pennies to use. The ratio of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide is 1 part peroxide to 4 parts water. If using it for fungus or as a pest control, let the plant dry out, and make two separate applications of the solution. When I buy peroxide, I purchase several of the smaller sized bottles because, once it is opened, it dissipates more quickly.

PLANT OF THE MONTH--ConeFlower(Echinacea)

These are tough perennials native to North American and can be seen in the wild and in cultivated gardens. They have daisy-like petals with a pointed central black cone. Many plant them because they attract pollinators such as birds and bees. Lovers of full sun and well-drained soil, once established, you will enjoy their return for many years. They are low maintenance and really do not need any fertilizing. They should be divided every few years to cut down on overcrowding. Coneflower over the years have been developed to include a myriad of colors. These really shine in cut flower arrangements as they are long lasting.

HAPPY GARDENING