Five things to do in the garden this week:
Fruit. Although the common European pear (Pyrus communis) varieties you see in the grocery store — the green Bartlett and the brown Bosc — require a colder winter than we experience in Southern California, an Asian pear variety (Pyrus serotina variety Shinseiki) will fruit here. Inland areas, although, are more reliable for Asian pear development than along the coast. Growing to only 15 feet at maturity, this tree is quite manageable. Furthermore, because it is self-fruitful, you only need to plant one tree to harvest a crop. Asian pears have a crisp texture like that of an apple and, also like an apple, are picked ripe. They have a fresh and juicy taste as opposed to the buttery sensation you get from European pears. Asian pear trees are available through Internet vendors and occasionally appear in local nurseries as well.
Vegetables. You can still plant tomatoes, corn, beans, eggplant, and peppers, but make sure they are fast-growing varieties. You can also plant miniature pumpkins such as Jack Be Little that mature in three months, just in time for Halloween. Although they are not meant for carving, you can use them for decoration. Small varieties meant for pumpkin pie, such as Sugar Pie, also mature more rapidly than carving pumpkins. No matter which pumpkin you choose, it will trail considerably along the ground, so allow a fifteen-foot circle around each plant for growth.
Herbs. Za’atar is a relative of common oregano and marjoram. Also known as Syrian oregano (Origanum syriacum), I have seen it utilized by street vendors outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. These vendors sell fresh bread topped with sesame seeds along with a pouch of ground za’atar in which the bread is meant to be dipped. There is also an olive oil option where the bread is dunked in it before the za’atar dip. At rareseeds.com, you can purchase a packet of za’atar seeds for around $4.
Flowers. On the subject of plants bred for sterility and long-term bloom, the Ever series of Agapanthus, referred to as Everpanthus, has been developed. Growing to only two feet tall, varieties in sky blue, deep blue, purple, pink, white, and bicolors bloom for months on end. Butterfly bushes are incredible when it comes to attracting monarch butterflies and pollinating insects, but they can be invasive, too. With this in mind, sterile butterfly bushes (Buddleia spp.) have been created, including Blue Chip Jr. and Pink Micro Chip, that grow only 18 inches tall. Finally, the sterile Supertunia is a petunia hybrid with varieties blooming in purple, pink, or yellow. Flowers are self-cleaning, so you do not need to deadhead or remove faded blooms. They grow four feet in every direction with long chains of flowers and are especially valued as candidates for hanging basket splendor.
Seedlings. Just as August arrives, the last thing on your mind is probably cool-season crops such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, but this is when their seeds can be planted. Place them in trays in a garage or other sunless spot since they germinate most readily in cool darkness. After seedlings emerge and you thin them to one seedling per cell or small pot, give them two hours of morning sun for the first two days, and three hours of morning sun for the next five days. After a week, they should be able to take full morning sun. Once seedlings are four to six inches tall after four to six weeks of growth, they can be transplanted to the garden with full sun exposure.
