Hort Shorts
- A plant that is drought-tolerant still needs regular watering until it gets settled in. Don’t waterlog, but make sure water soaks into the root zone.
- For an edible cover crop, plant bush beans in bare spots to enrich the soil.
- Pinch back blooms of annuals like petunias and marigolds after planting. This will allow plants to expend more energy getting roots established and will promote branching of stems and fuller flowering.
- Leave seed heads on some or all of your coneflowers, and you’ll be visited later in the season by scores of goldfinches.