Echinacea plants (aka Purple Coneflowers) are fabulous herbaceous perennials that are native to eastern and central North America. Known as the Purple coneflower because of its large, daisy-like purple flowers, Echinacea flowers also come in white, blush, wine, cream, and yellow colors. Their large, showy flowers bloom from early to late summer above their clumps of dark green foliage, and the full plant grows to be about four feet tall and wide. (Smaller dwarf hybrids are also available.)

Echinacea plants are hardy to zone 3 and can be planted in either fall or spring due to their ease in establishing. They are drought-tolerant, thrive in medium to poor soil, prefer full sun, are pest and disease resistant, are perfect for tough conditions, and are exceedingly low maintenance. While some gardeners prefer to prune back their Echinacea in late fall to keep them looking tidy, it’s fine, and even preferable, to simply leave the dried seed heads for self-seeding and visual interest. Echinacea only needs to be divided about every four years to prevent overcrowding.

Echinacea is a versatile plant that can be used for a variety of gardening landscapes. They thrive in full sun borders, kitchen herb gardens, planters and containers, prairie or meadow gardens, and xeriscaped areas. For optimum companion gardening, plant Echinacea with other full sun perennials like Coreopsis, Thyme, Dianthus, Lavender or Rosemary; this creates a living potpourri of fragrances, textures, and colors. Birdwatchers are happy to note that Echinacea seeds attract small song birds, and veteran florists know that Echinacea flowers are great for cut flower arrangements.

In addition, Echinacea’s immune boosting properties have been known for centuries and are often used in herbal medicines. So whether herbalist or gardener, florist or naturalist, Echinacea’s beauty, ease of growth, and unique properties offer something for everyone. Enjoy!

"Long afternoons in hot August
Come to thunder by and by
But then, soon after a cloudburst
The sun returns to warm and dry”
David Squire

The first day of August signals the halfway point between the Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox, so summer is already halfway over. Savor the remaining summer heat and afternoon rains, and dig in.

flowers

As usual, check all your plants (especially newly planted ones) on a regular basis, and water them deeply as needed.
It’s not too late in the season to plant ornamental grasses for fluid motion and soft contrast in your yard or garden. You can also spice up your summer landscape with containers and hanging baskets for an extra splash of color.
Fertilize your daffodils and tulips in early to mid-August with an application of 2 pounds of 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 per 100 square feet.
Picking fresh flowers for indoor display will not only bring beauty, life, and cheerful energy into your home, but will also encourage more blooms on most perennials.

trees and shrubs

If you see any early fall colors on your trees and shrubs, recognize them as a sign of plant stress and low plant vigor and treat it accordingly.
Continue watering on your current schedule.
Begin thinking about fall planting. These hot summer days are the perfect time to notice where you need more shade trees.

veggies!

While August is usually a harvesting month, you can still put in one last crop of lettuce, spinach, chard, and kale for a fall harvest.
When peas and other early crops are no longer producing, pull them out of the garden. This makes it easier to care for your remaining vegetables, reduces the chance for diseases to grow on old foliage, and creates space to plant later crops or cover crops that need an early start.
Fertilize your crops as needed with a good quality, slow-release vegetable food, and stake your tomato plants if you haven’t already.
If you want to grow a large pumpkin for Halloween, it’s time to prune and fertilize. Remove all but one or two pumpkins from the vine, then pinch the ends off the vines to encourage growth. Apply lots of composted cow manure or a diluted plant fertilizer around the base of the plant, and mulch with straw or leaves to prevent weeds from stealing the pumpkin’s nutrients.

lawn and houseplants

Late August is the best time to repair problem areas in your lawn; reseed severely injured areas and keep newly seeded lawns moist and mulched.

Continue to feed your houseplants with a quality indoor plant food and re-pot root bound houseplants as needed.

cautions for weed killer application:

Do not apply weed killers on newly seeded areas or near the edge of waterways.
Do not apply weed killers on windy days or when temperatures are above 85 degrees F.
Wait a week before allowing children or pets to play on lawns freshly applied with weed killers.
Always follow the label directions.

xeriscaping

“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.” Chief Seattle

The Earth is important to YART. So many people spend too much money, time, and water trying to create a greener yard, only to end up creating a less green planet instead. Many earth-friendly and eco-conscious Taos folks who want to have a beautiful landscape while protecting the planet and conserving water are now turning to xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is a term that was coined by the water department of Denver, Colorado and it refers to landscaping with local-friendly plants that will not require supplemental watering.

The best way to begin xeriscaping is to choose a smaller area of your yard (if any at all) in which to keep grass and separate that area from the rest of the yard with attractive stones or short fencing. Then pull up the remaining lawn and choose a cover like mulch or lava rocks for the area, and strategically place locally growing plants for a carefully groomed look. Agave, cactus, lavender, Echinacea, juniper, thyme, and wild grasses require minimal upkeep and can cover large areas. Come talk to YART’s gardeners for help choosing plants that are already accustomed to the soil and weather in Taos and won’t need additional water or fertilizers. To finish off your newly xeriscaped yard, fill in any empty areas with big colorful stones, potted trees, or funky yard art from YART, of course.

AUGUST CALENDAR

1 Lughnasadh (halfway between Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox), Total solar eclipse, New Moon 2 Delegates signed the Declaration of Independence (1776) 3 Christopher Columbus sets sail (1492) 4 Jazz trumpet player Louis Armstrong’s birthday (1901-1971) 5 The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was laid (1884) 7 Taos Plaza Live! 2008 9 Taos Public Library Book Sale 11 Roots author Alex Haley’s birthday (1921-1992) 12 Happy Birthday Edwina 13 Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday (1899-1980) was born in London 14 Taos Plaza Live! 2008
15 WOODSTOCK (1969)
16 Partial lunar eclipse, Full moon 17 The first transatlantic balloon trip was completed by men from Albuquerque, NM in 1978 18 The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote (1920) 20 First climber reaches summit of Mt. Everest alone 21 Taos Plaza Live! 2008 23 Happy Birthday Whitney, Taos Ski Valley Up & Over Trail Run 25 Leonard Bernstein’s birthday (1918-1990) 27 Lyndon Baines Johnson’s birthday (1908-1973), Mother Teresa’s birthday (1910-1997) 28 Taos Plaza Live! 2008 30 New moon 31 First solar-powered car demonstrated (1955)

NEW YARTISTS : welcome

Gordon Kilburn : Taos

Pearl Mabry : Taos

Laurie Peters : Denver {best wishes with your upcoming move to Chicago...}

Dear Soup,

How can I stop my brain from obsessing about stressful situations? What happened, what should I have done, what I’ll do next time, how bad I feel, how many bad things have happened to me, etc. How can I stop this lifelong pattern of mine?

Sincerely,

Feeling Neurotic

soup

Dear Neurotic,

When my brain is like a frenetic over-caffeinated hamster on an eternal wheel (Bacon? Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon, BACON!), well honestly, I enjoy it. However, if it became a problem for me, I’d scratch my happy spot, have a good chew, and mark my territory as a form of moving meditation. If that’s not enough for you, then use your dexterous fingers to spew all noise in your head onto paper, then burn it at or just after a full moon and imagine the waning moon taking your negativity away with it both that night and beyond. Then curl up with a juicy bone and browse materials about The Law of Attraction.

Namaste,

Soup

My wife and I, a friend, mother and father-in-law, daughter, son and girlfriend were in your store on wed. July 23 and of all of our Taos shopping you were by far our favorite above all. My father and mother-in-law who have a condo in Angel Fire, told us of your store and we almost passed it by because of time. We are so glad we took the time and will look forward to a visit every year.

By the looks of your employees, friends and pets you appear to have a good sense of humor, I would like to pose this question................."If Yard Art is called Yart, what do you call Fine Art.".......? Thanks again and we totally enjoyed your store and we can't wait til next year. John G. Tullius, Norman, Oklahoma