What can I plant now (in the hot Midwest)?

[Sandra Dee]

What crops/flowers will grow this time of year. We recently moved, and now I actually have a backyard. Unfortunately, I am SOOO new to the gardening life (former apartment dwellers) that I don't know what (if anything) I can do. I know mums will be around come September, but I can hardly wait!

Thanks!

[Xenogenesis]

Oohh....loaded question. (Dh and I are both former/not that long ago apartment dwellers) Asters bloom in the fall but I don't know how long it would take them to get to that stage. I would water anything quite well (after sundown or early in the morning long before the heat sets in) and fertilize probably once per week. I would still probably try my fave "Everbearing" strawberries as they produce throughout the season, not in one big batch.

Radishes take only three weeks. We planted some cool cimmaron Romaine lettuce which grows like a weed. I'd be bold and try carrots cuz they grow nicely at the end of the summer no matter what the weather here usually and ya kin eat them small you know? Our beets seem to have no problem growing when conditions aren't optimal. I like the leaves too. My parsley and sweet basil seemed to thrive quickly with little attention.

We don't have much of a garden this year but maybe next summer you can tell me wot to plant (or not!)

Hope this helps.

Laila.

[lilyka]

We finally planted the other day with about 40 days of warm weathr left. Our carrots are already coming up and will be ready to harvest by late august. Lettuce can always be planted and grows quickly. our hastas (much to our surpise) are coming up. I don't know about flowers though. I planterd daisies, snapdragons, and lavender. They are coming up but probably won't bloom this year. I figures at least they would be established by next year.

[leafylady]

Personally, I'd wait until September and then plant perennials and flowering shrubs, so they get established for next spring. There might even be some good sales at the plant nurseries in the fall. August is a hard time to plant. Your plants could get stressed out from the heat and they'll need lots of water. Look at www.bluestoneperennials.com to see lots of different types. You don't have to order from them, but they've got tons of plants & pictures to help you get an idea of what you like.

[amnesiac]

There are a couple of interesting things here:
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/articles/

Our cucumbers, pole beans & melons are wrapping up right now. In the next couple of weeks, probably around Labor Day, I'm going to be putting in some tomato & onions that I started inside from seed and sow some carrot & beet seed. Rosemary always seems to tolerate our heat well, as do lantana, coreopsis, coneflowers, daisies, portulaca, Mexican heather & dianthus.