Garden almanac

In the Garden this Week

In the garden this week is planting time. When you’re planting flowers, it’s a good idea to pinch off any blossoms before putting them in the ground. It feels a little backwards, but it helps the plant focus on what really matters first, building strong roots and healthy leaves. Those early blooms take energy, and giving that energy back to the plant will pay off later with better growth and more flowers. Same for vegetables with that one tomato or pepper hanging off the plant.

A young tomato plant starter with a visible white root ball lies flat against dark brown compost soil. Two large, curved red arrows point to the middle and upper leaf nodes on the stem. A translucent gray text box in the bottom left corner reads, "Bury up to the 2nd or 3rd highest set of leaves."

Tomatoes actually benefit from being planted deep. Go ahead and remove the lower leaves and set the plant deep in the soil. Even lay it in a shallow trench with just the top growth sticking up. Wherever the stem is buried, it will start to form new roots. That means a stronger, more established plant. In general, smaller tomato transplants tend to do better anyway, they adjust quicker and experience less transplant shock.

A close-up of a tomato plant with several large, yellowing leaves covered in numerous small, dark brown or black spots. The spots are scattered across the leaf surface, and the most heavily affected leaf in the center is almost entirely yellow, while a healthier green leaf is visible in the background.

As the season goes on, keep an eye on those tomato leaves, especially the lower ones. You may start to notice spotting, which could be septoria leaf spot or even early or late blight. If that happens, remove the affected leaves right away to slow it down. Consider starting a regular spray program with an all-purpose garden fungicide. The goal is to protect the newer, healthier growth at the top of the plant.

This image features Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica), a native groundcover characterized by its low-growing, arching, fine-textured green leaves.

Right now, sedges are becoming a popular choice for planting under trees. They handle shade well, stay low-maintenance, and often keep growing even when other plants start to fade. In many cases, they only need one or two mowings a season. This makes them a practical option for tough shady areas.

An outdoor, eye-level shot captures a collection of approximately nine weed killer containers arranged on a bed of brown wood mulch, with a blurred green hillside in the background. The containers vary in size, color, and brand, featuring names like Southern Ag, Ortho, Roundup, Spectracide, and Avenger. To the right, a portion of a wooden garden bed is visible. The scene is brightly lit by natural sunlight, casting soft shadows on the mulch.

When it comes to herbicides, it helps to understand that there are really three main types, and they often get mixed up. The first is a grass killer. These are designed for small, unwanted annual grass in flower beds or around shrubs. Just be careful, don’t use them on your lawn because they will kill your turf grass too.

The second type is a nonselective herbicide, often called a weed and grass killer. These products kill almost everything they touch, including both grasses and broadleaf plants. Think products like Roundup or Ground Clear. They’re best used on driveways, sidewalks, rock beds, or other areas where you want complete control.

The third type is lawn weed killers. These are made to target broadleaf weeds in turf without harming the grass itself. Most of them are “3-way” mixes that include ingredients like 2,4-D, dicamba, and others to get a broad range of weeds under control.

You may also start seeing some newer “organic” weed killers on the market, like Spruce. While they tend to be easier on the environment, they don’t always perform well on established perennial weeds, and they can be a bit pricey for what they do.

No matter what product you’re using, always read the label first. Timing and conditions matter more than people think. Avoid spraying when it’s windy or when temperatures are above about 85 degrees.

Pennycress weed showing white flowers and round seed pods in a meadow.

For now, the simplest and most reliable weed control is still mowing and hand-pulling. I’ve been battling pennycress in my own garden, and honestly, pulling and hoeing are the only way to stay ahead of it. Each plant can produce hundreds of seeds, so letting even a few go to seed just makes next year’s problem worse.

Real Estate (Farm & Ranch Land)

This Week in the Garden

An close-up photo shows several round red radishes growing in dark, rich soil, with their bright green leafy tops extending upwards. In the foreground, a brown drip irrigation tube runs diagonally across the frame, with a single clear drop of water dripping from it onto the soil. The background is a soft blur of more green foliage.

This week in the garden (May 14, 2026) is starting to look like we could be heading into a dry summer. Hopefully, that changes, but it’s a good time to start thinking about watering efficiently. One of the best tips is to keep the water down at the plants instead of spraying it up into the air, where so much is lost to evaporation. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation work great for this. In my garden, I run drip tubes right along the rows, usually underneath plastic mulch. Then all I have to do is turn the water on before work in the morning and shut it off when I get home. It saves water, cuts down on weeds, and makes watering much easier.

A close-up of a multicolored lady beetle larva crawling on a green leaf. The larva has an elongated, "alligator-shaped" body that is predominantly black with two distinct rows of orange-red markings along its sides and back. Its entire body is covered in spiky, branched spines.

I’ve also received a couple of pictures lately asking about strange “bugs” showing up on flowers and garden plants. In several cases, they turned out to be ladybug larvae. They honestly look like something from a science fiction movie, but they’re one of the good guys in the garden. Ladybug larvae feed heavily on aphids and other harmful insects. So if you see them crawling around your plants, consider yourself lucky.

Several tomatoes plants being exposed to direct sunlight gradually before planting into the garden.

Plants grown inside a greenhouse have had a pretty comfortable life. Temperatures stay steady, the sunlight is filtered, there’s very little wind, and water is usually available whenever they need it. Because of that, those young plants are not ready for the sudden change of outdoor conditions. If you move them directly from the greenhouse into the garden, the shock can be pretty hard on them. Leaves may turn white or brown from sunburn, strong winds can cause them to wilt, and chilly nights may stunt their growth for weeks. Start by setting them in a shaded area or on the east side of the house for a few days. If nighttime temperatures drop below 45 degrees, bring them inside or protect them. Gradually move them into more sunlight over the course of a week. They’ll adjust much better once planted in the garden.

An overhead shot of a spruce tree branch resting on a gray, textured surface. The left side of the branch features healthy, green needles, while the right side shows significant browning and dieback, with needles turned a reddish-brown color. Small, brown cone-like growths are visible at the tips of several bare or thinning twigs caused by a needle cast fungi.

Needle cast fungi are also beginning to show up on pine and spruce trees. This disease usually starts on the inner, older needles and lower branches before slowly working its way upward through the tree. You may notice tiny black spots on the needles before they begin falling off. If you’ve had problems with needle cast before, a systemic fungicide spray can help manage it. However, if only the older inner needles are dropping while the new growth still looks healthy, that is often just a normal part of the tree aging and shedding older needles.

Real Estate (Farm & Ranch Land)

Turning Old Garden Junk

Turning old “garden junk” into landscape features is a great way to add personality to your yard without spending much money. A lot of things that normally get thrown away can actually become fun and useful garden accents with a little creativity. The trick is to make it look intentional rather than cluttered.

A rustic, sun-dappled garden scene features an old, weathered metal wheelbarrow repurposed as a planter, filled with green foliage and delicate purple and orange flowers. Beside it sits a vintage, rusty watering can and a tall wooden step ladder leaning against a tree. The ladder serves as a tiered plant stand, holding several potted trailing plants that drape down its rungs. The ground is covered in dry leaves and mulch, and a large tree with drooping eucalyptus-like branches frames the background, creating a charming, country-style garden display.

Old wagons, wheelbarrows, and livestock tanks make great flower planters. A rusty wheelbarrow filled with colorful flowers can become a real focal point near a porch or driveway. Old stock tanks also work well as raised beds for vegetables or herbs. The weathered metal gives gardens a rustic look that fits especially well in country landscapes.

A charming garden decoration made of a white vintage door with glass window panes, flanked by short sections of weathered picket fence. The structure sits on a gravel base bordered by large stones, with potted plants and decorative rabbit figurines placed in front.

Your wooden ladders, old gates, and worn fence panels can also be repurposed in creative ways. An old ladder can hold flowerpots, while a vintage gate makes a nice trellis for climbing flowers or vines. Even old barn boards can be turned into garden signs, edging, or decorative accents around flower beds.

An aesthetically pleasing, vintage-style photograph featuring a weathered, light-blue enamel teapot repurposed as a hanging planter.The kettle is heavily rusted with patches of brown corrosion, giving it a rustic, antique appearance. It hangs from a curved, rusted metal rod and is filled with a vibrant bouquet of small white and pink daisies. The background is a soft, out-of-focus garden setting with lush green foliage and a gentle, natural light that creates a serene and whimsical atmosphere.

Smaller items can be just as fun to use. Old watering cans, milk cans, buckets, toolboxes, and even worn-out boots can all become unique planters. Sometimes grouping several old pieces together creates more impact than using just one item. I took some old hand tools or rusty farm pieces, which can also be hung on fences or sheds as simple decorations.

A rustic garden scene features an old wooden wagon wheel leaning against a large tree trunk. In front of the wheel sits a weathered, galvanized metal tub overflowing with bright yellow and white flowers. Beside it is a rusted metal watering can, also filled with small white and yellow daisies. The base of the display is surrounded by smooth river stones and patches of purple and white flowers growing in the grass.

Broken concrete, old bricks, and fieldstone are useful, too. You can reuse it for pathways, borders, or stepping stones. Old wagon wheels, cultivator parts, or pieces of farm machinery can become eye-catching yard art, especially in rural settings.

A rusty, vintage yellow Tonka dump truck repurposed as a creative garden planter. The truck bed is filled with a variety of lush green and pink succulents, including trailing varieties like burro's tail, and decorative river rocks at the back. The weathered, textured metal of the truck sits on a light-colored outdoor patio

One thing that helps is sticking with a general theme. Too many random items can make a yard feel messy pretty quickly. Using similar materials like rusty metal, weathered wood, or vintage farm pieces helps everything blend together and gives the landscape a more natural, finished look.