Under the bald cypress, ten native transplants from a sale in St. Louis nestle among wisteria leaves carted over from the back door. What are the chances they’ll survive the rest of summer?
The day I purchased the new plants, the temperature was 100 and I stopped by the game store to settle them on a shelf among playmats, miniatures and less-than-life-sized terrain pieces. That kept them out of the sun and the hot car while I made my way to the botanical garden for inspiration.
I’d hoped to plant them the next morning before my family came by to pick grapes, but Missouri laughed at such optimism and the highs stayed over a hundred all week. So it was that on a misty morning a full week after their purchase, I got them in the ground. I’d read up on how to help summer transplants survive the heat, so I watered them, filled the new holes with water and let it drain out before adding a layer of worm castings and then the plants. We’ll see if it’s enough!
At least for the moment, we have 2 wild ginger, 3 blue sedge, 2 Jacob’s ladder and 3 Indian pink. My hope is to add Virginia bluebells in spring, and collect seeds next fall to begin colonizing more areas. I’ve got a number of native seeds to plant this fall as well, but they’re mostly sun-loving. I’d love to establish cardinal flower around the pond, but am not counting on it, since that was one I couldn’t grow a to two years ago. But I’ll keep trying, just like with the blue wild indigo cuttings. Someday, I’ll get it right!
