LADYBUG SAYS...DOG DAYS WILL TAKE TOLL ON ALL VARIETIES OF VEGETABLES, PLANTS

A few days of more pleasant weather gave us a taste of what is to come and the days we have been waiting for. In the meantime, the days are hot, humid and not conducive to outdoor gardening.

Old timers referred to this period of the hottest days of summer as Dog Days because it consisted of 40 days when the sun rose at the same time as the Dog Star, Siriums. It was thought that dogs had rabies more frequently at this time of year.

In various areas the period of Dog Days varies. In the north and east, it is said that Dog Days run from July 3 through August 11, but in the south they are said to begin on July 28 and run until September 5, according to an article in Weekend Gardener by Clyde Lester.

Whatever the time or dates, this has been a scorcher, with flower gardeners trying to keep plants alive and vegetable gardening a disappointment with green peppers not setting buds, beans not producing, cucumber vines dying, and squash in some areas not yielding normally. Not only do vegetables ripen more quickly in this weather, but disease and insects develop more quickly also.

Young dogwood and some hollies are showing stress from the continued heat and drought. As we walk in Arena Park, we have noticed some of the young trees and shrubs are also suffering stress from the summer heat and drought.

Many trees are forming yellow leaves and dropping them, which is a bit premature. Some dogwood and euyonymous are turning pink into red, which usually does not begin until the very end of summer into early fall.

Two of the colorful joys of summer are the magic lilies and crapemyrtles. Both are blooming at this time and add their pink and red colors to the landscape.

Lycoris squamigera is the botanical name for the lily which so magically appears at this time of the year. They pop from the ground suddenly and unexpectedly on tall leafless stems and are often in full bloom before they are noticed. This year they appeared about 10 days later than usual, possibly because they could not penetrate the hard, packed soil. Then, a slight shower and suddenly here they are everywhere.

These lovely amaryllis-like flowers in lavender-pink are quite fragrant and appear with many blooms on each stalk. They multiply like made with one clump here producing 17 bloom stalks. The foliage develops in early spring, looking much like the foliage of a daffodil which is usually coming up at the same time as lycoris leaves. Foliage of the lilies soon dies down and disappears.

Magic lilies are also called Spider lily, Resurrection Lily and Naked Ladies, because of their appearance in late summer on bare stalks. Besides the lovely pink, lycoris also comes in red, yellow and cream colors, but some of them are not hardy here. These natives of Japan are easily grown, and the pink variety will grow in shade, sun or partial shade. They are not fussy about their home, and will continue to bloom year after year.

Lagerstroemia indica is the botanical name for the colorful crape myrtle blooming so profusely in this drought and heat of summer. These desirable shrubs accent many years with their long lasting clusters of crinkly crepe-like blooms (therefore, their name) of shades of pink into red, purple and white. A deciduous shrub, they have dark green foliage in the summertime and turn a golden fall coller.

Plant crape myrtle in full sun to get profuse flowering, but that is about all that is required other than a well drained soil. Certainly, this summer has proved they will stand drought. Since they bloom on new wood, prune during winter or early spring.

Besides the shrub type, there are also those which grow into trees in the south, and the dwarf variety, which is becoming most popular. At the All-America Display Garden on the SEMO Campus, there is an outstanding display of dwarf crape myrtle in a wide range of colors. Also, drive slowly to note the outstanding display of summer flowers and healthy vegetables.