My dear gardening friends,

Mother Nature is playing tricks on us. I understand that Lindsay as well as Toronto had snow on Saturday the 23rd of April. What does the poet Robert Browning say?

Home Thoughts From Abroad
Oh, to be in England , Now that April’s there, And, whosever wakes in England. Sees some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf, Round the elm tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough, In England –now!!

Although from what my cousin tells me it is still cold and damp there, he is, however, golfing regularly.

Dripping for Roses,
“A very valuable discovery was made by the over enthusiastic use of detergents when they first became available. The detergents caused the grease in the washing-up (dish washing) water, suspended in the bubbles, to form a thick cake of fat under the manhole cover outside the kitchen window. We lifted it out, this was in London when food rationing was still in force after the war. Throwing this into the dustbin (garbage can) of what looked like a mass of edible dripping. Eighteen inches by at least 2 inches thick, was unthinkable. We buried it darkly at dead of night in the back garden – not far, as it chanced from the roots of a climbing rose, which had never done very well. That year the rose flowered stunningly and flourished ever after. We never planted a rose again without burying fat below it – even begging fat from a surprised butcher.
When we moved to the country we continued the same practice. That first year every single one of our beautiful new roses was dug up by foxes, and so we had to desist. For townsfolk or those with a walled garden it cannot be too highly recommended.
We once read of a family in France who were said to bury unwanted babies of maidens of the villagery under their vines, presumably on the same principle, but let it not be said that we actually advocate this practice from the “Old Wives’ Lore for Gardeners”.
I do know someone in the village who planted her beloved husbands ashes under the clematis that he loved. When asked why it flourished so well she, with a straight face, said, “I use bone meal.”
When I remonstrated with her, she said, “Well I can’t tell them it was ………..” No indeed!!!
Next comes May, in England as children we would pick flowers from the fields and if we were lucky and could find some baskets (strawberry punnets work well), we would fill the baskets, leave them on a doorstep, knock on the door and run away. You too can make this lovely gesture. Pick a few daffodils and/or pansies and leave them on someone’s doorstep. You do not even have to stay – let them wonder who the fairy is.

The comes faire May, the fairest mayde on ground, Decked all with dainties of her seasons pryde,
And throwing flowers out of her lap arounde, Upon two brethrens shoulders she did ride,
The twins of Leda, which on eyther side, Supported her like to their soveraine queene,
Lord! How all creatures laught when her they aspide, And leapt and daune”t as they had
Ravish’t beene! And Cupid selfe about her fluttered all in greene.
By: Spenser

I expect that you have all been busy removing the winter coverings and letting the light and air on to your bulbs that are sending up shoots all over the place – if not, I suggest that you do now. Do it slowly – saves your back and gives the plants time to adjust – just like us coming out of the dark and into the light – we have to let our eyes adjust. Any leaves, straw or hay that you used for protection, should be gathered into a pile and left to rot for compost. Or use it as a mulch around your gladioli, day lilies, perennial asters or shrubs, where it will hold moisture and keep the weeds down. If you do use the leaves, etc. make sure that you add a good dose of commercial fertiliser to the soil around the plants in question. Burlap that has been used to make screens and protect your shrubs, should be hung up to dry and then put away safely until the fall.

The perennial beds need their spring cleanup, but the dead stems and leaves of delphiniums, peonies, hollyhocks and other plants, must be gathered up and if possible burned. Otherwise bag and put in the garbage for they may harbour bacterial or fungal parasites, so do not put them in the compost.

On the other hand, fallen leaves under shrubbery can be left – for they will smother weeds, reduce evaporation from the soil and finally become compost.

Spring feeding is due about now; use well rotted manure. I have just spread some on my garden left from last year. I also have a lot in my greenhouse ready to go once my cold and the weather co-operate.

Do go and see Deborah at Loblaws and buy some of the really great fertilisers from the choice that is available there – Jordon will help you at Rural Routes too. This is the time to buy before the real rush begins. The synthetic plant foods usually contain nitrogen, phosphorous and potash. These are the three elements that are present in most garden soils but in insufficient quantities. You can purchase these nutriments in liquid and solid forms, just like our vitamins. If your shrubs, trees and any perennials are looking sickly and are not developing rapidly, the liquid fertilisers are the quickest way to get minerals to your plants. Do not overlook Epsom salts for magnesium; a cup scattered around most of your plants will give them a boost and it is cheap too.

My grandfather always had a barrel of “tea” in his garden – I warn you that it will smell, so perhaps make this away from the house and in an area where it will not be obnoxious. Fill a burlap bag with fresh horse, sheep or cattle manure, tie the top and suspend it in a barrel of water – leave it for at least a week and then ladle it into a watering can and away you go. Good stuff – the plants love it. Or just go and buy bags of zoo-poo, or sheep and/or cow manure deodorised and "clean" but not as much fun!!!

Once again I have been asked about Wisteria:

There are two types: Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) grows clockwise, whilst Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) grows counter clockwise. First you must decide on the framework for growth then whether the vine should be single or double stemmed. It is a massive vine that, when permitted to grow without restraint, will form a thick tangled mass and needs a very strong support. There is a house in England that was actually crushed, and reduced to rubble by a wisteria. Its large drooping clusters of pale mauve flowers are just stunning in late spring. You can let it stand alone and form into a standard (one trunk with branches at the top) or let it tumble over a wall, fence or other form.

To train a new multi-stemmed Wisteria, select as many vigorous stems as needed to fill your framework. Prune out all the other stems. Pinch back side stems and streamers.

Annual Pruning Wisteria responds enthusiastically to severe annual pruning. Reduce the main stems by one half each summer and side stems to three or four flower buds in late winter. Remove any suckers that may grow up at the base of the vine. To train a new single stemmed Wisteria, remove all buds along the single stem and keep streamers pruned during the growing season.

When selected carefully for climate and location, hardy vines need little care in the winter. Simply renew the mulch when putting the rest of the garden to bed and securely tie any loose stems. They are hardy to zone 5 – mine are growing well one is by the side of the house facing east – the other one is facing south with no support. Hopefully I am training it into a standard. Wisteria likes most well drained soils, although in our climate it may/does freeze to the ground in the winter, but rebounds in the spring – it is one vine/bush that is deer resistant.

Yes, they do refuse to bloom and this is frustrating, sometimes it is our own fault – you have to be cruel to wisteria – ignore it for it will not go away. Prune as suggested in the summer and do some root pruning the following spring (take your spade and about four feet from the trunk, go straight down severing the roots). Withhold watering and feeding. Gardeners always find that plants bloom better and more abundantly after a shock and when food and moisture are reduced. Of course some years we lose our beautiful blooms to that wretched late frost.

Are you bothered by cats in your garden? Try this tip from the “Old Wives”:
Lay a length of old black rubber hose, or an old inner tube, amongst your plants, especially where cats sun themselves, and they will think that it is a snake and leave.
I have several wonderful iron snakes in my garden from the “Mad Sculptor” in Omemee. Funnily enough I have not noticed any cats around in the summer time. My ‘snakes’ live indoors in the winter – I can usually find them in the fall.

The best time to weed is now, as soon as the weeds make the slightest appearance, pull them out. Digging or hoeing does not work nearly as well as removal. It is also time to remove grasses and any other weeds that have decided to grow amongst your Iris. June is too late because by then the weeds are so well developed and intermingled with the Iris leaves, that it is almost impossible to get them cleaned out.

Forking is a necessary spring chore, and is much more effective if it is done correctly and at the right time. Do not attempt this job if the soil is “sticky” as it will harden into lumps and refuse to settle amongst the roots of the plants. Be careful do not fork too deeply – as I have done in the past right through my precious fritillaries. It will also inhibit the growth of your plants. If the roots of roses or other grafted stock are severed, the broken roots will quite often produce wild suckers. Careless digging often destroys the roots of young lilies and other perennials, so dig very carefully.

Your established perennials will be showing two faults about now. There will be blank spaces where some of the plants have failed to survive, not all disaster – this is an excuse for new ones! There will also be places where the more aggressive species have or are choking out your less vigorous kinds. Prepare the soil in the empty spots, either purchase new plants, or divide the large spreading species, give some to your neighbour and the local plant sales.

A dear member of Lakefield Horticultural Society made me take home two tiny plants from a plant sale of Ajuga Blue and Periwinkle. The periwinkle is across the road and up into the wood behind me, all through my “lawn” and up and down the lane. I give it away by the car load and it keeps right on growing. I suspect that long after I am dead and the world is recovering from a nuclear holocaust it will still be growing. The ajuga was not so vigorous but is still growing too.

This is a good time to mention labels – we all know that we are going to remember where we put that plant, especially the one we could not really afford, nor have room for – right, where and what is it???? You should make yourself some markers that are going to last. Some people make them from cans and write on them with an old ball point pen – I have even seen metal ones in the dollar store. Make the labels and use them – take them to the garden as you plant. The other thing that I like to do is make a fast “map” of my plants. I was really very good with my roses – most of which have succumbed in the past 25 years – I just threw out the plan the other day. Time to start over.

Well my dears, I am off to bed – the garden show has taken its toll on a lot of us – I understand that the ice was only out a few days before the show and that the floor was still frozen. We stood on it for hours and hours, having a wonderful time – but some of us got sick.

Good gardening to you all – we seem to have been set back a little – never mind the heat is on its way – and Dawn Tack will have her garden open again. She still has some Beryl Harris lilies.

Hats, sunscreen (yes even if it is cloudy), insect repellent (I have just been bitten in the house by a stray mosquito), gloves (thank you my finger is healing), and do not forget your hat.

Lovingly, Beryl