| Gardening with Beryl - August 8th 2008 |
Hello Once More My Dear Gardening Friends, Just another week until it is time for our annual Antique and Flower Show, Held in the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre (the hockey arena) Wednesday August 13th 11:00 am – 8:00 pm and Thursday August 14th 10:00 am—5:00 pm. This is our 30th Year, come and help us celebrate, the admission is only $4.00 children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult, or is it the other way around? For more information you can call me or Norma Walker at 705-877-1082 There will be a wonderful plant sale, with plants from our own member’s gardens so you know that they will grow in zones 4 and 5. I must mention the beautiful Floral Exhibits, also the work of our members. Come and see what you can grow in your garden. Although we gardeners are tired of all the rain, we are hoping that it will rain on one of the days of our show, cottagers looking for something other than swimming and water fun or playing endless board (bored) games will come flocking to the show!!!!! Just a note about the rainiest day in U.S. history On July 25th 1979, it rained for 24 hours for a record of 43 inches in Alvin Texas, I do not know how this stacks up against the rain in New Orleans a couple of years ago!!!! The Rain Song by Robert Loveman It is not raining rain for me, The clouds of gray engulf the day It is not raining rain to me, A health unto the happy, Peter Rabbit has been visiting my garden – I read somewhere that they do not like onions soooooo I planted a lot of onions and garlic around the lettuce and surprise no more eaten lettuce, it is worth a try in your gardens. I see that there is an abundance of Lavender blossoms this year; the plant must like the rain. It is a good time to make some lavender salve- you can use it for the sore muscles that you sustain after caring for the lavender bed!!! Cut the flowers as soon after blooming as possible; pack them loosely in a clean pint jar. Fill the jar with vegetable oil, cover tightly and leave in the sun, shaking regularly, leave it there for about a month. Filter through a clean cloth, take the cloth and squeeze the oil back into the jar. The sediment that you have left in the cloth is the salve. Discard the leftover oil. The salve will soothe all your aches and pains for the rest of the gardening season – makes you smell wonderful too. You can make yourself a sleep pillow just pop some lavender flowers in a linen/cotton bag and put under your pillow – ummmm you will sleep very soundly Whilst I am not sure if you really need to know about aphids, but I found this of interest, why are we always losing the war against aphids? One female aphid can produce up to 5 billion offspring in a single season! A female mite produces about 1 million eggs a month, a female termite about 6,000 eggs a day and the queen bee 1,000 to 2,000 eggs a day – so no wonder we are indeed fighting a losing battle against the pests in our gardens and on our plants. We do however have an ally- the simple ladybug. She was so named in the middle Ages, for the Virgin Mary when grape farmers realized the little orange-shelled creature protected their grape harvests from infestations. The average ladybug consumes 5,400 aphids in a season. I have been asked a few questions about tomatoes. Tomatoes whose leaf margins or stems are turning purple might have a phosphorus deficiency. Carefully work in some ground phosphate rock or some bone meal around the plant, if you have delayed fruit setting this might also be the problem. If the plant has blue-green curled leaves and few blossoms it is probably short of copper. Work in a small amount of manure (not fresh) sawdust or grass clippings. Leaves that are yellow and/or brittle and curled indicate a shortage of magnesium. Epson salts will rectify this problem. Perhaps this is the place to speak about your compost pile, I have many people tell me that it “does not happen” it has just been sitting there; rinds are still rinds and eggshells, still eggshells. Try spraying it with soap. In the fall especially, sometimes this happens because you haven’t turned the piles, nor is it getting enough moisture. Jim Wilson, co-host on PBS’s Victory Garden sprays Murphy’s Oil Soap on his fall compost, which is of course a brilliant idea for the tackiness of the soap helps moisture to adhere and thus the compost will break down- oops have to stop the thunder is doing its thing once again. Back again after yet another downpour the sun is trying to shine Stems that are too woody and leaves that are yellow are lacking calcium Wood ash or bone meal in small amount should correct this problem Plants that have light green leaves and few or no blossoms have a magnesium deficiency. A moderate dressing of aged manure should help. Are you still battling slugs? Try placing grapefruit halves with a little pulp still inside, upside down in your garden especially around your Hosta’s – the slugs will crawl inside these little igloos and die – I do not know why they die, but it does work. MUD – Polly Chase Boyden Mud is very nice to feel Nobody else but the rosebush knows
THE CATERPILLAR Brown and furry May no toad spy you, Do you remember this poetess from school days? – I always loved her little poems. Continue to deadhead your flowers, feed your roses one more time this summer. I understand that in another week or so the fall bulbs will be on sale – however there is still time to purchase perennials, especially those expensive ones you have been denying yourselves, for the sales are on. I will be talking about bulbs in more depth later on – but always buy the best bulbs that you can afford, and purchase them early – but do not plant them just yet, although we want good roots we do not want top growth. Continue to weed – and if necessary add to your mulch, my grandsons removed the container off my compost and all that black gold is sitting there waiting for me to put it on the garden. I take the top that has not yet broken down and place it on the bottom of the compost container thus starting over. For those of you who made tuffa pots and troughs a couple of years ago – if you have planted Sempervivums (e.g. Chickens and Hens) They are a good choice as they are so very decorative and will encrust the container that they are in – but as they need the heat and will tolerate some drought they will need regular feeding and watering so keep them close to the house, this way you will not forget them The therapeutic effects of scents have long been used in gardens with plants such as lavender and rosemary planted near back doors and along pathways. Few people can resist running their hands over southernwood on a hot summer’s night. Night scented plants, sweet rocket, and nicotine etc. were often planted near the house too. A mixed low hedge of aromatic herbs around the vegetable garden will help to deter insect pests by masking their (the veggies) scent Branches of aromatic plants can be laid in bean and pea trenches to deter rodents. Although these herbs are rarely showy they do add soft colours, fragrance and attractive foliage to the flower garden. If you do not have a place by your door for a patch of herbs – grow them in pots, this way they are close by and you will use them, not so if you have to run “to the bottom of the garden” You can always pop a few herbs between paving stones or even in gravel. The heat from the sun on these surfaces will help to release the aromatic oils I still have some perennial mums and daisies to plant the rain has stopped once again so in my plastic crocs I am going to venture in the world of the mosquito – I hear that “crocs are out” I love mine and find them invaluable for popping outside – I keep a couple of pairs by my door Happy happy birthday to my three dear “daughters.” Sandra, Jordon and Jane Michele all celebrating a half-century of life this year. To my dear friend Patricia who is a little older than 50, celebrated her birthday on the 5th we have been friends for almost 50 years. And to myself on the 4th of this month I celebrated 51 years in Canada where does the time go? Happy birthday to everyone else. My loving wishes to my dear Brian – be well. Rachel, you are in our hearts and prayers, it is time to leave the hospital and weed your garden, for we love you. Good gardening to you all – stay dry, Umbrellas, hats, sunscreen, bug repellent, hats. Lovingly Beryl |