Hello my dear wet gardening friends,

Will this wet weather never end? We were all so very worried that the lakes were ‘down’ by many feet when the ice went out about a month go and now the water is overflowing the banks. I have been so cold and wet whilst working these past two weeks - never mind the sun will shine and all the flowers and plants will grow and grow, along with the weeds that seem to be doing very well. Thanks to my dear friend Rick Zatorkski my grass is cut, and the place looks great.

I am having such trouble with the house plumbing - at great expense I had work done by a "reputable" plumber/electrician - who created more problems than he solved - so much so that I doubt if I will be able to have my lake water connected this summer - sooo I am looking for X-scaping plants - or at least I was - if this weather continues - I will be looking for bog plants!!!! In fact some of the things that I have placed outside prior to planting are already showing signs of rotting after caring for them inside all winter - woe is the life of a gardener??

We have talked about flowers, trees, shrubs etc. now let us look at some ways to grow sweet delicious vegetables. For those who like to grow corn, beans and squash, but only have a small garden, here is an old idea, that was developed long ago by our Native Americans, called the "Three Sisters"

Why do this ? For several reasons, but if you plant the Three Sisters in the same plot of ground they will help each other to grow. The corn acts as a support for the pole beans and the squash not only crowds out the weeds but acts as a living mulch. In return, the beans improve the soil for future crops by converting nitrogen from the air into a form that plants can use.

You must do your part first, to make sure that the three sisters get off to a good start. Corn and squash are very heavy feeders, and like lots of nitrogen in the soil. In early spring, cover the growing area with at least one inch of composted manure. Work the compost into the top two inches of soil - if you do not have your own compost - you can try calling your local “Works Department” and order a truck load, for the price of delivery - or go to a local ecology garden.

Start by planting the corn, for you are going to need a sturdy, tall support for the beans. Traditionally, Native Americans have planted flour, flint and dent corns, but you may grow sweet corn. Try flour cultivars like 'Iroquois White' or sweet corn 'BlackAztec, Rainbow Inca and Texas Honey June'. Plant the corn in hills as the Iroquois do, setting out five to seven evenly spaced seeds per hill. Make the hills 18 inches wide at the base and 10 inches wide at the top and four inches high. Spacing these hills four feet apart.

When the corn is six inches high weed the hills and plant four or five beans around the corn seedlings. The corn needs a head start before the beans start to grow on them or else they will be smothered. Use beans called "Kentucky Wonder" and any "Scarlet Runner."

Plant squash or pumpkins at the same time as the beans in every seventh hill, try any winter squash, acorn, butternut etc. Make sure that your three sisters get plenty of water during the growing season. Because the plants are growing so close together in a small space it is best to irrigate the ground by flooding with a soaker hose. Do not use overhead watering, for this only encourages mildew on the squash and bean leaves.

Once they are mature, corn, beans and squash are delicious fresh-picked and steamed. Winter squashes with tough rinds will keep just fine in a cool dry place for many months and even over the winter. Dried corn and beans will keep for six months or longer if you dry them well. Hang corn ears in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place for say a couple of months, shell them after a few frosts. Dry corn kernels until they feel hard when pressed with a thumb nail. Beans are just as simple - let them dry in their pods until they are hard shell them, and keep them in a dry place.

Train peas, cucumbers and melons - even squash up a trellis and they too will thrive. "Growing up" means that the plants get plenty of light and enough circulation to discourage diseases especially mildew. You can get two crops in the space that is normally taken up by one only. In a sunny spot; space two eight foot tall metal fence posts eight feet apart driving them two feet into the ground. You can add more post on either side if you wish a wider trellis.

Drive sturdy notched wooden stakes into the ground outside the end posts. Then, fasten strong, flexible wire to one end of the stakes and run it up to the first metal post, slipping it into the top notch that is knocked out of the metal. Run the wire to the other post, slipping it loosely into the top notch then down the other end of the stake.

Using vise-grips or pliers, pull the wire as taut as possible, then secure it to the end post. You can also use a piece of wood, wrap the wire around it to pull the wire taut, then clip off any excess wire.

Buy enough plastic garden netting to stretch the length of your trellis. Get a box of S-hooks, at any hardware store. Space the hooks at eighteen-inch intervals along the horizontal part of the wire. Unroll the netting and hang it from the S-hooks. Slip it into the notches of the posts when you reach them. Keep the trellis fairly taut as you work your way along the row.

When the trellis netting is up then you are ready to plant peas. Leave open spots where the other plants will go. You can actually place rocks six to eight inches apart to mark the spots. The cukes, melons and squash can go into the garden once all danger of frost is past (Maybe August?) the peas will be growing nicely by then. Look for the markers and set the plants in the open spots.

Grow new vines right up the trellis with the peas; they really do not bother each other. You can pull down all the vines together at the end of the season making it an easy job. When the trellis is fairly clean. Simply remove the S-hooks, lift off the netting, roll it up and store it for next year.

Ripe cantaloupes, melons and squash weigh a lot, so that they need support when they are growing on a trellis. You can make slings from a variety of porous materials such as panty hose, mesh onion bags or cheesecloth.

Run the material under each fruit when it is small, and adjust the support sling as necessary as the fruit grows. Tie the sling ends directly to the netting, or if it is particularly heavy attach the sling to the trellis support posts.

So you do not have any garden space for a vegetable garden? Try growing tomatoes in the lawn - You will find that you get bigger and healthier yields from plants grown in garden soil that has been amended with manure/compost. Pick a spot that is in full sun and where the lawn looks healthy - only do this if the lawn has not been sprayed with pesticides for several years. Avoid planting in areas that are thick with weeds or where the grass is thin and spotty (or if Trixie has been going there to pee). Let your grass clippings stay on the lawn - makes excellent organic matter, compost and fertilize the soil.

Either make or buy tomato cages and have it at the ready. With a sharp spade (I kept telling you to get them sharpened!) cut out a circle in the lawn, dig under the sod, loosening it and keep prying it up until it comes up in one piece. With a trowel poke the bottom of the sod so that the soil that is still clinging to the roots falls back into the bare spot. Place the remaining "grass" in the compost place it upside down to hasten decomposition or use it as a patch elsewhere. Dig a hole the depth of your shovel blade, loosening the soil. Plant a tomato or other veggie transplant into the hole, putting a cardboard cutworm collar around it. Cutworms love the soil just under the sod and we do not want them chomping your seedlings that first night put your tomato cage over the plants, fitting it snugly against the grass. Pin the bottom of the cage to the soil - using rocks, branches ,etc. making sure that it will not topple over when the plant is laden with fruit.

Do not judge a garden by its looks alone. In summer your vine combinations may look jumbled, even messy - as mine does right now. You will soon get used to that look, especially when you start reaping your double and even triple harvest. Once in France a couple asked a farmer where his crops were. He pointed to an over grown weed patch and said, “right there”, pointing to the weeds. To the couple’s astonishment, they realized that this was not a weed patch at all but grapes, melons, cucumbers and more grew into small trees that were not trash but apples, cherries, peaches, and plums. The weeds were herbs like, clary sage and dill. Nearer the ground grew thyme, and oregano and everywhere there was lettuce, strawberry plants, beets, chard and riots of vines bearing watermelons - all of it tumbled together in one of the most productive quarter of an acre seen anywhere. I hope that you have planted some potatoes - let the garden look after itself for a little while.

I have been asked to give you another recipe for a sweet drink that does not require a lot of work. The Golden Drink of the Angels comes to mind. It tastes delicious but it is really a true medicinal tincture. It relieves cramps, chills, digestive upsets etc.

Ingredients 2 ounces of Angelica seeds
1/4 ounce of anise seeds
1/4 ounce of fennel seeds
1/5 ounce coriander seeds (if desired)
8 ounces of food grade alcohol, vodka is preferred NOT rubbing alcohol
one pound fine sugar
2 1/2 pints pure water

Method

1. Grind the seeds together
2. Have ready a glass bottle holding the vodka
3. Add the well pulverized and blended seeds
4. Cork the bottle and give it a good shake
5. Allow the mixture to stand in a warm place for 8 days to steep - shake it every time that you think about it .
6. Strain through a cheesecloth bag or strainer - making sure that you rescue every drop
7. Dissolve the sugar in the water, add to the flavoured spirits
8. Bottle and cork tightly
9. enjoy a small amount in a liqueur glass.

That's all for this week - sou-westers, gumboots, sunscreen, raincoats, waterproof gloves!

Good gardening to us all - Lovingly Beryl