Well, spring has sprung and Communities in Bloom is getting into gear for the spring planting. Easter is around the corner and Earth Day is April 22. The days are getting longer and the grass is getting greener. Time to get our hands dirty.
WE DIG – DO IT NOW TIPS
* Plant peas and radishes
* Shear winter flowering heathers after blooming
* Plant glads and dahlias in Easter week, hill like potatoes for stability
* Hoe beds frequently to conserve moisture
* All plants need help with spring growth … Feed!
* Conifers should be pruned before new growth starts
* Sow grass seed
* Rake grass before mowing
* Bait garden and flower beds for slugs
* Deadhead spring bulbs but do not cut back on the leaves
* Scatter annual poppy seeds in flower beds, the fine seeds need no covering and provide colour
* Plant early potatoes such as Pontiac or Yukon Gold
DID YOU KNOW …
Tulips originated in Central Asia, not the Netherlands? They grew as a wildflower and were first cultivated in 1000 A.D. The word tulip comes from the Turkish word for ‘turban.’ Tulips were brought to Europe in the l6th Century. Popularity rose in the 17th Century. Tulip mania took over and prices soared and the markets crashed! Today, they are one of the most popular flowers in the world. Holland is the best-known place as the delightful blooms blanket its fields with incredible colours. Tulips symbolize a perfect and deep love, rebirth and charity. Different colours have different meanings – white: forgiveness, respect, purity and honour; yellow: happiness and hope; red: eternal love and passion; pink: affection and good wishes; purple: royalty and elegance.
PICK OF THE MONTH – TULIP (Tulipa spp – botanical name).
Like part or full sun, blooms in the spring, multi coloured. Planting varieties with different bloom times you can have colour from early to late spring. Flowers are usually cup shaped with three petals and three sepals. They range in height from six inches to two feet. They are technically a perennial but the many centuries of hybridizing has hampered the bulb’s ability to come back year after year. Soil must be well drained – tulips do not like excessive moisture. Plant tulips in the fall before ground freezing frost. Plant six to eight inches deep and four to five inches apart and water lightly. To deter mice and moles, put holly or any other prickly leaves in the planting holes. Apply compost annually. When leaves emerge, feed with the same bone meal or bulb food used when planting. Deadhead tulips as necessary but do not remove the leaves. Allow the leaves to remain on the plants for about six weeks. The flowers may be single, double, ruffled, fringed or lily shaped. Wild tulips are small in height, ranging from three to eight inches.
AND … What do you get when you push a bunch of Easter eggs down a hill? Spring rolls!!
Chemainus Communities in Bloom meets on Tuesday, April 18 at 7 p.m. at the Chemainus Legion (upstairs).