What does Dad get for Father’s Day? How about that tree to replace some of the storm damage? Or a nice shiny spade? Diggin’ is good!
June is a good month to plant, redesign, think water conservancy and climate change. Lots to think about and chew on. Get some ideas from the local, self-guided, garden tour on June 9. Tickets are available at Sandpiper Gardens for $12. Proceeds to Harvest House.
Summer begins on June 21, celebrate!
We Dig – Do It Now Tips
• Finish planting hanging baskets, patio pots and window boxes with flowers - keep them well fed and watered during the summer months
• Prune lilacs after blooming
• Plant gladiolas for late summer colour
• Feed vegetable gardens once a month now through September with an all-purpose fertilizer
• Thin heavy crops of fruit on apple, pear and plum trees to reduce branch weight and increase fruit size
• Keep compost piles dampened and well aerated
• Keep grass long, set mower blades to 1 1/2 to two inches, to keep lawn green and roots cool and moist
• Feed fuchsias, they need water and fertilizer frequently
• Plant heat loving veggies such as cucumbers, egg plant and peppers
• Dead head spring blooming flowers
• Cut off chive flowers to encourage new growth
Did you know…
…Flower of the month is the rose?… meaning ‘I love you’
…Your birth flower is the rose and honeysuckle meaning gratitude and appreciation?
…the colour of roses symbolize certain values: Red – love?
Yellow – friendship?
Orange – enthusiasm?
White – purity?
Pink – Joy?
…the tallest ever recorded rose bush stands at over 23 feet?
…the buds of the tiniest roses are the size of a grain of rice?
Pick of the Month - the Rose
Five Unusual Rose Tips that Really Work
• Plant lavender at the base of the rose to deter deer
• Dump coffee grounds and used tea leaves around bushes
• Bury banana skins or even the entire black mushy mess at the base of bushes to provide magnesium that plants crave
• Scratch two tablespoons of Epsom salts into the soil around the base to make flower colours more intense
• Scratch ½ cup of rabbit pellets around each rose as fertilizer. This supplies a growth stimulant. Water well.
• Today’s easy to grow roses (no more pruning, spraying and dusting!): Flower Carpet ground cover roses, Knock Out landscape roses and David Austen’s climbing roses, just plant, fertilize and water!
AND…
My fear of roses is a thorny issue. I’m not sure what it stems from, but it seems likely I’ll be stuck with it!
Next meeting for Communities in Bloom is June 18, 7 p.m., Steeples Activity room.
New members are welcome. For more information, call Maureen at 250-246-3626. Follow our blog: wedigchemainus.ca and visit us on Facebook.