Spring is here and the blossoms and birds are making it known. COVID-19 is still with us but there is a light at the end of the tunnel if we all stay the course for a few more months. This is the perfect time to stay home and garden.
Flower of the Year is the Victoria Blue Salvia, scheduled for last year before COVID interfered. Seeds will be available around town soon so keep your eyes peeled.
Easter is around the corner and Earth Day is on April 22. The month is full of diversity and we will be looking for May flowers in the blink of an eye.
Chemainus Communities In Bloom members will be out and about weeding and preparing beds for planting in May and June.
WE DIG – DO IT NOW TIPS
• Divide primroses
• All general plantings take place this month, flowers, veggies and new perennials
• Clean up and fertilize rhodos and azaleas after flowering
• Plant up your hanging baskets, patio tubs and planters
• Colour your hydrangeas – saltpeter for pink and alum for blue
• Use straw as a mulch along strawberry rows
• Lawns are growing fast – feed a little but often – a thick turf needs less water
• Spread wood ash around daphne, lilac, clematis, roses
• Lightly cut back early blooming perennials after flowering
• Keep the slugs at bay
• Be prepared to cover tender plants at night if there is a cold spell!
DID YOU KNOW …
… The flower of the month is the Sweet Pea, meaning goodbye.
… That one bat can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour.
… That there are male and female pine cones.
… That the bumps on raspberries are called drupelets.
… That peanuts grow underground.
PICK OF THE MONTH
Tulips – These brightly coloured flowers brighten our days. By planting a variety of times you can have blooms from April till June. There is a tulip for every setting – from small species for woodland areas to larger ones that fit formal garden beds. Flowers can be single or double and height ranges from six inches to two feet. The bulb has the ability to come back year after year in our region.
JOKE OF THE MONTH
What flower can be found between the nose and chin ? Two lips (tulips)
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