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Results will be spectacular despite late planting and blooming

Henry Road traffic circle planting planned for June 3
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June, a gardener’s favourite month, as growth shifts into high gear. A touch of sun at the end of May has turned the switch on. How good does that feel? It’s amazing how a day or two of sunshine reenergizes.

Planting and blooming are about two weeks behind but the results for the summer will be spectacular. Communities in Bloom has had to delay planting and has a new schedule should anyone want to join us. No gardening knowledge or skills required, just bring a trowel and a smile.

May 28 at 10 a.m. is clean-up of the Henry Road area. Friday, June 3, planting starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Henry Road traffic circle, rain or shine. Come and join the fun.

World Environmental Day is June 5 and summer solstice is just 26 days away. Enjoy! And don’t forget dear old Dad. Maybe a garden chair to relax and bask in the rewards of his labour or a kneeler for the work still to be done.

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 through September

… 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 11/2” to keep lawn green and roots cool

… Feed fuschias; they need water and fertilizer frequently

… Plant heat loving veggies such as cucumbers, eggplant and peppers

… Deadhead spring blooming flowers, but leave the leaves to fertilize the bulbs

… Cut off chive flowers to encourage new growth

DONNA’S PICK OF THE MONTH … the PEONY … is a flowering plant in the genus Paeonia, native to Asia, Europe and Western North America. There are 33 currently known species and three types of peonies: tree, ltoh and bush. Most are herbaceous bush perennials having deeply lobed leaves, red, white, yellow, pink or purple flowers blooming from late spring to early summer. The flowers can have an intoxicating scent or no scent and bloom for 7-10 days. The tree peony can reach 7’ high and 4’ across and likes leafy shade at the peak of the day’s heat. The others like full-on sun and grow 1’-3’ wide and high.

Flowers bloom in April, May and June. Include all three types for seven weeks of blooms in your garden. The peony is a very long lived, breathtakingly beautiful plant, often described as being an oxymoron as it is delicate and tough as nails at the same time. Provide full sun, good drainage and a cold winter to achieve success as a grower. There are six flower types: anemone, single, Japanese, semi-double, double and bomb. Plant in late fall in a humus rich moist soil. Don’t plant too close to trees or shrubs as they don’t like to compete for water, light or food. Peonies thrive on neglect and do not need to be divided. Spare the fertilizer. They require little maintenance if they are properly planted but don’t take kindly to transplanting. Japanese beetles, botrytis blight and powdery mildew can be a problem.

The very good news, the best for last, is that they are deer and rabbit resistant! After blooming, the bushy clump of glossy, dark green leaves lasts through the summer, turning a purple red or gold in the fall.

AND … a weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows!