What a summer! Worth waiting for! Hard to believe that summer is almost over and school is just around the corner. The hanging baskets are still in their glory and we are very proud of the Henry Road traffic circle.
Thanks to the adopt-a-bed volunteers for keeping the town looking lovely and colourful.
WE DIG – DO IT NOW TIPS
* Continue to feed and water container plants to keep the blooms blooming until the cool temperatures take over
* Pick up large pots of mums to replace any fading summer colour
* Prune summer flowering heathers
* Pull up tomato plants at the end of the month. Unripe fruit will ripen indoors
* Cut back dahlias, halfway, and water copiously for fall flowers
* Divide spring flowering perennials and replant
* Prune evergreens now or wait until April
* Prune rose bushes and, weather permitting, you will have flowers for Christmas!
* Bring house plants that have summered outdoors inside
* Apply lime to lawns before grass gets sour and mossy
* Winterize your pond and stretch net over to catch falling leaves
* Plant garlic, shallots and overwintering onions before Thanksgiving
* Winterize irrigation systems
DID YOU KNOW …
… that rhubarb leaves are poisonous?
… the apple was the earliest of all fruits to be cultivated by man?
… the flavour of kale improves with each frost?
… September is happy cat month?
… that banana skins dug in around roses provide calcium, magnesium and sodium?
… butterflies taste with their feet?
… the autumnal equinox is Sept. 22 at 9:04 p.m. representing equal hours of daylight and darkness?
PICK OF THE MONTH
Bears Breeches also known as Acanthus mollis. Native to Mediterranean regions. Likes shade or partial shade. Slow growing when young, fast growing when established. Acanthus mollis means cultivated spiny bear bract (claws). It is a tall eye-catching perennial with large glossy green leaves and tall spikes of flowers. Gardeners grow them for their foliage. White flowers grow on tall (three feet) stems and are hooded by purple bracts.
AND …
What would a big flower say to a little flower? (what’s up, bud?)
