Another hot summer to remember! And more fires, this time touching close to home!
Thank you to all the fire crews and pilots for responding so quickly and quenching those flames so efficiently. Labour Day, Sept. 3 is around the corner, time for school, time to watch for fall colours and time to dig - out with the old, in with the new!
The Harvest moon rises on Sept. 24, so named for its bright appearance and early rise allowing farmers to continue to harvest into the night. It is also called a Corn or Barley moon.
We Dig – Do It Now Tips
• rake up leaves, twigs and fallen fruit from apple trees and dispose in the garbage to control apple scab disease, and discourage bears and deer
• Continue to feed and water container plants to keep the blooms blooming; stop fertilizing perennials
• Pick up large pots of ‘mums’ to replace summer colour
• Prune summer flowering heathers
• Prune climbing roses, wisteria and grapes
• Pull up tomato plants at the end of the month. Unripened fruit will ripen indoors
• Harvest potatoes when the tops die down
• Cut back dahlias, halfway, and water copiously for fall flowers
• Divide spring flowering perennials
• Pot up chives, parsley and other herbs to extend the growing season to the house
• Prune evergreens now or wait until April, minimize watering
• Bring house plants that have summered outdoors, inside
• Apply lime to lawns before grass gets sour and moss sets in
• Plant spring bulbs as soon as the summer flowers are over – refresh soil
• Plant pansies, forget-me-nots and wallflowers over bulbs to flower with them in the spring
Did You Know…
…that the flower of the month is the Aster – symbol of daintiness?
… there are more microorganisms in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on earth?
…when bees feel a rise in humidity they will return to their hives to avoid the coming rain?
…VanGogh loved sunflowers and painted 11 paintings of the cheery flowers?
…September is the ninth month and has nine letters in its name?
…roses are related to almonds, apples, raspberries, cherries, peaches, plums, and pears?
…broccoli is a flower?
Pick of the Month – Celosia, commonly known as Cockscomb
Primarily grown as an ornamental plant it is a commonly grown vegetable in Africa. An annual with feather-like blooms in yellow, orange or red. Grows and loves full sun but must be kept damp. Needs fertilizer every two weeks when blooms start. As it is tropical it also needs a thick layer of mulch to keep it warm and hold in the moisture. Some varieties can get as tall as three feet. Deadheading helps produce more flowers.
AND…Mel Blanc, ‘the voice of Bugs Bunny’ was allergic to carrots.
The next meeting of Chemainus Communities in Bloom will be Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Steeples Activity room. Visit our blog www.wedigchemainus.ca.