Time to dig it and plant bulbs and pansies at the traffic circle. Watch for and/or join us at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 when 500 daffodils will be going into the circle.
The extended summer is a bonus…enjoy!
Thanksgiving weekend starts Oct. 7, a time for family get-togethers and a time to be thankful we live on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, truly the best place in the world.
We Dig – Do It Now Tips
• Dig and divide rhubarb
• Leave fallen leaves in flower beds as protection from winter cold
• Divide large clumps of perennials
• Plant new trees and shrubs
• Winterize your pond and stretch net over to catch falling leaves
• Aerate and top dress lawns, apply lime, sow seed until mid-October
• Clear beds of annuals and add compost by the end of the month
• Buy and plant spring-blooming bulbs and plant those winter pansies
• Divide clumps of herbs, and pot up young plants of chives, mint, oregano and parsley for indoor use
• Plant garlic, shallots and overwintering onions before Thanksgiving
• After first frost or at the end of the month dig up dahlias, gladiolas, tuberous begonias and fuschias and store in frost free place
• Wet muddy soil must be corrected before winter. Use sand and peat moss.
• Winterize irrigation systems
• Wait until December to prune trees
Did You Know…
…the flower of the month is the Calendula, or pot marigold, depicting cruelty, grief and jealousy?
…that it takes the energy from 50 leaves to grow one apple?
…that the apple was the earliest of all fruits to be cultivated by man?
…that 35 to 40 apples are needed to make eight pints of cider?
Pick of the Month – colchicum autumnale, better known as Autumn Crocus
Unrelated to the Spring crocus it adds colour to garden beds that have faded and are ready for winter hibernation. They are larger than the Spring variety and are either pink or mauve. They are unique, as their flowers emerge from the soil in September with no leaves, and bloom for two to three weeks. Come Spring, long, grass-like leaves sprout up and slowly die down over the duration of summer. It is a low maintenance bulb that returns annually. Its downside is that all parts of the plant are poisonous.
AND …..overheard in a garden shop..”I want to grow my own food, but I can’t find any bacon seeds:….”
Chemainus Communities in Bloom meets next on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Steeples activity room. Newcomers always welcome.
Visit our blog at www.wedigchemainus.ca and keep in touch through Facebook.