The spring spectacle is over & the garden is doing its thing. This is the time of year that we fantasized about:
Swinging in the hammock…
reading a book…
Isn’t this why we create those restful places in the garden?
Seed Saving
After the flowers finish up, the plant sets seed. Before the pods open I like to pick & distribute them into areas where I’d like to see more next year
eg. foxglove… snapdragon… lupin… delphinium…
Fertilizing
photo by SVSeekins
add compost or sea soil to areas of heavy feeding
Planting
It’s tempting to buy new plants at this time of year. I try to keep in mind that all new plants, even drought tolerant ones, need watering during the first couple seasons. Their roots haven’t reached deep into the soil where the moisture stays, so they need surface water every couple of days.
Do I really need that new shrub?
Or would I rather go camping?
Irrigation
photo by SVSeekins
Any rain this month is barely enough to settle the dust. Water slowly and deeply in the early morning or evening when the air is cool and calm.
Baskets & pots dry out quickly. They can benefit from a drink every day.
A good top-dressing of mulch sure helps keep the moisture in the soil where plants can get it, rather than having all that water evaporate in the sunshine.
Weeding
photo by E C Jewsbury
Dead-heading spent blooms can spur plants into another flush of flowers.
eg. hardy geraniums… coreopsis… dahlias…
Wander through the beds pulling the weeds… try not to turn over the soil too much, as that just brings seeds closer to the surface to germinate & make more weeds…
Perennials
photo by SVSeekins
Dahlias & delphinium may require staking (gladiola too)
Lawns
If you water the lawn 1 inch of water every two weeks, it’ll still turn the color of straw in the heat of summer but will bounce back super quickly after temperatures cool in fall.
C brings out the mower just to whack off the heads of those persistent dandelion. Keeping the mower blade above 2 inches will give the grass’ roots a little shade so they don’t dry out so quickly
Veg & Berry Patch
photo by SVSeekins
Enjoy all the activity & pay off … harvest time for raspberries & blueberries … corn… beans… salad greens… beets…. cabbage… kale… garlic…
If there’s a partly shady spot in your garden, a new round of peas might supply some spring perk in the heat of summer… consider new rounds of greens & beets, too …
Ever-bearing strawberries – pinch off runners so the plant concentrates on fruit instead of expansion
Yup, it’s time to baby the winter veg… they do their growing now & survive through the cloudy, cold & wet wintry months… kale… parsnips… broccoli…
Q: What can highlight a pot luck supper on a warm evening?
A: Lynda’s Lavender Hummingbird Cake.
AND she shared the secret recipe with us!!! 🙂
Lavender Hummingbird Cake 2014
2 ripe bananas 1/2 c. fresh pineapple (or drained) 1/2 c. shredded coconut 110 ml. tin of passionfruit pulp (available at Fairway Market in WestShore Mall) 2 Tbsp fresh lavender (or dried) 1 1/4 c. sugar 1 3/4 c. flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cloves 1/2 tsp. allspice 3/4 c. oil 2 eggs
photo by SVSeekins
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Grease an 11 x 8 baking dish.
In a food processor, whiz together bananas & pineapple. Briefly blend in oil, sugar, lavender & eggs until smooth.
In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, coconut & spices. Add wet mixture + passionfruit pulp to the dry ingredients. Batter will be loose. Add a few tsp. of flour if you think it is too runny.
Baking time is 45 – 55 minutes. Test centre. If using 2 8 inch square pans, shorten baking time.
When cooled, ice with a simple glaze made with icing sugar, a touch of butter, milk & extra coconut…. or make a cream cheese icing with 125 g. cream cheese, 185 g. icing sugar, 60 g. butter, and 2-3 Tbsp. real rum. (How tropical do you need?) 🙂
Garden Variety Life 