My morning coffee entertainment is watching the birds relay food to their voracious young back in the nest. If I’m lucky, one of these mornings I’ll get to watch the little ones fledge.

 

Planting

• If you’re gung-ho about watering hanging baskets all summer,  basket-stuffers galore are at all the plant sales this month. When choosing plants, keep in mind whether the basket lives in a sunny or shady location. Another handy design strategy is providing some “thrill, spill & fill” in each container.
• Plant summer flowering bulbs (dahlias, gladioli, canna lilies & such), Many folks grew them inside over the past month or two, and move them into the ground now. At the same time as planting the dahlias, put in the stakes.  They’re not needed right now, but they will be later, and then there’s a greater risk of damaging the roots.

Perennials

• Begonias, geraniums, & other tender plants that have also been over-wintered inside can be set in the garden now. Even tropical house plants can go out to a dappled spot on the deck. It’s amazing how much faster they grow outside in the summer.
• Even though they’re small now, pinch back snapdragons by 1/2… they’ll respond by growing bushier & produce more blooms.
• Cut back the euphorbias after their big show.  Letting them go to seed in the garden is sheer folly.  These garden thugs spread easily enough through underground runners.

• 

  Dead-heading spent blooms can spur some plants into another flush of flowers

Weeding

• Wander through the beds digging the weeds… This is also an opportunity to downsize populations of snails, slugs & tent caterpillars as you discover them
• Unless you’re totally cool with widespread volunteers next year, cut back or pull out the centurea, forget me nots, cerinthe and other heavy seeders after their blooms are done.

  

Irrigation

• Whether it’s garden hoses, or a fully automated system, it’s time to prep irrigation before it’s really needed.  Replacing rubber gaskets & rings reduces that nasty dribble at the hose connection.
• When you water, water slowly and deeply in the early morning or evening when the air is cool and calm.

  

Lawns

• If there are bare patches that you’d like to seed over, go for it. Keep that area moist to give the seeds some support until established.
• Keeping the mower blade above 2 inches will provide a lush lawn, and also enough leaf cover to give the grass’ roots a little shade (so they don’t dry out so quickly).
• The meadow grasses on our rocky outcropping are ready to go to seed, so C heads out there with the whipper-snipper. That way the seed doesn’t spread into the beds
• If the lawn gets 1 inch of water every two weeks, it’ll still will turn the color of straw in the heat of summer but will bounce back super quickly after temperatures cool in fall.

  

Veg & Berry Patch

• As it’s warming up, give the ‘starts’ some outside time during the day to harden off… they’ll be ready to plant outside by the Victoria Day long weekend
• herbs: Plant heat-loving seedlings of annual herbs like basil, cilantro, & parsley. Perennial herbs, like chives (blooming now), oregano, rosemary, and thyme find permanent homes in my borders. Take care with mints – they should go into containers to keep them from invading the world.
• As the potatoes start to grow, ‘hilling up’ (adding extra soil around the stems) will help the plants produce more.
• Enjoy the fresh rhubarb, but leave a few stems to help the plant feed the roots & produce a bigger crop next year.
• starts:  Direct seed carrots, leeks, onions, spinach, swiss chard, beets, parsnips, broccoli, radishes, arugula, broad beans, corn salad, kale, chard, oriental greens, and peas outdoors.

Tools

• It’s best to clean pruners between bushes. Spray with a solution of 10% bleach + water mix. This helps to prevent the spread of diseases through the garden.

Pruning

• Forsythia & Other flowering shrubs should be pruned right after flowering so they have the full growing season to prepare for next year’s bloom

  

Fertilizing

• add compost or sea soil to areas of heavy feeding
• fertilize spring bulbs after bloom so they can soak up nutrient & rebuild the bulbs for next year. Note: Let the leaves (solar panels) continue to grow, helping out with the bulb’s rebuild.

  

Seasonal Color
trees: apples… dogwood… magnolia… chestnuts… laburnum… hawthorn…
shrubs: camelia… heathers… pieris (lily of the valley shrub)… rhododendron & azalea… lilacs… weigelia… california lilac (ceanothus)… wisteria…
perennials: wild violets… trillium… bleeding hearts… erysimum (wall flower)… euphorbia… myosotis (forget me nots)… pulmonaria… vinca (periwinkle)… calla lily… oregon sunshine… evergreen clematis & clematis montana… solomon’s seal…
ferns: sword… giant chain… deer… the full gamut…
bulbs: camas… blue bells… alium…

Planning & Events
Plant sale’s & garden tours abound. Whether I need anything or not, I’m sure to trip over a few.

• Uvic’s Finnerty Gardens host their annual plant sale (usually first Sunday in May)
  http://www.uvic.ca/finnerty/
• May is the best time in Victoria for checking out the wildflowers, so I’m stoked to check out the Native Garden Tour to see what folks can do with our local options (also usually the first Sunday in May)
  http://www.hat.bc.ca/index.php/i-want-to/news/337-native-plant-garden-tour-may-4
• Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary’s Native Plant Sale (usually mid-May)
  http://www.swanlake.bc.ca/plant-s
• Sooke Secret Garden Tour (usually the first sunday in June)
  http://www.sookesecretgardens.com/

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© SVSeekins, 2014