gardenchatter

Garden adventures, thoughts and ideas…

Author Archives: gardenchatter


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Hawk Migration!

We’re on our way to Hawk Cliff this weekend to hopefully see some live action! Hawk Cliff, near Port Stanely, ON has become a popular hawk migration viewing area. Up to 15 different species can be seen and at times, thousands of birds each day as they pass through – and it’s also part of the Monarch migration trail, so there’s something for everyone.

I’ll report back on Sunday – and hopefully will have a picture or two to share.

Here’s the Hawk Cliff website – http://www.ezlink.ca/~thebrowns/HawkCliff/index.htm


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Fall Is On the Way!

But we still have plenty of good weather to look forward to here in zone 5 – today we’re in the 80’s and sunny! A perfect day for starting some of that fall cleanup.

There isn’t too much that needs to be done yet, but cut back any faded perennials – the spiderwort is done for the year, and those were cut to the ground today. I pulled out some of the obedient and gooseneck plants, leaving just a few that will spread again next year. Both quite invasive, but easy to control, and great summer plants.

Plant radishes and snowpeas for a fall harvest now – radishes take about 5 weeks and snowpeas aren’t all that far behind – each preferring the cooler weather. Mine should be ready the first week of October.

The raised beds are going to be receiving a layer of newspaper and then thick layer of shredded leaves as they all start to fall from the maples. The paper will stop the weeds from sprouting in the spring and will break down into the garden. The leaves will add additional darkness and also will break down over the winter adding extra nutrition to the beds. Grass clippings are also great – bag the mower when you cut and collect the grass for additional nutrition in the beds.

Pull out any ponds plants that are brown or faded looking. Once the frost hits, all annual pond plants need to be removed as to not contaminate the water – but take out any now that aren’t as bright looking as they should be.

And don’t forget the hummingbirds. They will soon be flying off to warmer climates, but need plenty of sweets to help keep them going. Fill the feeders and help them have a successful journey!

 


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Bring Butterflies Into the Garden!

Bring butterflies into the garden with a mix of nectar producing blossoms and preferred host plants.

Plant milkweed – it’s the only host plant of the monarch butterfly larvae -and it’s easy to grow! Purchase plants from your local garden center, plant seeds indoors in early spring, or directly into the ground once the risk of frost is over. Milkweed are an easy growing perennial that need little attention, but produce big results. Tall flower stems and pink or white blooms give monarchs a home for their young and provide food for all butterflies.

Not all butterflies lay eggs on the same plants that they feast on – many plants are simply host plants and are not food providers, so when planning a garden be sure to include both – you’ll attract plenty of butterflies and help keep the population strong!


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HOT! HOT! HOT!

Well, we hit record highs here in our part of world on Thursday – 38 degrees Celsius – 100 degrees Fahrenheit! Sure is hard to garden with those temperatures, but us die-hards do it anyway. Kind of like the post office, we deliver regardless of the weather!

We have also had no rain here for the past few weeks so the sprinkler is running pretty much non-stop, but I’m always amazed at how the weeds tend to sprout regardless of weather conditions. All of a sudden the lawn is full of crab grass, and it hasn’t had much water at all (lucky it’s an annual weed and will soon be gone).

But in 6 weeks the leaves will start to change and the temperatures get a little cooler as that hint of fall arrives in the air. And we all know what comes next!

So until then, I’ll continue to persevere in the heat and hope it holds out just a little longer than it should.


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New Raised Beds

Finally got around to building a couple of large raised beds yesterday to start growing veggies next year. Right now, most veggies are grown here in pots and overall do quite well. Tomatoes, peppers and snow peas are coming along nicely and I’ve created a “wall” of pole beans by placing 3 large pots side by side, complete with tall bamboo poles for the vines to twine along. The plants are thriving right now, and with any luck, there will be beans a plenty over the next few weeks. The squash and cucumbers are doing well and before long will fill up the corner with their twisty vines. (Squash is my favorite!)

The raised beds will allow for easy maintenance gardening, good drainage and don’t take up the entire planting area, so there’s still plenty of room for the other flowers and shrubs. The height also will help keep hungry critters out and will allow for planting just a little earlier in the season next year as the soil warms up – usually quicker than the ground does. Weed control becomes less of an issue – because the plants are close together in a raised bed, as they grow they shadow the soil, preventing those annoying weeds from sprouting – they need sun, and without it, won’t grow.

And raised beds just keep the area neat and tidy looking.

We’re composting like crazy to add nutrients into the beds before the winter – and will have it all ready to go once the snow is gone next spring and the green begins to reappear.

I’m already looking forward to the start of the January delivery of seed catalogs.


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Summer!

First day of summer! And it’s been a great one so far – warm days, cool nights. The early spring rains we all complained about have spun their magic on the gardens; they’re looking better than ever this year. The silverlace has taken off and is already blooming and the honeysuckle vine is full of bright orange blossoms. The two little hummingbirds are back and the orioles have decided to call this yard home for the season – remember to keep plenty of water around for the birds over the summer and grow plants with berries and nectar to help keep them fed.


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Warm Weather Approaching

It seems we’ve gone from early spring to summer in one day. Not all that long ago we were scraping our cars in the morning and seeing frost on the roof-tops. Today – it was 27 degrees.

But who’s complaining? The rains we had last week, combined with this weeks heat has sure made the garden start to wake up.

The bleeding hearts are finally blooming, the allium is about to, and the hostas, ferns and other perennials are starting to pop out of the ground.

With only a week to go before the official May-24-time-to-plant-weekend I plan to go get my multiple flats of impatiens tomorrow and might just take my chances before the official Ontario start of summer…..will just have to keep a tarp or two handy in case of that last surprise frost.

Happy Planting!


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Planting Cool Weather Vegetables

Now is the time to get those cool weather vegetables in the ground.

Plant beets, radishes, lettuces, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, endive, fava beans, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuces, mustard, onions. parsnips, peas, radishes, spinach, rutabagas and turnips for early summer harvesting.

Plant again once the heat of summer wears off for a fall harvest as well.

And remember once the fall hits to plant garlic for a summer of fresh garlic. Garlic needs to be planted in the fall, goes dormant over the winter and comes to life in the spring.  For garlic planting tips, see my ehow.com article titled  “Does Garlic Grow Underground Like An Onion”.

Today I planted about 200 radish seeds that will be ready to eat in 3 weeks.

Oh, and get those sweet pea flowering vine seeds in the ground for some early summer color!


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It’s Spring!

Roughly a month late, but here we are, our first good day of the year. The snow is finally gone, the lawns are getting dry, windows are open and we can get out and start getting ready for the good weather to follow.

In my travels today I stopped at a local garden market and picked up a couple of large pots of mixed pansies. I have them on the steps of a rustic old ladder that’s out in the garden, in full view from the kitchen.

It sure feels good to look out and see vibrant shades of spring instead of the dripping icicles that have traveled down that ladder for far too long this year.

Pansies are a great cool weather plant, they prefer this time of year over the heat of the summer when they start to struggle and the blooming slows down. They can even handle the morning frosts we’re still going to see for the next few weeks – pick some up and invite spring into your garden!


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Almost there!

The robins have landed….and the skunks are back out. Two sure signs that spring is finally here. Of course, it’s still a tad white out there, but with the climbing temperatures Mother Nature has been favoring us with that should be nothing but a memory by the weekend.

It’s time to get out and get the yard cleaned up – pick up all the branches and do a little de-thatching of the lawn. Time to also get the tools sharpened and cut the grasses down and prune out dead wood from the shrubs.

Last year we were doing all this mid-March – a tad later this year, but will be nice to get out there and start making the yard look like spring is truly here.

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