Your online resource for garden information, ideas and advice.
June in the Garden!
Now the real fun begins - flowers and shrubs are starting to bloom, the veggies are getting planted and hopefully there's time at the end of the day to sit back and enjoy the efforts of the day. Here's a few tasks to keep in mind for June:
- Keep new plants and containers well watered.
- Add compost or manure to your beds to give them a nutrient boost - containers too.
- Get the mulch down before more weeds start to sprout.
- Give your houseplants a summer vacation - take them outside.
- Remember to dead-head as blooms fade to encourge more to come along.
- Watch for pests. Use floating row covers to protect veggies from specific insects. I use it on the cabbage to keep the cabbage moth from laying eggs and devouring the leaves.
- Japanese beetles will be returning any day now. Hanging traps may help, but they also bring more beetles into the yard...it's a personal choice. This year, I'm going without traps to see if it makes a difference.
- As it starts to get warmer, cut back on he lawn mowing and keep it to 3" or higher to reduce the stress risk.
- If you haven't already, stake any tall plants before they get too tall to work with.
- Prune spring blooming shrubs once the flowers have faded.
- If you have tall trees in your yard, your gutters may need to be cleaned out .
- Get a rain barrel to help with watering.
- Grow potatoes in bags - see link below.
- Find out when your local horticultural society or garden club is holding their summer garden tour. It's a great way to walk through neighbourhood yards and not get arrested... and also get some good inspiration for you own yard.
- Plant a vegetable you've never tried before.
- Create a garden for cutting flowers.
- Share a divided plant with a good neighbour or friend.
- Celebrate your garden - and always have fun!
When the Peepers Peep, Plant your Peas!
Ok, so what is a peeper, why does it peep, and what does that have to do with peas?
Spring Peepers are like Robins - they're a sure sign that the season we all wait for is right around the corner.
Peepers (
Pseudacris crucifer) are a nocturnal, brown frog, 1.5" long, sport large toe pads for climbing and are found in woodland areas and grassy spots near ponds and swamps, but overall prefer the loose debris of the forest floor.
Marked with a dark "X" on their backs, but often hard to see, when you hear their nighttime chirpy chorus, they're saying, "it's time to get the peas in the ground".
Chirping only at night, they bring forth a short, high-pitched call individually, but when chirping as a group present a sound simliar to sleigh bells. They are also the first frogs to announce the start of the spring season.
You will start to hear peepers late March or early/mid April - the perfect time to get your peas in the ground. Peas typically take around 60 days to maturity and do prefer the cooler weather. You'll be harvesting them in June, just in time to replace those spent vines with winter squash or zucchini.
