PERENNIAL PLANTS AND CELEBRATING PEERS |
Last week, we had the opportunity to speak at the Perennial Plant Association’s National Symposium in Niagara Falls. Despite its “niche”, the PPA is a large thriving group with active membership across Canada and the USA. |
While summers typically mean a retreat to our respective garden corners, connecting with horticultural friends in this peak season was even more energizing than during the typical “conference seasons”. It was as if the gardeners buzzing around Sheraton Clifton Hill Conference Center shared frequency with the bees buzzing up and down Niagara Parkway among the immaculate show gardens.
This year, three of our friends were honoured with awards: Paul Zammit of Niagara College for the Educator Award, Tony Spencer for the Garden Media Promoter Award, and Liz Klose for the Service Award. Congratulations to all three!
It is inspiring to be part of an industry community that recognizes the contributions of its most passionate members. See below for the PPA’s “Perennial Plant of the Year”.
And what perfect timing – as Canadian gardens enter the second half of the season, and summer-flowering perennials hit their stride. If you can get a break from the incessant weeding this rainy summer has brought, we encourage you to take time and enjoy this part of the show.
Mark and Ben Cullen
Merchants of Beauty and Beans
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GARDEN THINGS TO DO IN AUGUST |
Cut back perennials that have finished flowering. Speedwell, delphiniums, daylilies, roses and even lupines and the like will often re-bloom in September when they are cut back aggressively early in August.
Note: roses are on this list and there is no question that you will get a nice September show when you 'deadhead' mid summer.
Prune your cedar hedge. Truth is, there is no bad time to prune a cedar hedge - but if you do it in August you will gain the benefit of the last flush of growth come late August and September.
Plant. Many of us forget, come mid summer, that this is a great time of year to plant trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials and even late season annuals. The #1 reason for doing it now may be this: the savings at your local retailer! A lot of stuff is on sale at a lot of places. Choose wisely - don't buy junk. Avoid yellowing leaves, plants that have outgrown their container.
Do look for plants that are deep green (a sign that they are well fed), lush and ready to grow.
When you remove a new plant from its' pot the roots should fill up to 2/3 of the soil mass but no more. If the pot is 'all roots' you have a root bound plant that is going to have trouble putting down new roots in your garden.
Cut your lawn high. We have mentioned this before, but it is important to repeat: during the summer months cut your lawn at 2 1/2 to 3 inches high. No shorter! Keep in mind that the 'taller the grass blades the deeper the roots' the deeper the roots the more drought tolerant they are. You will water less. You will also have a lot fewer lawn weeds to deal with as the young ones will be shaded out by the long grass blades.
Mark’s Dad/Ben’s grandpa always said that the BEST time for colour in most Canadian gardens is the first week of August. Whether it is or it isn’t, we recommend that you take lots of photos of your garden in August and some short videos, with the sound turned up to catch the bird song. Come mid winter, when the land looks barren, you will be glad that you did.
Sow grass seed. To thicken an established lawn or start a new one, this is your best bet. Sow grass seed in the 3rd or 4th week of the month to take advantage of heavy morning dew, shorter days and cool evening temperatures. This is when 90% of all sod growers sow their next crop of sod - makes sense that we do the same.
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THINGS TO DO IN THE VEGGIE GARDEN |
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Apply Green Earth Bordo mixture to all of your tomatoes. We cannot over emphasize this one for anyone that lives in parts of the country where you have experienced lots of rainfall this summer. The copper that is in the Bordo will act to prevent 'early blight': the #1 scourge of tomatoes everywhere.
Pick your ripe veggies and fruit. It is a rule to live by: pick your beans/peas/raspberries/tomatoes etc. as they ripen and this will encourage new fruit to develop.
Check your garlic! While typically a job for later August, Ben decided to pull half his crop last week that was already full-sized as he was concerned for potential to rot in damp soils. Half remain in the ground for comparison, but the first harvest is drying well on the front porch where he has ample airflow.
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CULLEN'S FOODS - RAINFALL FRUSTRATIONS |
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What started as a picture-perfect season is now wavering, as the rain keeps coming in Southern Ontario and has yet to find many of our growers in Saskatchewan.
Our first case of grower reported root-rot in Ontario means that even with a warm spell, some percentage of the crop will be lost. It also means that the field will be out of rotation for beans a few years longer as pathogens have had the opportunity to build up.
Sandy fields are faring comparatively better, with the potential for bumper crops of navy and black beans in some areas. Despite being an arid, heat loving crop the chickpeas in Saskatchewan are suffering from another scorching summer. We keep these growers top of mind as we watch the weather across the prairies!
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BIRDS IN FOCUS:
Hummingbird Summer
By: Jody Allair
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In Canada, mid-to-late summer may seem like the slowest point in the backyard birding calendar. And it’s true for many species – but not hummingbirds. August is actually the busiest time for families of hummingbirds visiting nectar feeders and flower gardens before their big migration to Mexico and the southern US.
Hummingbirds are a topic I’ve discussed in this column before, but in case you missed those articles, here’s a quick refresher.
We have five regularly occurring species of hummingbirds across Canada. From Alberta to the East Coast, you can find the widespread Ruby-throated Hummingbird (pictured here). From Alberta to British Columbia, you can spot the Rufous Hummingbird and the diminutive Calliope Hummingbird. The final two species are found only in British Columbia – the Anna’s and Black-chinned hummingbirds.
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Photo credit: Ron Ridout
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Feeding hummingbirds is very popular across Canada. And why wouldn’t you want to attract these amazing little fireballs to your backyard? For those who are interested in attracting hummingbirds, or who feed them already, here are a few tips and tricks to consider.
One of the best things you can do is grow plants that have nectar-rich flowers for hummingbirds to feed on. Having a mix of trees and shrubs in your yard will also provide habitat for roosting and nesting.
For those who use traditional hummingbird nectar feeders, it is very important that you follow a few guidelines. First, make sure that you clean your feeder with hot, soapy water every couple of weeks. For heavily soiled feeders, you can use a vinegar solution or a mild bleach solution – just be sure to rinse well. When purchasing a feeder, make sure it has a large opening so that you can clean the inside of the feeder thoroughly. There is no need to purchase packaged nectar solution, and absolutely no need to purchase artificial solutions containing red food colouring. You can make nectar using four parts water to one part sugar. Boil the water, remove from heat, and stir in the sugar until dissolved. After the solution has cooled, fill your feeders and enjoy the most spectacular birds in the world!
Good Birding!
Jody Allair
Director, Citizen Science and Community Engagement
Connect with me on Twitter and Instagram at: @JodyAllair
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BREAKING NEWS!
2024 Perennial Plant of the Year Announced
The Perennial Plant Association has named the 2024 Plant of the Year:
Phlox paniculata 'Jeana'
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Photo credit: Saunders Brothers, Inc. |
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Canadian Hardiness Zones 3 to 8
Plant in Full sun; afternoon shade in hot climates
Size: 36-60 inches tall, 36-48 inches wide
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Harrowsmith’s 9 Delicious Ways to Cook with Zucchini
Congratulations! You've grown enough zucchini to feed a small country. Don't let those green giants go to waste; instead, embrace the zucchini abundance with these 9 delicious recipes for zucchini fries, pizza, pilaf, noodles & more.
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Don’t miss an issue of Harrowsmith’s gardening, cooking, sustainable living and DIY tips. Harrowsmith’s 2024 Almanac is on newsstands now. It features easy potluck recipes, seasonal weather forecasts for the next 12 months, night sky charts, home repair tips, monthly garden to-do lists, and more than 80 top plant picks to help you create resilient and thriving gardens for the future from Mark and Ben Cullen + so much more!
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