|
|
July News 2004 |
| News
and Updates for July
2004 Welcome to our monthly "Newsletter". This is where we announce the most recent additions to our website along with "what's happening in our gardens", helpful hints, herbal tips, etc. Please check back often as we will be updating regularly. What's happening in our garden for July: Summer is starting out beautifully with record setting sunshine and warm weather. Many fruits are up to 3 weeks early this year. We are now harvesting raspberries and blueberries. Our rose garden is doing exceptionally well this year. Without our normally wet weather, black spot is not quite as big a problem this year. With all the extra sunshine our roses bloomed early and abundantly. We are also harvesting potatoes, peas, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, Swiss chard plus loads of herbs. This year I am trying new recipes using vegetables needing to be harvested. One of my greatest pleasures is planning our dinner menu and going out to the garden to pick the vegetables and herbs required for that evening’s meal. Our grandson Owen is now 6 months old and just loves the water. He has been spending a great deal of time in our swimming pool. (Lucky grandparents!) He looks like a little prince sitting in his new floating device complete with a canopy to keep out the sun. July "To Do" List: -water compost pile during dry weather to keep it working – turn it as well to break it down more quickly. Mix in some soil or manure to help it break down. -water newly planted trees and shrubs as well as shallow rooted plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas, or plants under overhangs that need to be watered during dry spells. -mulching the beds will slow down evaporation – organic mulches such as compost, grass clippings (never clippings that have been treated with an herbicide), and mushroom manure will also add nutrients to your soil. -water deeply and less frequently for healthier plants. -containers and hanging baskets must be fertilized weekly as the nutrients leach out quickly. -vegetables that grow over a long period will also need to be fertilized again. -raspberries should be fertilized again after the crop has been harvested. The canes that bore fruit can be removed especially if there was a disease or insect problem. This will leave space for the new canes to grow. -as the weather turns dry keep an eye out for spider mites. They cause speckling on leaves and finally webbing and are very difficult to eradicate. Spraying with the hose every few days can help to prevent them. -continue to successive sow bush beans, beets, Chinese cabbage, carrots, late cauliflower, lettuce and turnips. Vegetables for overwintering, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, parsnips, spinach and Swiss chard also need to be sown in July. Overwintering onions are sown in August. -watch vegetables that are ready to be harvested as they pass their peak quickly in warm weather. I start harvesting most vegetables while they are very young as that way I have an easier time keeping up with them. -annual flowers must be deadheaded to keep flowering. Tall plants such as delphiniums will flower again from side shoots if the main stalk is removed after flowering. Once these have finished blooming cut the entire plant down to the ground and it will rebloom. -start biennials for next year’s flowers. They can be sown in an out-of-the way spot or in the vegetable garden now and transplanted in the fall to their final location. -summer pruning of espalier trees is done at the beginning of July and again, when necessary, at the beginning of August. -many plants can now be propagated such as Abelia, Buddleia, hardy fuchsia and thyme. -tender plants to take cuttings from are marguerites, pelargoniums, jasmine and other tender hanging basket plants that will not survive the winter outside. -cuttings will root better in August than in October. Greenhouse Gardening for July: (for a cool greenhouse kept at 40 - 45F (5 - 7C) -plants in bloom for this month – bougainvillea, pelargonium, mini rose, cymbidium orchid, oleander, jasmine, gardenia, passion flower, gloriosa lily. -start broccoli, cabbage, kale and lettuce, late cauliflower. -sow perennial seeds. -sow fall annuals such as pansies and asters. -dampen down several times per day on hot sunny days. -remove faded blooms and debris. Herbal Hints: -continue harvesting and drying herbs. -cut lavender for drying before flowers open. -successive sow dill and cilantro. Herbs for summer Beverages: These teas can be varied by combining the herbs. For a change try mixing herb tea with regular tea, or freeze herb teas in ice cube trays to cool down summer drinks. To make a pot of tea with fresh leafy herbs combine a generous handful of sprigs harvested from sweet or mild flavoured herbs with a scant handful of strong flavoured ones. If an herb has a strong flavour only add a sprig or two to other milder flavoured herbs. Leaves are usually removed from woody stems, but green, succulent stems are included in the tea. Put these fresh herbs into a teapot, fill with boiling water and steep for 10 to 15 minutes before drinking. For iced tea you can let them steep from a few hours or overnight. Add honey if desired. Herb teas can also be mixed with limeade, lemonade or fruit juices to flavour and extend them. Sparkling mineral water or ginger ale is also great for making tasty summer punches. For special occasions, light or sparkling wines combine well with herb flavoured juices. Decorate with orange slices, strawberries or edible flowers used as floating garnishes. Ice cubes with edible blossoms, buds or flower petals frozen inside add a beautiful touch. The best herbs for the novice to experiment with are the ‘sweet herbs’ such as mint, lemon, anise or fruit flavoured herbs. Handmade Soap News: Part 12 – Soap Making Soap made with wood ash lye makes a soft soap. (not a hard one) The fire was put out and the soap allowed to cool over night. The next day revealed a brown jelly-like substance that felt slippery and cleaned by making a foam when mixed with water. This is the soft soap the colonists had done all their hard work to produce. The soft soap was then poured into a wooden barrel where a wooden dipper was used to ladle some out when the soap was needed. Natural Cleaning Products: To Remove Perspiration Stains from clothing: Make a paste of a little baking soda and water and rub gently onto stain. Wash as usual. Organic Gardening Tips: Manure Tea: To 1 large plastic garbage can add a little fresh rabbit manure and/or chicken manure, seaweed and an occasional banana peel (to supply a little extra potassium). Then add water, cover the can with its lid and leave the mixture to brew. When you wish to give a plant a boost dunk a small pail into this concoction and apply the liquid wherever it’s needed. Throughout the rest of the season keep topping the mixture up with water. Health and Wellness Harvesting Rose Hips: Rose hips are the fruit of the rose and renowned for its terrific source of vitamin C. They even have more than citrus fruits. Widely used in healthful herb teas, they add flavour and goodness. If you have several roses with different sized hips, the easiest thing is to save the small hips to make teas and the larger hips for making rose hip syrup. In all cases never pick rose hips from a rose that was sprayed with pesticides or fungicides. Rose hips are harvested after the frost autumn frosts when they have turned bright red. For small hips simply cut the sprays and place them on trays to dry. Once dried they are easily removed from their branches. Larger rose hips do not dry well this way as they are too moist and will go moldy before they dry. I dry mine in a dehydrator. How to make Rose Hip Syrup: Remove the top and tail of fresh rose hips that have not been sprayed. Chop them into small pieces and place in a saucepan with barely enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the mixture stand until cool enough to handle. Strain through a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth. Once liquid is strained, heat again and for every cup of liquid add approximately 3/4 cup of sugar. Heat syrup until the sugar dissolves then boil mixture until the syrup thickens. Pour rose hip syrup into sterilized jars and seal tightly. Thanks for visiting! Susan |
|
|
