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June News 2004 |
| News
and Updates for June
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 June: Our 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my parents went extremely well. The weather started out wet but lifted once everyone started to arrive and ended with the sun shining in the evening. We had worked so hard to have the gardens in tip top shape so it would have been such a shame if the party would have had to be indoors. Everyone had a lot of fun but it is also a relief to have it behind us now. We are finally receiving some much needed rain but it seems to always happen just when the peonies are blooming. They really do not handle wet weather well. Our wisterias were gorgeous this year although they bloomed early and were finished in less than 2 weeks. Our vegetable garden is now fully planted and we have been harvesting spinach, various types of lettuce, scallion onions, radishes and mustard greens. I didn’t bother with floating row covers for the brassicas and as per usual have lost several to root maggots. They are my most frustrating garden pest but I refuse to use any chemical pesticides. Remay cloth seems to be the best organic defense. This month we plan to take things a little easier and enjoy our grandson. My husband is already building an outdoor ‘play centre’ for him and he is only 6 months old. The other day he came home with an entire fleet of Tonka trucks for Owen at a garage sale. It’s such fun to be grandparents. June "To Do" List: -plant out zucchini, cucumber, squash and pumpkin. -deadhead roses, annuals and perennials to promote more blooms. -practise deep watering to get moisture deep into the soil, and then don’t water again for a week. -sow heat-loving vegetables outdoors – melon, peppers and eggplant. -remove excess fruit on peach and apple trees. -transplant warm weather crops of vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants into the garden after hardening off. -move tropical plants outdoors – don’t forget to condition to sunlight first or the leaves will burn in a very short while. -successive sow bush beans, carrots, beets, peas and lettuce. -pole beans, broccoli, early and Chinese cabbage are sown now as main crops. -seeds to sow this month for a winter garden are Brussels sprouts, late cauliflower, kale, parsnips, Swiss chard, over wintering broccoli and rutabaga. -hanging baskets and containers of annuals need to be fertilized twice a week with half-strength fertilizer. Alternate fish or seaweed fertilizer with compost tea. -shrubs that bloomed in spring can be pruned now if necessary. -very early blooming clematis can be pruned now if not already done so – do not leave it beyond June. -remove withered top growth of spring flowering bulbs. -plants in containers can be planted almost anytime as long as they are kept well watered. -add fertilizer to the soil in water lilies’ containers. -thin vegetables or any plants directly sown in the garden. -vegetable thinnings are great in salads and some can be thinned and replanted to plug any misses in the row. -never leave carrot thinnings lying between rows as they will attract the carrot rust fly which lays its eggs on carrots. Rust fly maggots are responsible for the rusty trails throughout the carrots. Rotate your carrots or try covering the row with Reemay cloth. Another trick is to hill up the soil over the shoulder of the carrot. -fertilize roses after first flush of blooms. Greenhouse Gardening for June: (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. -start broccoli, cabbage, kale and lettuce. -sow perennial seeds. -sow fall annuals such as pansies and asters. -dampen down several times per day on hot sunny days. Herbal Hints: -harvest lemon balm, oregano, mint, marjoram and comfrey – hang to dry. -successive sow parsley, dill, cilantro. -cut down chives after blooming – can also be cut down before blooming but since the bees love them so much I leave them for awhile. They will regrow later in the cooler months. -cut down garlic chives and they will also regrow in the cooler months. Crusty Herb Sourdough Bread: 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves finely chopped garlic 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano leaves 1 loaf sourdough bread (round or baguette) 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese -Preheat broiler. Combine oil, garlic and oregano in a small saucepan, stir over medium heat to infuse flavours. -Cut loaf into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay slices in a single layer on baking sheets. Broil until slices are golden, rotating pan as needed to toast evenly. Turn slices over and lightly toast other side. -Remove from oven and brush slices with the olive oil mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. (If making ahead cover and set aside until ready to serve) -Broil until nicely toasted and serve right away. Handmade Soap News: Part 11 – Soap Making The fat was placed in a large kettle with the predetermined amount of lye solution. This kettle was placed over the fire again outdoors and boiled until soap was formed. The mixture was boiled up into a thick frothy mass and when a small amount placed on the tongue caused no noticeable ‘bite’ it was taken off the fire. This boiling process could take up to 8 hours depending on the amount of the mixture and the strength of the lye. Natural Cleaning Products: To Remove Lime from Tea Kettles: 1 cup apple cider vinegar 2 Tablespoons salt 1 cup water Mix ingredients together; add to tea kettle; boil for 15 minutes; let stand overnight; rinse with cold water. Organic Gardening Tips: Good Bugs: -Ground Beetles are large shiny and black with large strong jaws. They live 2 to 3 years and like to hide around the edge of the compost pile, under rocks and mulch. They feed on slugs, snails, cutworms and root maggots. They also like insect eggs. -Ladybugs love aphids and can consume 30 to 40 aphids per day. -Bumblebees and honeybees are a familiar sight in a pesticide-free garden. They gather pollen and then cross-pollinate as they travel from flower to flower. -spiders prey on all sorts of insects, both good and bad. One of the main reasons that my greenhouse tends to have very few bug problems is due to the thriving spider populations. -Earthworms, a gardener’s best friend, are hard workers in the compost and will eat their weight in decaying plant material each day. A thriving earthworm population is a great soil builder as they help aerate the soil and their castings are high in phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium. Health and Wellness Fresh Tomato Basil Soup: -1 medium onion -2 Tbsp olive oil -2 celery stalks, diced -1 carrot, sliced -1 1/2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, chopped -1 1/2 cups chicken stock -1/4 cup chopped fresh basil -salt and fresh ground pepper -1 Tbsp sugar -1/2 cup milk Garnish: 1 fresh, ripe tomato, peeled and seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces – 1 cup fresh basil leaves, minced. Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent in a soup pot. Add celery and carrot. Cook together until onion is soft. Add tomatoes and simmer gently until very soft. Put through food processor, puree in a blender or puree with a handheld stick blender. Add chicken stock and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. When ready to serve, stir in the milk, reheat without boiling, stir in the minced basil leaves and fold in the tomato chunks. Taste for seasoning and ladle into bowls. Thanks for visiting! Susan |
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