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Latest ArticlesAugust, 2008
Good News Bad NewsThere is good news and bad news in the gardening world. Good news? Some scientists believe that the killer of honeybees has been identified as a couple of specific pesticides (both are artificial nicotine-like products) that infuse plants systemically, poisoning the pollen - and our bees. France and Germany have already banned these pesticides. The bad news? The manufacturer, Bayer, denies those allegations and keeps on producing it. It is for sale in our country, where commerce rules... If you can't beat it, eat itSome of the worst pests in the garden - weeds, we call them - are not only edible, but tasty. I am always looking for a free lunch and recently I found one I like a lot: sautéed purslane cooked with onions. This was not a hair shirt lunch - it was truly tasty, and everyone I have served it to agrees. I have eaten purslane three times since then, and it puts weeding in a new light...
Staking Floppy PlantsI hate to admit it, but this spring I predicted it would be a hot, dry summer. One week in July we had over 4 inches of rain, another week we had 5 inches. After a three-inch rainstorm I literally saw a crayfish propelling itself across the soggy lawn. Most plants of mine are perfectly happy with all this rain, though the tomatoes want some sun in order to ripen up, and some tall flowers have flopped over during heavy storms....
July, 2008Deadheading and Cleaning Up the Flower BedsBy the end of July many flowers have done their thing. They've had their moment of glory, and are now bearing bedraggled blossoms and bug-bitten or diseased leaves. Some remind me of aging beauty queens who, perhaps, have taken to drink. In reality, all they are doing is following the cycle of life, converting flowers into the seeds that should deliver flower babies next year. If you thwart their plans and cut off spent flowers, you will have a tidier garden - and you just might get a second show.Fragrant FlowersThe peony season, alas, is over. Not only do I already miss their beautiful blooms, I miss the heady fragrance of my favorite, a double white one (with a drop of red in the middle) called Festiva maxima. I love the scent of all flowers, and grow some primarily for the fragrance. Here are some of my favorites...July Chores in the Vegetable GardenRecently I've been working crazy in our vegetable garden. Beavers look lazy by comparison, but soon I'll be able to slow down and take time for swimming or just plain goofing off. I find that by getting my garden relatively weed-free and mulched early, I have much less to do later and I get better production from our vegetables...
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Last update: Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 7:23:50 AM. |
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