Fragrant plants

During my workday, I chat with a lot of people about plants.

I am amazed how often the conversation is about fragrant plants! And most often, people are reminiscing about a plant from their childhood. This plant and its fragrance is associated with wonderful, fun, happy and/or loving times or people. Having this plant in their garden would allow the customer to relive or enjoy these memories again and again.

Perfume, fragrance, and smells are that way! A certain smell is filled with memories - usually good ones. Of our five senses, sight would have to be the most frequently used in the garden. We see the flowers, colours, shapes and textures. Or we can touch them and experience their textures or hear their leaves rustling. But some plants allow us to experience them by their scent.

A few weeks ago, the air was filled with the sweet scent of lilacs and this week is it peonies. They are at the peak of their beauty and fragrance. For me, peonies are filled with memories of my childhood. We always had peonies and their scent brings back great memories.

Lilacs and peonies are well-known fragrant plants. Some lesser known plants include Mockorange (sometime referred to as Orange blossom), Daphne, Creeping Dianthus, Summer Sweet, Royal Standard Hosta, Lavender, Poetez Narcissus, or Rugosa or Shrub Roses...to name just a few.

Adding fragrant plants adds another dimension to your garden since it engages one more of our senses. It heightens your whole garden enjoyment. Here is a tip about fragrant plants: plants them on the west side of your property. Most of our prevailing winds are from the western direction; consequently, the fragrance is carried across your whole yard.

June Pruning

The weather is perfect today! The temperature is in the mid-twenties, with a light breeze and a few clouds. It's perfect gardening weather, and it's the perfect time to prune your evergreens!

They should be pruned when the new foliage has developed but hasn't yet matured or hardened. Pruning now will result in a denser, more compact plant or tree.

Right now the new growth on pines and spruces is so "soft" that you could prune them with your fingers. I do this sometimes, but today I pruned them with my garden shears. This tool allows me to create a more defined shape quickly.

Annually, I lightly prune my Mugo Pines into a mushroom cap shape.  When the plants are young, I prune my Colorado Blue, Norway and White Spruce in a loose pyramidal shape. Once they grow beyond my reach, I don't prune them. Dwarf spruces (such as Dwarf Alberta and Nest Spruce) grow so slowly that they rarely need pruning. I give them a little clipping here and there to keep them in shape, but no major pruning is required. My broadleaf evergreens are also pruned at this time of year. Boxwood can be pruned into any shape you desire, using garden shears or secateurs. Same goes for euonymus - but, personally, I prefer to keep them as natural as possible (not too manicured). Cedar hedges can be pruned multiple times per season starting now. The final pruning should be done mid-August.

Lilacs

Have you taken a really deep breath in the last few days? If not, you should. You're missing something really special - the sweet smell of lilacs.

For a few weeks every year, the air in this part of the world is filled with the unmistakable scent of lilacs. Of all the fragrant plants that exist, none surpass this shrub. If you have never planted a lilac, you will be pleased to learn that they are one of the easiest shrubs to grow. They love our native soil! They do not thrive if you amend the soil with peat moss or other acidic materials. My advice is to dig a generous hole and plant a lilac in your existing soil (which in this part of the country is naturally alkaline - the kind of soil lilacs prefer).

I have never fertilized my lilacs, but if you decide to be sure to use one high in phosphorous - such as 15-30-15. Lilacs planted in your lawn are adversely affected by the high nitrogen fertilizer that is used on grass. This type of fertilizer will result in lush leaf growth at the expense of flowers. So, if your lilac is planted in the lawn, be sure to avoid fertilizing your lawn in the vicinity of your lilac bush.

Since lilacs produce their flower buds late in the season (for the next year's bloom) they can only be pruned immediately after they have finished blooming this season.

If you already have a lilac and it is in bloom, you should treat yourself to a fresh bouquet. Within minutes, your home is infused with the scent of lilacs. A hint that I learned years ago about lilacs is that you should bruise the stem ends before putting them in a vase. This will extend their bloom time in your vase.

Incredible Edibles

Well, here it is! It's finally here. May two-four weekend, that is!

This is the weekend that most of us put aside to plant the garden. If you have ever thought about planting a vegetable garden before, now is the time. Don't be intimidated! Believe me, it is so easy. As with many things in gardening, the most important aspect is preparation. Rototill or fork-over the soil, then add organic matter and nutrients. The organic matter could be peat moss or compost. The nutrients could be manure or slow-release fertilizer. Work all of these ingredients in evenly.

Now you're ready to plant your seeds or transplants in neat and tidy rows...well, that's the theory, but of course I don't do it that way. I plant most of my vegetables amongst my perennials, flowering shrubs, evergreens and annuals. So many vegetables are way too attractive to stick in the back corner of the yard.

It's hard to beat the fine, wispy foliage of asparagus. I plant it closer than recommended and have a large clump of it tucked behind a trio of peonies. The contrast in texture and shape between these two plants is beautiful all season long. And asparagus turns an amazing soft yellow colour in the fall.

And then there's rhubarb! Those incredibly huge leaves can rival any hosta and (best of all) it loves the sun. I plant it near my Golden Threaded False Cypress. Again, I love the contrast in texture between the lacy evergreen and the robust rhubarb.

I have a six-foot tall metal topiary that is topped with an armillary sun dial. Every year, I plant scarlet runner beans around the base. Within a few weeks, the beans are scrambling up the framework and are quickly adorned with bright orange/red flowers. The beans that follow are so delicious!

Swiss chard is another vegetable that you will find planted in clumps in my flower beds or urns. Its foliage is so glossy and healthy looking all season - right into the light frosts of fall.

This is just a sampling of the ways I incorporate vegetables into my landscape.

So this year, why not look at your vegetables with a new eye - look at them for their beauty and ornamental value. Have vegetables do double duty: look good and taste great too!

Dill

I just finished planting my dill.

It can be started indoors or planted directly in the garden. I usually opt to plant by seeds outdoors. The wonderful thing about herbs, such as dill, is that their flavour is better when grown in poor soil. Rich, nutritious soil results in herbs that have less flavour. I work up the soil lightly and with a stick or my finger, I scratch a line in the soil about 1/4" deep, then sprinkle the small seeds in the trough.  I replace the soil and add water. Voila!

By mid-summer, the herbs are ready for harvesting. You can pick and use the leaves at this stage. Or, like me, you can pluck off the flower heads just as they have a hint of yellow, rinse them and place them on paper towels to air dry. Then, rolling them up in the same paper towel, stuff them in a zip-loc bag and put them in the freezer. When you bring them out to use, they taste as fresh and pungent as the day they were picked.

By doing this, I have the most important ingredient ready for the best-tasting veggie dip all winter long. My friends and family love it. Try it yourself and enjoy!

1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise

3 to 4 green onions (or a handful of chives)

4 to 5 drops tobasco sauce

3 or more heads of dill

1 garlic clove

Put all ingredients in a food processor and puree.

Forsythia

On my way home from work today, I saw a Forsythia bush in full bloom. It was spectacular! Like an exclamation mark in the landscape.

Forsythias are one of the few flowering shrubs that bloom before they leaf-out. The bright yellow flowers are, therefore, not diluted by the presence of leaves.

Spring flowering shrubs, such as Forsythias, should be pruned after they have flowered. Start by removing any dead or damaged branches, followed by crossing branches. If it is necessary to reduce the size of the shrub, prune back to an outward-facing bud. This will create an open-structured shrub. Over time, the shrub may become extremely dense with branches; at this time, prune the oldest branches down to the ground. This pruning method will allow the gracefully arching shape of your shrub to be maintained.

Most varieties of Forsythias grow 5 to 7 feet tall, with an equal spread. They should be covered with flowers from the ground to the tip of the branches each spring. If your shrub is only blooming on the bottom few feet, it is an indication that your variety of Forsythia is not hardy enough for its location. The flower buds on the bottom portion of the shrub have been insulated by the snow (and therefore result in a bloom), while the exposed buds on the rest of the shrub are damaged by extreme low temperatures. You can protect these exposed buds by wrapping the whole shrub in burlap in the fall - or better yet, plant a hardier variety! Lynwood Gold, Meadowlark, Northern Gold, and Ottawa Early Forsythia are four of the hardiest varieties available.

Daffodil bouquets

I picked my first daffodil bouquet of the season today. I am fortunate enough to have many of these bouquets throughout the spring season because I have them planted in various growing conditions and I have so many varieties.

About one third of my property is a wooded ravine. Sixteen years ago when I moved there I visualized a natural landscape in this area. So, that first fall, I planted about 100 daffodil bulbs. And, each fall I have planted at least 25 more.

I never plant them individually - I plant them in "drafts" throughout the bush. I have planted every variety I can find. My collection now includes King Alfred, Carlton, Barrett Browning, Wedding Bouquet, Thalia, Minnow, Poetez and on and on.  Most varieties bloom at about the same time (except Poetez which blooms about a month later), but planting them in different micro-climates around my yard extends their blooming season. Those planted close to the south-facing wall of my house bloom first, while those in the cool north-facing bush bloom about three weeks later - with all the others blooming in between.

Fresh cut daffodils exude a sap that is toxic to other cut flowers. Consequently, it is wise to create a spring bouquet composed simply of daffodils.