Gardening

Gardener's Corner

YOU GROW, GIRL

Ainsley Thompson, the Club's Gardener, has curated a beautiful summer display for all to enjoy, here are some highlights including environmentally friendly and edible plants for the Club's Food & Beverage team

COLEUS

Plectranthus scutellarioides Coleus, made popular as Victorian-era bedding plants, and one of my personal favourite plants. This tender annual comes in many shades of colour, leaf texture and sizes. Coleus is in the mint family. Leaf colours include green, yellow, pink, red, purple, and maroon. The plant does bloom occasionally at the end of the long stalks. Remember to trim flower spikes in late summer in order to extend the life of the plant and growth of new colourful leaves.

Coleus cuttings can be taken from plants before the first frost in the fall and placed in water to root. Plant the rooted cuttings, start with a large pot that the plant can grow into, otherwise, you’ll be repotting this fast-growing plant before you know it. Keep near a sunny window for the winter.

GERANIUM

Pelargonium The sun-loving plants that we commonly call “geraniums” were introduced to Europe by Dutch traders who brought them from South Africa in the early 18th century. Since these new plants resembled the hardy, wild geraniums already growing in Europe, botanists mistakenly grouped them together into the same genus.

When it was later discovered that these new “geraniums” differed from the European geraniums in the shape of their petals, the number of stamens, and other factors, they were reclassified under Pelargonium, meaning “stork’s bill” a reference to the long, sharply pointed shape of their seedpod. Their original common name stuck, however, and we still say “geranium” when we actually mean “pelargonium."

VICTORIA BLUE SALVIA

Salvia farinacea This variety has masses for beautiful spikes of royal blue flowers rising above the foliage from early summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting and compliment any dried arrangements.

Victoria Blue Salvia is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. Don't forget to clean away the deadheads to encourage new blooms.

SUCCULENT SEASON

Succulent plants are easy to love. They can tolerate dry, indoor conditions, and they don’t require much watering. Their thick fleshy leaves and stems, as well as their enlarged roots, allow them to retain water. They’re like living sculptures, and you can use them to make indoor gardens. You don’t have to plant your succulents alone. Succulent plants “play nice together,” so you can put several varieties of succulents in the same container to create a beautiful, low maintenance and diverse arrangement for your home.

Membership Survey Results Gardener's Corner

UN-BEET-ABLE VEGGIES

When we grow our own food plants, we develop a greater appreciation for the food, our gardens, and our own ability to provide for ourselves and our families.

There are many good reasons to grow your own vegetables: it’s environmentally friendly because fewer resources will be used in growing and getting the food to your table, and it saves wildlife habitat by reducing the need to expand cultivated land.

An additional, often overlooked reason to grow vegetables is that they are attractive and often unique in appearance. When you look at a vegetable plant, don’t just think about the result; also think about the appearance of the plant and what it can add to your ornamental garden.

For a tasty and rewarding snack, featured here are a few simple vegetables you may want to consider trying to grow.

RADISH

Raphanus sativus All parts of the radish are edible, from the swollen tap root to the leaves and even the seed pods and seeds themselves. They are incredibly quick to grow and can go from seed to harvest in under a month.

Radishes prefer cool weather and will satisfy the Spring gardening itch like no other. Pick promptly when radishes are the size of marbles.

Try: French Breakfast - red at the top with blunt white tips, this popular heirloom dates from the 1880s. The radishes are 2” long and perfect for slicing and salads.

SNAP PEAS

Pisum sativum Peas are a great crop for the urban gardener or anyone short on space and make a great companion in the spring garden. They can be grown in containers and trellised to grow vertically, even in partial shade. Plus, they are one of the best crops for freezing for winter use.

After April 1, sow only enation-resistant varieties in areas where aphids carry the virus.

Try: Cascadia - this delicious snap pea was developed for west coast growers. The vines do not need trellising, but tumble about, growing to around 24” tall. The pods are crunchy and sweet and can be picked early for snow peas. Enation resistant.

BEETS

Beta vulgaris Beets make for incredibly healthy eating. Both the roots and the leaves are excellent sources of antioxidants, minerals and vitamin C. They also contain betaine, a compound that is essential for cardiovascular health.

Beets have attractive red-veined, dark green foliage. These plants look good when planted in small groups in a border, they can even be included in large mixed containers. Pick at any size and eat the greens too.

Beets are very good for beginner gardeners and gardening with kids.

Try: Touchstone Gold - the roots of this garden classic are smooth and orange on the outside, with intensely golden flesh beneath. The green tops are tall and strong - not to mention sweet and delicious. Touchstone belongs in every foodie's garden.

ECHEVERIA

One of my favourite succulents at the moment is Echeveria. Varieties are generally blue-grey or grey-green in colour. The waxy leaves of echeveria can also be green or purple, with some types developing stunning patterns. Most varieties bloom in the summer with gorgeous clusters of sunset coloured bell shaped flowers on tall stems. If your Echeveria becomes leggy simply prune off the leggy bit and propagate a brand new plant in a pot with some fresh succulent potting soil. Water sparingly and allow roots to develop.