ERY EVE MP BE ILOLE RD RONG SIRT ERS

Floral decadence helps. enhance ; any d deck

"This Westen is pretty typical of April; cool, a little bit of sun-

shine, a little bit of rain, some wind, but very slowly warming up.

It’s probably time to give serious ‘thought to planting a few veg-
etables. You could plant bunching onions, set out a few lettuce
plants, plant some radishes, peas, and spinach. It’s still much too

cool for things such as corn, beans; tomatoes, égg plant, peppers, |

cucumbers and squashes, which is nice, because it gives us a lit-
tle breathing space instead of everything happening at once.

You could plant zinnias, cosmos, and marigold seeds inside, in
flats, now, and if you havea greenhouse you could buy several
pepper plants to be grown on ‘in two-galion pots, moving them out-

_ side in mid-May. :

S, - There was an: interesting question today re-
«-.-» garding plants to put in pots and planters ona
~~ Jarge deck which faces south. The first thing I'd
2 be inclined to dois to buy some roll-ends of plain-
“colored carpet — blue, green, brown or black.
This could be cut -to fit around all your plastic
an pots, and held on with duct tape. . This would keep.
; your plastic pots cooler in the hot summer sun.
~~. You'should also buy something. (mushroom:
- ©. manure, crushed white stones?) to cover: any

“bare soil on the: top of pots. ‘This would help to
“conserve moisture. Pots look nicest when they.
. are grouped i in ‘threes ¢ or fives, with two smaller.
- ones and one large, or two large with three :
~’ smaller ones: One. extra-large pot could be
used to hold‘something special such as a cut: .
leaf ‘maple, or, for fun.and dramatic: ‘effect, a.
lobe artichoke plant. The latter needs 2 areall

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- ons, . dinorpatheca Gani aisle) poppies, ee es =e
: then add some he treling lobetia, nastir ums, or o fhunberaia Black. ne

8 Varieties to Choose From ne at \ :

6:00 to 5: diftold ad | ie |

PENINSULA A GARDENING

RES

eyed Susans) to hang over the edges of planters. You might even —
crowd in something grey as a contrast, perhaps stachys (lamb’s

ears) or artemesia. More ideas on request, Barbara.
Caroline K. is much on my mind this morning. She is one of

_. the best gardeners I know. Since she’s totally allergic to anything

chemical, her garden REALLY is organic. She severely injured

herself recently, and is concerned about how the state of her
_ health will affect her gardening abilities.

She already has a tomato blooming in her greenhouse, and let-
tuces growing like weeds under Reemay cloth. :

- Caroline i is growing globe-artichokes this year — over 100 of
them — and will be selling them a little later on.

Have you ever seen these things at maturity? If
they are grown in really fertile soil in full sun, and
& kept watered, they can. grow to an enormous
size, and produce many globes. If you can resist

plef flowers when they open up.

other visit.
. falfa meal, and why it is useful in the garden..

explains that experiments have proven alfalfa

Chris was, ae ed sbaat his jeer and. daffodils, w

oe + D0G woons ° se Ae

ast

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mh). 1652. !

me net ea

puebieilastiamaatand tommadenad

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eating them, they produce giant thistlelike pur- =a 4

Anyway, we'll talk more about Caroline's sgar A E
ea when she is better and r ve been o over for an- “

“There have. been eal calls regarding ak ee ie
~ Dick Raymond’s book, The Joy of Gardening,

contains a primary. growth st stimulant called st i

ling over, I think i itis ‘the ele of ther rain water. causing it. His

: 2 Sit ang ©
AU ine eee sree nampa

Wednesday, April 8, 1998

7 © bird baths
leg gazing ba

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