Nine

Judith's garden is growing by leaps and bounds! Plants on the Dark Side: Garlic Mustard.

Greetings fellow gardeners,

What a difference a week makes! We have gone from frosty evenings to a heat wave and soon we will cool off to seasonal temperatures. I have new vegetables up everywhere thanks to the heat and my continuous watering. The peas are rushing forward and as the temperatures are supposed to go down soon, I think I will try planting more seeds. The beans are up and soon I will be directing them to climb the fence; beans are not always cooperative. My smaller tomatoes are nestled in large pots and enjoying the sunshine. I planted the larger tomato directly in the ground.

Cucumbers, zucchini, and squash are up and doubling in size each day. Now I am watching for pests; I am still using netting to hold back the squirrels and chipmunks while watching carefully for cucumber beetles. These are dark little bugs with yellow stripes, and they can destroy your crops. If I see them, I will squish them and cover the cucumbers, zucchini, and squash with a floating row cover. Floating row covers are like a light white fabric that allows rain and sunshine to get in but not cucumber beetles. Unfortunately, if I need to use it, I cannot get the flowers pollinated. I shall have to do that myself with a paintbrush.

This year I have decided to try some eggplants. I planted one in a pot and one in the ground and will see what happens. They are such a nice-looking plants so I am looking forward to the results.

My Nanking cherry bush (prunus tomentosa) had a glorious burst of blossoms and now I am awaiting the small tart fruit. All of the fruit trees are in various stages of blooming with promises of fruit that can be stored for our winter season. Right now, the sweet smell of lilacs is filling the air. Lilacs are edible! Last year I made lilac jelly and it was lovely. This year I am going to try making lilac lemonade. There are lilac recipes all over the internet; lots to choose from.

Starting this week, I am adding something extra called Plants from the Dark Side where I will be featuring a plant that can be a troublemaker.

I hope you enjoy your time in the garden and water your plants!

Judith (email:lapisdragonarts@gmail.com)

P.S. Arlene will have a list of plants available for sale soon.

Plants from the Dark Side

Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolate) is in the Brassicaceae family and is a biennial. It is native to Europe and parts of Asia. It features prominently in Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program.

“Garlic mustard has two distinct life stages over its first two years. In the first year, it grows only a cluster of leaves shaped like a rosette, while a strong root system develops. Plants that survive the winter produce flowers and hundreds of seeds in their second year. Dense stands produce more than 60,000 seeds per square metre. Stands of garlic mustard can double in size every four years.

Garlic mustard seeds are easily spread by people and animals. They can remain in the soil for up to 30 years and still be able to sprout. The plant can grow in a wide range of sunny and fully shaded habitats, including undisturbed forest, forest edges, riverbanks and roadsides. Garlic mustard does not provide a valuable food source for native wildlife.

Garlic mustard can invade relatively undisturbed forests. Once established, it can displace native wildflowers like trilliums (Trillium sp) and trout lily (Erythronium americanum). It hinders other plants by interfering with the growth of fungi that bring nutrients to the roots of the plants.

The plant threatens several of Ontario’s species at risk, including American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), drooping trillium (Trillium flexipes), false rue-anemone (Enemion biternatum), hoary mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanum), white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata), wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides) and wood poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum).”. http://www.invadingspecies.com/garlic-mustard/

I have several clumps of Garlic Mustard that I am dealing with right now. I missed it when it was in its first-year form of a clumpy rosette and now it is stretching up and is covered with white flowers. I do not want those flowers to go to seed. It is recommended that these plants not be composted but disposed of in the garbage. I put them in a thick black plastic contractor bag and let the sun heat them up. It takes a while but then they are safe to compost.

Our native wildflowers and herbs are important so try to dispose of garlic mustard if you find it in your garden.