A New Gardening Season Arrives

When the soil warms up this month, it is time to sow many hardy vegetable and herb seeds. But how to tell if the soil is indeed warm enough? Farmers in some parts of England went into their fields, dropped their pants and sat down bare bum. If this was comfortable, the soil had reached the right temperature. Urban gardeners should only attempt this after nightfall lest perturbed neighbours contact the gendarmerie. Of course you could invest in a soil thermometer but that’s not half as much fun . . .

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Diversion No. 1

It’s a honey of an idea: City Councillor Michelle Berardinetti wants Toronto to become the first Bee City in Canada. Berardinetti made the proposal to the Parks and Environment Committee earlier this year. She argued that bees’ pollination efforts are good for the environment. Toronto is currently home to over 300 species of bees, according to 680 News.

Forsythia bushes commence to bloom this month, indicating it is time for northern gardeners to remove winter protection from roses. Prune to three to five of the strongest, thickest canes, cutting back to just above a bud facing out from the centre of the bush. Apply a granulated fertilizer and then mulch – composted sheep manure is best according to many rose experts, otherwise composted cattle or horse manure.

Diversion No. 2

The Prince of Wales has declared war on the toxic weed ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), which is ‘invading’ fields and country lanes, poisoning horses and livestock. But it took the persistent Prince two attempts to persuade Natural England to tackle the problem more actively, after he was initially fobbed off with a noncommittal answer, reported The Daily Mail. Ragwort (syn. Jacobaea vulgaris) contains several highly toxic alkaloids. Also known as stinking willie, stinking ninny, St. James-wort, staggerwort, mare’s fart, in ancient Greece and Rome a supposed aphrodisiac was made from the plant, called satyrion

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The further north a garden is located, the more vexing it becomes to grow the classic roses of commerce, hybrid teas, floribundas and others. Several decades ago, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada took up the challenge. The result has been three dozen very hardy Canadian roses – ‘Explorer’ and ‘Parkland’ series plus two other bushes. Developed at Ottawa, Ontario, Morden, Manitoba and L’Assomption, Quebec has given them an assured winter hardiness, down to -35°C, requiring only snow cover for protection. Many are widely available at retailers across the country at modest prices. Prolonged blooming periods, minimum pruning and disease resistance make for minimum fuss

Diversion No. 3

Seagulls are thriving in affluent tourist destinations, according to British psychologists. A team from the University of the West of England has begun a unique project to monitor and map the birds’ behaviour in Bath an surrounding areas, says The Daily Telegraph

Garlic gains new admirers every year as gardeners discover homegrown bulbs vastly improve on the wretched dry oriental imports. If well weeded and watered in a sun-drenched soil they are easily grown from the offsets offered in retail outlets this time of the year. The odour garlic imparts though may not make one welcome. Turn to Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea), also known as Sweet Garlic, Pink Agapanthus: Its lavender-pink flowers are sweet-scented like hyacinths, and are showy, but you don’t get bad breath when you eat it. The garlicky rhizomes, leaves and flowers can be used like garlic and chives; flowers all summer [Source: Richters 2016 Herb & Vegetable Catalogue]. Or how about Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum), a flat leaved variety from Japan, combining the two flavours with attractive white flowers.

Diversion No. 4

21 April is the Queen’s 90th birthday. Wildflowers give a more personal touch to Queen’s commemorative china Cornflowers and Forget-Me-Nots decorate the 22-carat gold detailed set. Her Majesty personally approved the set and is said to be ‘very pleased’ of the handmade pieces, made by the Royal Collection Trust, reportedly at a price of £55 for a single cup-and-saucer. Peppers are the Herb of the Year for 2016 and 1st May being Herb Day, Richters, Ontario’s herb people, are celebrating with a free feature. Bite Me – Growing and Enjoying with expert Ken Brown displays the many peppers, their uses and how to grow them from 2-3pm at Richters in Goodwood, a short distance northeast of Toronto. Further afield, Japan’s beloved cherry blossoms burst into bloom this month, with celebrations at many centres. Some principal viewing points include:

• Matsuyama Shiroyama Koen Cherry Blossom Festival, Matsuyama-city, early April
• Matsue Jozan Koen Cherry Blossom Festival, Matsue-city, late March - early April
• Tsuyama Kakuzan Koen Cherry Blossom Festival, Tsuyama-city, early - mid-April
• Takato Joshi Koen Cherry Blossom Festival, Takato-machi Ina-city, early April
• Takada Koen Cherry Blossom Festival, Joetsu-city, early-mid-April
• Kitaki Tenshochui Cherry Blossom Festival, Kitikami-city, mid-April - early May
• Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival, Hirosaki-city, late April-Early May

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