"Apart from cheese and tulips, the main product of the country is advocaat, a drink made from lawyers," claimed Alan Coren of Holland in The Sanity Inspector, 'All You Need to Know About Europe.' (1974). Perhaps, but in gratitude for sheltering members of their royal family during World War II, the Dutch made a gift of tulip bulbs to Ottawa. Canada's drab, grey bureaucratic heart has never looked back. Every May the city's parks and gardens come alive with hundreds of thousands of tulips, the world's largest display. Not a wonder that Canada's capital is rated among the world's twenty most livable cities.
Diversion No. 1
The hairy flower wild petunia (Ruellia ciliatiflora) is known for shooting out its seeds at great speeds, which can top 15 metres per second, explains Nature. Now, physicists have shown that each seed spins at rates as high as 100,000 rotations per minute--as fast as some dentist's drills, and faster than any other known natural projectile, they report in Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
Roman Cato the Elder who wrote De Agri Cultura (On Agriculture) in the 2nd century BC, lived into his 80s and attributed cabbages to health and longevity. He is believed to have fathered 28 sons. Jacques Cartier sowed the seed for the first cabbages in North America during his exploration of Canada in the 1540s. Back in Scotland, kale yard is the designation for a vegetable or kitchen garden. 'Little cabbage' is a Russian term of endearment, although whether for Donald Trump remains uncertain. In some quarters the term 'cabbage head' is more prevalent. By whatever name though, cabbage is still 91% water.
Diversion No. 2
If you're a mite looking to travel, you could do worse than being swallowed by a slug, suggests Yao-Hua Law writing in Science. These spherical arachnids, most shorter than a millimetre, can trek up to 4 metres in the belly of a gastropod--about 2000 times farther than they can get on their own, according to a new study from a forest in Germany. Various other organisms also popped out alive in the mollusc feces, including springtails, ciliates, nematodes, mosses, and plant seeds.
Planning to set out tomato plants? Then it is time to start saving eggshells. Beat to a slurry in the blender and pour a tablespoon or so in each hole before positioning the plant. While tomatoes like a slightly acid soil, lack of calcium will result in 'blossom end rot' later in the season. If calcium--present in eggshells--is not applied early on, it will then be too late to correct the deficiency.
If you're only going to grow one type of tomato this year, it should be the 'Madame Marmalade,' advises Jeanette Marantos in the Los Angeles Times. Burpee Seeds offers the culinary star from France.
Diversion No. 3
Sealed-off areas In Salisbury, UK where the Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned are filled with rats 'because there are no people to scare them off.' Pest control officers are unable to enter the area to deal with the problem, according to The Mail on Sunday. Perhaps they could ask Putin to send some of his poison experts.
Brown patches on the lawn? Either its dog urine or white grubs. Check by tugging on the dead grass. If it comes away easily the problem likely isn't an incontinent dog. The problem is probably grubs below ground. Confirm by lifting out square foot of turf down to six-inches deep. Drop on the driveway or path and spread out. The white, dark-headed beasts, curved into a C-shape may be seen. The damage being done, the next step is not until late June or early July, when parasitoid nematodes can be applied to take care of the next generation of beetle larvae. As for the canine curse, encourage them to leak elsewhere--a sign warning the lawn has been treated with pesticide may help.
Diversion No. 4
In a move aimed at securing its future, Monsanto has invested $125 million in a gene-editing start-up called Pairwise. The alliance could tee up Monsanto to introduce some of the first produce made using the blockbuster gene-editing tool CRISPR. In a call with Business Insider, the company hinted that strawberries or another type of fruit would be among the first CRISPR produce to hit grocery store shelves--a development it expects within five to 10 years.
Down in Ontario's horticultural hotbed of the Niagara Peninsular may be found Vineland Nurseries. Specializing for over three decades in dwarf and unusual evergreens, heathers, rhododendrons, Japanese maples and bamboo, Jim and Simone Lounsbery offer the answer of how to pack as many different plants as possible into any garden, small or big. Check their lists at HYPERLINK "http://www.vinelandnurseries.com" [url=http://www.vinelandnurseries.com]http://www.vinelandnurseries.com[/url].
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12th May is National Limerick Day, the birthday of Edward Lear (1812-29 January 1888).
An experienced gardener named Porter
In his garden passed some water.
"It will fertilize," he said,
"The vegetable beds."
But we don't think he oughta.
For more, far more punch up 'A Garden of Limericks.' Consider yourself warned in advance. Other, less salacious, news for gardeners in the Merry Month of May includes Garden Meditation Day (3rd May) followed on 5th by World Naked Gardening Day (remember the repellant) then there's 6th May Hug a Shed and Take a Selfie Day (also No Pants Day); better perhaps is Iris Day on 8th and Public Gardens Day on 9th May. Learn About Composting Day falls later in the month, on 29th May followed on 30th by Mint Julep Day: a true Southern gentleman's grave is easily identified by the mint growing thereon.
Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.
"Apart from cheese and tulips, the main product of the country is advocaat, a drink made from lawyers," claimed Alan Coren of Holland in The Sanity Inspector, 'All You Need to Know About Europe.' (1974). Perhaps, but in gratitude for sheltering members of their royal family during World War II, the Dutch made a gift of tulip bulbs to Ottawa. Canada's drab, grey bureaucratic heart has never looked back. Every May the city's parks and gardens come alive with hundreds of thousands of tulips, the world's largest display. Not a wonder that Canada's capital is rated among the world's twenty most livable cities.
