After what has masqueraded as summer, we all might sympathize with Tim Entwisle, who heads Australia’s Sydney Royal Botanic Garden. He says the Land of Oz needs five or six seasons to suit its climate. Australia should “unhook” itself from the “arbitrary” four seasons it inherited from Britain says the scientist. Entwisle suggests ‘sprummer’ between spring and summer along with ‘spriner’ for early spring. How about ‘frizzer’ for the period proceeding spring here in the land of milk and maple syrup?
Exterminators contacted by
Toronto Star reported a 50 per cent increase in wasp-related calls this summer over previous years. Unlike Britain, which has similarly suffered, this was not attributed to the proliferation of aphids, a favourite prey earlier in the season for these hymenopterous hawks of the insect world. Unfortunately, late in the season they commence stoking up on sugar-laden provender, to the distress of outdoor diners. Deter them by placing crumpled clothes dryer sheets on the table, advised Susan Reid to
The Globe and Mail. Of course, another way to avoid the yellow-and-black beasties is to eschew al fresco dining. But that would be too much to ask, even in as saturated summer as we have experienced.
All that luscious fresh fruit brought into the home attracts fruit flies. There are about 1,500 species of
Drosophila, but don’t try and figure out which is which. As Groucho Marx once noted: “Time flies; fruit flies like bananas.” Vinegar fly is an alternate moniker for these insects. Simple trick: purchase one of those old-fashioned vinegar dispenser bottles. Quarter-fill with salad or apple-cider vinegar. Screw the open-cone top back on and place near the fruit bowl.
We are great admirers of
Harrowsmith, that quintessential publication for rural-dwelling Canadians or those that plain wish they were. But what is this from last month’s ‘Over the Fence’ feature? “When harvesting carrots, twist off the feathery tops and either hang them or spread them on screens to dry like herbs,” writes Kristen McKendry of Mississauga, Ontario. Then, she suggests, “crumple them up to add a carrot flavour to stews and soups.” The same month, Michael Tortorello in
The New York Times described using fresh carrot tops in a salad, only to be warned such can be hazardous to health. Maybe that explains why the pet rabbit, while scoffing back the roots with abandon, disdains such tops. Or maybe Mississauga gardeners have a tolerance for such nourishing nosh.
Did your vegetables never even reach this stage? Carrots can be notoriously fickle in heavy, clay-based soils or if sown too thickly (now he tells us). Lettuce throw up a tall seed stalk, or “bolt,” and become bitter (the red-leaved forms are more resistant to heat). Cucumbers taste horrible. The last, and with so much of disaster in the veggie patch, is all too often caused by irregular watering. Yes, even with a positively pluvial summer, there were dry periods. And shallow-rooted food crops can dry out startlingly fast. Ah well, another season, we’ll know better, won’t we?
Now where can you go for queries not answered here? Of the hundreds of gardening-related questions we get each month, the number one question is, “Who do I call for help?” says Landscape Ontario. The professional association’s website
landscapeontario.com offers help with designs, installation and maintenance. L.O. is one of the most active of such organizations in North America.
