Late in the afternoon on Mother鈥檚 Day three family members visited, each bearing a plant. My daughter presented a Regal (Martha Washington) geranium in velvety violet bloom. I repotted it the next day and set it on a wrought iron plant stand in a cool, lightly shaded corner of the back lawn, where I expect the plant to continue flowering until the height of summer鈥檚 heat. Kept watered and as cool as possible, it will resume blooming toward summer鈥檚 end.
I used to grow various scented geraniums every year. Now the practice is resumed with a 鈥淐itonella鈥� geranium strongly scented of lemon. It now has a place in a clay pot set on the patio table. Sun and warmth are to its liking.
The third plant is a strawberry mint, now potted and placed next to a container of a delicately flavoured 鈥楳arilyn鈥檚 Salad Mint鈥� from Richters Herbs. The strawberry mint is delightfully fruit scented and destined for flavouring water and iced tea, fruit salads and vinaigrettes for cucumbers. I鈥檝e sited the mints where they are shielded from hot sun.
On the evening before, I had taken flowers to a neighbour whose grown children don鈥檛 live nearby, I combined two of her favourite flowers in my garden 鈥� drooping, flower-filled stems of a vigorously rambling 鈥淪weetheart鈥� (Cecile Brunner) rose and red valerian (Centranthus ruber), which appears each spring, curiously, out of a rock pile near the rose. My Cecile Brunner usually flowers in June. This year the blooms began opening three weeks early.
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Changing times. Stories keep rolling in about the earliness of the season 鈥� 鈥淛une鈥� strawberries ripening in the second week and zucchinis ready to pick in the first week in May. Then, Gordon sent a group of photos taken in his 鈥減recocious patio home garden鈥� on May 14. They show fully formed globe artichokes on听stocky bushes and clusters of听young apples. Blueberries and听raspberries were on their way听to sizing up and ripening
The pattern of early warmth calls for changes. Putting a watering routine in place is first on my agenda. And I鈥檓 making calendar notes to advance spring plantings, for example to move April plantings to March, March ones to February, and to delay summer plantings until the heat subsides 鈥� or, to start seeds for fall and winter vegetables indoors for transplanting in August or early September.
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GARDEN EVENTS
Alpine flowers of the Pyrenees. The Alpine Gardeners of Central Vancouver Island will host a presentation by David Sellars on Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, 747 Jones St. in Q.B. The two-part program will explore Pyrenees Flora in Perspective and Photographing Alpine Plants. The talk听will showcase alpine flora in spectacular mountain settings.
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HCP courses. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd. in Saanich, is offering the following courses. Register at 250-479-6162. hcp.ca.
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鈥� Permaculture Basics, Saturday, June 4, 1 to 3 p.m. The Compost Education Centre will explain this naturally sustainable growing system. HCP members $18, others $25.
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鈥� Flower Arranging for your Special Event, Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This first of three courses will be on Boutonnieres and Corsages. Eiddwen Thomas will show participants how to design and create their own arrangements using locally grown flowers, foliage and grasses. All materials are included. HCP members $75, others $90.
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鈥� Soil Basics for the Home Gardener, Sunday, June 5, 1 to 4 p.m. Learn how to improve your soil鈥檚 health with Christina Nikolic of the Organic Gardener鈥檚 Pantry. HCP members $30, others $35.
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Cowichan Valley tour. Cowichan Family Life is hosting its 22nd annual Cowichan Valley Garden Tour of six beautiful gardens on Sunday, June 5, 10听a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets at $20 are available from numerous outlets from Victoria to Nanaimo. For the source nearest you call 250-748-8281 or visit cowichanfamilylife.org. Tea will be served in one of the gardens and master gardeners will be in each one. This is a chance to enjoy a working herbal garden, a 鈥淔rench country casual鈥� garden, an outdoor living garden and large plantings of fruits and vegetables. I鈥檓 looking forward to meeting visitors in one of the gardens from 12 to 3 p.m. This is a fundraiser for Cowichan Family Life, an organization that grew out of the belief that conselling services should be available to everyone.
