What Should Be Planted This Month?
Herb borders should be made and planted this month. Obtain plants of lavender (Lavandula vera), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), thyme, both the Thymus vulgaris and Thymus citriodorus, for these are fine for rock garden plantings as well as the herb borders. Be sure to add mint (Mentha) of several kinds. Sow seeds of herbs such as sweet basil, caraway, dill, sweet fennel, borage (for its lovely blue flowers), summer savory, sweet marjoram, sage and coriander. These seeds are limited in supply now so order early.
Keep on planting your gladiolus and to be safe order only thrip-treated corms. Groups of six or twelve each might be planted in the borders through July and will give bloom until October. Root cuttings of evergreen candytuft (Iberis sempervirens), and the creeping phlox (P. subulata, divaricata and canadensis). The lines of your edgings may be extended in this way. Dwarf and giant zinnias may be planted where they are to flower and thinned out as the young seedlings crowd. Use self colors in the groups and both the giant dahlia-flowered and the dwarf or miniatures will bring bright notes to the summer theme.
Marigolds, large and small or tall and dwarf, are also good for bright summer notes. Study your color harmonies and do not mix the palette so that it is too strong for hot summer days. Start spraying roses, even though they have not yet finished their spring bloom. Last May we started to use Neem Oil as a fungicide and insecticide. This proved its worth immediately and cleared the roses of all kinds of insect pests, redeeming them after they seemed almost destroyed by black spot. It is easily dissolved in water, not expensive and certainly is a valuable addition to our rose and other garden remedies.
Iris time is here again and from far north in Vancouver, B. C. and far south in Florida, plans are being made to visit the wonderful displays of Oriental iris (L kaempferi), which bloom through late May and early June in the Swan Lake, Heath and Dunndell Gardens at Sumter, S. C. From about May 20 through June 10 millions of gorgeous flowers are on display. Visitors are welcomed and cameras are invited also.
This iris multiplies so freely in this climate and setting that each year shows an increasing number of the beautiful flowers in their rainbow harmonies agaiist a background of pines and hemlocks and cypress, with swans floating along the clear waters of the lakes and fish diving to find food in the pond at Dunndell.
Skies are blue and the sun is warm and bright and the flowers are supremely beautiful so that many who come once come again and again. Now is the accepted time!
Answers to questions people have been asking at plant-care.com
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