Some fun things this June – check out the Art in the Garden Celebration – how fun is that? Now officially “summer” doesn’t start until June 21, but Mother Nature is taking that way too seriously this year. This gardening year is the wettest, coldest, longest spring in the past 4 years to my memory. Its been quite some time since I had to wait until after Memorial Day to put in annuals. Speaking of vegetable, herb and annual gardening, tried something different this year. As my “herb box” is overgrown, only had room to add a couple of basils – a dark purple “opal” basil and a slender leaved “magic micheal” basil – both are excellently flavored. Last year I did a shallow color bowl with a combination of petunia’s and piccolo basil – it was a hit! The bowl was showy and pest free all year (my kind of planting). I need to be more aggressive pruning back the piccolo, but it has such a neat round growing habit that I let it get rangy last year – will not repeat that mistake this year. I mixed a couple of other combination’s – 
flat leaf parsley and white petunias – winter savory and purple petunias, and golden sage and white petunia’s – each in their own pots for the patio.
Piccolo Basil & Petunias
Fragrant, pretty and not pest prone – now that is a good gardening combination! Speaking of some fun patio planter options – check out the Wooden Cart Planter or the Wooden Cart Wagon – both very attractive – I especially like the idea that each can be moved around as the season sun pattern changes on your deck for best display. Even if you just have a balcony, I have seen some great options – check out this raised bed designed for apartment dwellers. There are any number of raised bed gardening kits for yards as well – a lot of them are getting very green being constructed of recycled materials etc.
Speaking of favorite “gadgets” for my veggie garden – its the tomato cage. We have gone through so many types and will pass on to you what we have found – the small gauge 3 ring cages are great for peppers, eggplant etc – but are not sturdy or tall enough for local tomato’s. The four ring heavy gauge will last you about 3 to 4 seasons (if you wire them together and to a base). I found a tomato cage product that seems to make sense, its made it Texas, folds for storage and is plenty tall – but you know how those Texans like em’….big and all! I have found that the thinner gauge square cages are a great idea, but fell apart at the welds after just one season. So this year – we were bound and determined to find some that would weather the storm (excuse the pun!). Then we found the “handi cage” – solidly made, painted to be rust proof, and come in two 1/2 squares thus allowing multi-configuration!
New Tomato Cages for 2010
Another bonus – its a local product, made in Hyde Park, Utah. Haven’t been able to find a website….etc – Will give you a “cage review” at the end of the year with my annual tomato report.
Another experiment this year – and yes get ready to giggle….Just so happened that my car nut husband has some old Hoosier racing slicks hanging around the garage – well here’s the best idea I could come up for them
Yukon golds
We’ve got two planted with yukon gold potatoes – about ready to add the first layer of dirt now that they are sprouting well.
Speaking of sprouting – the garlic is coming early despite the rain (raised beds really help the drainage problem) and noticed that a few heads are already starting to “curl”. Curling is when the central stalk comes out and does a total “pig tail” on itself. This is how the garlic tells you that its just about mature. I usually wait until all the garlic has curls and cut them off. If you didn’t cut the curls off, they will go to seed and the garlic bulb will shrink to give the seeds all the energy. But cutting the curls off you stop the bulb degradation. The good news is the curls are totally edible – slice very thin and add to salads for a real kick. They curl slices are really good in stir fry to give them a yummy zip also. So be checking your garlic sometime between now and the end of the month for curls. After you cut them off, the stalks will start to yellow – this is good, its drawing the last of its growing energy back into the bulb – allow the garlic bulbs to stay in the ground until the stalks are good and dry (about a week to 10 days) and then harvest your garlic. Gently pull the bulbs out, they are tender and need to “harden off”. This is easy – just lay the entire garlic bulb & stalk out (I have a screen I use) to allow them to dry and harden completely. After the papery, white outside layer is obvious then its time to braid or bunch your garlic for use throughout the year. I always retain the best 3-4 bulbs for replanting in the fall. Just store them someplace dark and dry. Break the individual cloves out sometime in early september and plant each clove (at least 4″) from each other and mark the patch so you remember in spring!
Garlic Curls
As usual we include the Farmers Almanac as a General Guideline
June 2010
14th-15th Plant Tomatoes, Beans, Peppers, Corn, Cotton, And Other Above Ground Crops On These Most Fruitful Days. Plant Seedbeds And Flower Gardens
16th-19th Poor Period For Planting. Kill Plant Pests, Clear Fence Rows, Clear Land.
20th-21st Favorable For Planting Peas, Beans, Tomatoes, And Other Fall Crops Bearing Yield Above Ground. Sow Grains And Forage Crops. Plant Flowers.
22nd-24th Extra Good For Planting Fall Lettuce, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, And Other Leafy Vegetables. All Above Ground Crops Planted Now Will Do Well. Plant Seedbeds.
25th-26th Poor Planting Days. Cut Hay Or Do General Farm Work.
27th-29th Plant Late Beets, Potatoes, Onions, Carrots, And Other Root Crops.
30th. Poor Day For Planting. Kill Plant Pests, Spray, Fertilize, Do General Farm Work.
July 2010
1st. Good Day For Killing Weeds, Briars And Other Plant Pests, Poor For Planting.
2nd-4th Good Days For Planting Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Salsify, Turnips, Peanuts, And Other Root Crops. Also Good For Planting Melons, Cucumbers, Pumpkins, And Other Vine Crops. Set Strawberry Plants.
5th-6th A Barren Period.
7th-8th Root Crops That Can Be Planted Now Will Yield Well.
9th-10th Poor Days For Planting, Seeds Tend To Rot In Ground.
11th-12th Most Favorable For Corn, Cotton, Okra, Beans, Peppers, Eggplant, And Other Above Ground Crops. Plant Seedbeds And Flower Gardens
13th-16th A Most Barren Period. Kill Plant Pests And Do General Farm Work.
