Late June 2000

Delivering one of the greatest movie lines ever, Anouk Aimee playing the Wicked Queen in Sodom and Gomorrah (1963) reassures everyone: “It’s just a summer storm.  Nothing to worry about.”  If the last couple of summers are anything to go by here, we will be praying for any rain in a month or so.  Environment Canada has reported 15% less precipitation.  The forecast is for things to get even drier than issues of Hansard, the official record of Parliament.  Phew--- that’s really dry!

It’s a bit late to be worrying about what is planted already, although in future years this might not be a bad idea.  Lewis and Nancy Hill have many pointers on this and other matters horticultural in their latest book The Lawn & Garden Owner’s Manual (Storey $29.95). Mulches will assist considerably in conserving what moisture is available around flowers, shrubs and vegetables.  Compost makes one of the best mulches since it improves the underlying soil as well.  Lay it with a generous hand, at least three inches deep. 

But why do stones make a good mulch?  Lift one –even on a hot day- and most likely the soil under it will be moist and cool.  Such a mulch, carefully chosen, can also help prevent weeds, as well as enhance garden appearance.  McLaren’s Bay Mica Stone says all you need to know in their name.  It comes in many shades with their “crushed Northern Lights Mica Stone”, offered for the new millennium.  Since it reflects both natural and artificial light while resisting algae formation, it is especially beautiful around waterfalls, fountains and pools, as well as more conventionally along paths or as a mulch.  McLaren’s Bay Mica Stone can be found up at R.R#1, Redbridge, Ont., or call the company on 705-663-2647.

When watering, do so in the early hours of the morning.  No, you do not have to rise at that hour; just attach a battery-operated timer to your faucet and hook up for an oscillating sprinkler.  Adjusted to run for an hour every three days, it will deliver water to the plants and waste less to evaporation.  As an additional bonus, a good downpour washes many destructive bugs off plants, killing them outright or injuring them so they either die or become prey to scavenging beetles and other wildlife on the ground below. 

Let us hope we do not have to try to treat the Asian Long-Horned Beetle in a similar cavalier fashion. Although so far it seems to have been prevented -by fast action- from getting an antennae hold on Ontario, New York State has not been so lucky.  Last year it was reported live and well established in areas other than Queens and Manhattan (the original infestations).  The latter area is much too close for comfort to the 840 acres of Central Park.  Its many hardwood trees make it a tempting target for this wretched pest, which we received courtesy of the ignorance and disrespect for all common sense from exporters in the People’s Republic of China.  The estimated number of trees infested in New York State is around 4,200 and its trained staff has been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem.

Truth be known though, the only real answer to watering the entire garden accurately, timely and without any fuss is to install an in-ground sprinkler system.  Most landscape architects and garden designers include such systems in all their new installations.  The bottom line is probably in the $2000 to $3000 price range for a system for the average T.O. garden. Highly recommended is Custom Lawn Sprinkler Ltd. of Mississauga.   Call 905-821-8008 and ask for Diethard.

Too much, you say?  Turn then for solace to your lilacs.  If you want reliable, heavy bloom next year, take action now and nip off all those  seed buds that formed after this year’s bumper crop.  Cut back to those two fat buds you see immediately below the seed heads.  These will form next May’s luscious lilac display.  On common lilacs, continue to cut out those annoying suckers that spring from nowhere like so many bureaucrats (and are equally weakening and pestiferous).  It is the common European Lilac that is the most prone to this suckering.  French hybrids and Canadian Prestonian Lilacs, to name two other commonly available forms, are almost immune to this defect.  Better still, it is not too late to plant them.  Plant a few large Hosta round the base and next season you’ll be the envy of the neighbourhood.   Oh yes, lilacs are drought resistant, too.

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