My grandmother occasionally admonished me to “make myself useful as well as ornamental.” Is it any wonder then, I applied this adage to my gardens? I mentioned in another article, I love to tuck the edibles right in with my ornamentals, and sometimes the edibles ARE the ornamentals.
I nestle beefsteak tomato plants between the ninebarks. Just think of the gorgeous red tomato ‘Mortgage Lifter’ or ‘Black Krim’ playing off the bronze of the ninebark leaves? Sensational! Or for a silvery moonlight-themed garden try planting a silvery green artichoke plant, flanked by large edible sage plants, paired with dark purple flowering lavender (soft gray foliage) and possibly, a long lasting native penstemon — purple or blue of course. A royal theme would include anything gold — edible calendula flowers come to mind — with dark purple eggplants (in botanical terms, their name is a color and it is “aubergine.” A dwarf peach tree can be set off with a nice planting of peachy orange nasturtiums. Think vertical and imagine how stately and productive-a tall trellis of purple poles beans will be standing in the rose bed? Maybe a few of the dark purple basils (the variety ‘Dark Opal’ springs to mind) at the base of that trellis echoing the pole bean color? The possibilities are endless. And dare I say it: “food for thought?”
While we are imagining a lovely garden to feed the soul and the belly, be ready to for our crazy weather in May. It is not uncommon to have late season snow storms into May, heck, into June. Be at the ready with row covers, hot caps, cloches and “Walls o’ Water” to protect the most tender plants and transplants.
Continue to transplant out the starts of eggplants, tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, squash and all other warm weather edibles as the weather permits. Summer and winter squash, another round of sugar snap peas, beans (dry and snap), cucumbers and melons can be direct seeded into the warm soil now. You can also buy these as seedlings at any garden store. Position supporting stakes and trellises now, to avoid disturbing the roots later.
Celery, sweet corn, turnip, spinach, cabbage, asparagus and rhubarb can still be planted as can parsley, parsnips, potatoes, watermelon and kohlrabi. Get those potatoes in now. I am adding flowers, right and left: a wide array of cosmos including the gorgeous new ‘Apricotta’, Love in a Mist, and zinnias. Oh, and herbs. I am refreshing my rosemary, adding a new lavender ‘Grosso,’ as well fennel and basils.
If you were able to plant greens earlier, you can probably harvest them now. I planted arugula, Asian greens, mizuna, as well as cut and come again lettuces. If you grow asparagus, it may be up now as well. I’ve been inspecting my strawberries, too. They are greened up, the runners have been secured, and they are blooming!
Tip: Here’s an interesting heirloom zucchini that invites conversation. ‘Zucchetta Trombolina’ is a climber that reaches 8 to 10 feet . Once it’s up and going, let it spread out on a screen-type of support. Its great for screening a pesky neighbor. Or, if you like the neighbor, invite them to harvest a zuke or two. These squash vaguely resemble trombones; they are delicious when cooked and have very few seeds. Harvest when they are still young and only 12 to 18 inches long. If this sounds like fun, get some seeds and get them in the ground now.
