May has arrived, and now it really feels like gardening season! While it is still too chilly for some garden tasks, this is the ideal time to get the garden ready for the next few weeks.
What to do first? Tidying up is the first order of business. Even if we cleaned up in the fall, there is inevitably more to do. Rake up the twigs and leaves that have blown in around the yard. I have heard some gardeners say that they don鈥檛 save these leaves for compost or mulch because they are 鈥渄irty鈥� after the winter, compared to the leaves rake up in the fall. That does seem to be so. A reminder鈥� don鈥檛 be overly diligent to rake up every last leaf! There are beneficial insects in our gardens that still need shelter in the cold nights.
And while we鈥檙e in a frenzy of cleaning, let鈥檚 be aware and watchful for perennials that may be starting to appear. Be gentle with the rake so they don鈥檛 get damaged or disturbed.
There may be some weeds that need pulling. Yes, it鈥檚 a conundrum of gardening that we have to sometimes pull weeds before we have even planted anything! But aren鈥檛 those tough and durable weeds a determined lot! They survive the winter and flourish early. So take a quick walk through your garden and flowerbed areas and see if there are any unwelcome tenants taking up residence.
Next, time to get out the snips and trim back any dried perennial stems. We left quite a few of the stems with seed heads standing in the fall. Not only did they give the birds an extra snack, but they also added interest in the winter garden. But now, they are stripped of their seeds, and the stems have broken. Time to trim all that back!
Doesn鈥檛 it seem that garden planters are like the old joke about wire coat hangers? You think you have just a few and suddenly you have many more than you thought you did? Take a few minutes to go through your garden containers, and any that you don鈥檛 need, perhaps you can pass on to a gardening friend or recycle them.
You know, when we talked about the leaves and twigs that we are raking up now, it is important to note that even if you don鈥檛 want them, they don鈥檛 have to go in the garbage. Some people may not be aware that the City of Yorkton has a way to encourage recycling of organic matter. This great information is on the City website: 鈥淐omposting plays an important role in reducing the amount of waste entering our landfill, while also creating a product that is useful in the environment. There are a few simple ways in which people can reduce the volume of organics in residential waste. Residents can drop off yard waste for free at the landfill to be composted, or they can set up a simple back yard composting system.鈥� So there is no need for this valuable organic matter to be wasted. We are lucky to have such a progressive opportunity available to us. Find our full details at
And, please visit the Yorkton and District horticultural Society website at www.yorktonhort.ca and see what鈥檚 new. We still can鈥檛 get together, but there is always interesting info on our site. Thank you to our webmaster John who keeps track of everything for us.
If you are looking for extra garden space, the Community Peace Garden (located at the Yorkton Alliance Church) still might have some garden plots available. Please call Warren at 306-782-3249 and he can tell you if there is any space left.
Thank you to our friends at Yorkton This Week for their awesome work bringing us local news. Let鈥檚 pray for health for all鈥� have a good week
听
