June 2020

This month, just like the last was crazy and hectic. I intended to keep this post up to date throughout the month but that fell off the rails REALLY quick. But, I did remember to add in some quick photos.

June 3:

I found some energy after work to get some Beans planted.. I put in some ‘Royal Burgundy’, ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘Amethyst Purple’ Bush Beans infront of the first round of Tomatoes that I planted out last week. I also tucked a few little rows of ‘Long Standing Bloomsdale’ Spinach in as well.
Across the patio where I have had my tomatoes the last few years, I put in one ‘Dark Green’ Zucchini and a small tee-pee with some ‘Painted Lady’ Runner Beans.
I popped my second start of the Cinderella Pumpkin over where I have a mix of more ornamental plants. The first one is across the yard in a big tub that is dug into the ground a bit.
I re-sowed some Yellow Crookneck Squash because I still haven’t seen any signs of life on the first round… But May was really cold, so I’m blaming that… as the Peas I sowed around the same time are JUST popping up now. I just wanted to hedge my bets because I really want some more squash in my life.

Work got CRAZY busy and I didn’t keep up with updating this post throughout the month so I’m going to try and do a quick overview on what is happening around here.

I finally got my little willow cuttings that I have been rooting in the kitchen window in jars of water potted into soil and kicked outside.
Along with the willows, I also potted up my other rooted cuttings like the roses, a grape, a hazelnut, a currant and a few random haskaps. I also picked a few baby spruce to baby along and potted them into larger pots too.
Its not looking good for my blue popcorn. There are a few that might make it, but given how cold and slow our spring has been, I don’t think they will take off intime to grow proper ears. Maybe next year.
Along those same lines, the blue butterfly peas didn’t germinate, so they’ll have to be added to another year’s projects. Similar thing with the jelly melon… I started them too early inside and then to plant them outside would’ve just stressed them too much. Next year I’ll give them a better shot.
I’ve been battling caterpillars on my currants… so I picked up some BTK and I’m waging biological warfare on them now…. In addition to squishing every single one I find. I need to find something similar to wage war on the slugs that have exploded with our cool wet weather. Does anyone know of a slug nematode that is available in alberta?
With the beans that I sowed, I’ve had no germination with the gold rush. But those seeds were from 2014. The disappointment is with the Amethyst purple bush beans… Germination is spotty and those are brand new seeds for this year. I think I have 4 plants that have germinated.
Cucumbers are starting to do well, although I think the squirrels are starting to get too at-ease in the yard again because one of my pickling cucumbers was snapped off. Is there a squirrel nematode 😉 (that was a joke).
Things are really starting to grow and I’m hoping that I will start to have a little more time to be posting a little more often.

Inside ‘Tiny Tim’ Tomatoes are starting to ripen!

Paprika peppers… these started growing inside so they are still getting used to being outside, the peppers should get bigger once we start getting some heat and this poor plant recovers from all the stress I’ve caused it.

My lilac that I transplanted as a stick 8-ish years ago. This thing mostly lives in shade, so I don’t fault it for never blooming, but this year, it’s putting on a beautiful and much-needed show.

Making friends at work…. we make the same face

At the end of the month, I got some free peppers and cabbage plants from work, so I got them mostly all into the ground before we had a few days of straight rain… I have a couple left that still need to find a home, but I’ll mention them in next months update (hopefully)