Well-established lettuces survive heat brilliantly
With cooling temperatures that arrived during the Victoria Day long weekend, transplants kept protected from the hot sun could finally be safely installed in their summer locations.
I had expected lettuces I’d already transplanted into the garden to shrivel and burn. They surprised me by surviving brilliantly — perhaps because they were well established by the time temperatures began to rise.
They were two new (to me) lettuces: Garden Babies Butterhead and Ruby Gem baby romaine, both from Renee’s Garden. The bright green and red leaves combined with orange sweet pepper strips, green onion, feta and sliced black olives made a stunning salad.
Weekend whirlwind. My son joined me on the long weekend to help with a few major projects. Chris finished stacking firewood that had lingered long in the driveway. He repaired a small support for clematis and miniature climbing roses, and used the 10 bags of wood shavings I’d brought in to freshen the paths around vegetable plots.
A large area behind the garden shed had become a messy tangle of old fence boards, wire fencing, bags of leaves, stakes of various sizes, and tarps for covering compost heaps in winter. Now, they are all neatly arranged against the side fence on raised planks.
Five compost enclosures that begin at the back corner of the property and are arranged along the same side fence almost meet the stored items on planks, with a space left empty beside the end enclosure. We transformed most of that space into a sixth enclosure using a half-circle of sturdy, short wire fencing.
Now, with six compost enclosures, in summer I’ll have three partly “finished” heaps to grow squash on and three to be building with garden gleanings.
Chris took on the errand of picking up a bale of fresh, clean straw (and electrolytes, because of the heat during the first part of the weekend), which we squeezed in beside the new enclosure.
I was delighted with the clean straw. I had on hand the remains of last year’s bale of straw. Wintered over outdoors, it was more than a little grimy. But it served well as a base layer for the new enclosure, once I’d laid cardboard and newspaper over the bare earth.
The strawberries, which were beginning to form tiny berries, were treated to a dressing of compost around the plants, and then to handfuls of straw wiggled between them to ensure that the berries, as they ripen, rest on clean straw and not nose down in the soil.
GARDEN EVENTS
VHS meeting. The Victoria Horticultural Society will meet on Tuesday, June 6, from
7 to 9 p.m. in the Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave. Bob Duncan, co-owner of Fruit Trees and More, a nursery and demonstration orchard in North Saanich, will speak about “Growing Citrus and Subrtopical Fruit Trees in South Coastal B.C.” Non-member drop-in fee $5. vichortsociety.org.
Gordon Head meeting.
The Gordon Head Garden Club will meet at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7, at 4105 Lambrick Way in Saanich to celebrate their 70th anniversary with a strawberry tea. Present and former members are invited to bring photos of their gardens to share with table mates.
Floral Arts. The Mid Island Floral Art Club will meet on Thursday, June 8, at 2 p.m. in St. Stephen’s Church,
150 Village Way in Qualicum Beach. Irene Brooks will present a demonstration on “Succulents in Floral Design.” Guests are welcome. Drop-in fee $5. mifaclub2000@gmail.com.
Summer garden show. The View Royal Garden Club is hosting a Summer Garden Show on Saturday, June 10, 1 to 3 p.m. in Wheeley Hall, behind Esquimalt United Church, 500 Admirals Rd. in Victoria. Entrance off Lyall St. Exhibits include perennials, vegetables and fruits, potted plants and herbs.
Admission $5, includes refreshments and door prize tickets. viewroyalgardenclub.ca.
Teeny Tiny tour. Victoria Hospice is hosting its annual fundraising Teeny Tiny Garden Tour on Sunday, June 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour will feature 13 inspiring gardens. Information and ticket sources at victoriahospice.org.
Plant sales. The Friends of Government House Gardens Society have opened the Plant Nursery, across from the Tea Room at Government House, 1401 Rockland Ave. in Victoria, from Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most of the plants will be sold for $8, payable by debit or credit cards only.