June garden to do list

I'm back from beautiful Kingston!  Sorry for the negativeness of the last post.  It's impossible to go to Ontario at this time of year and not be jealous.  I'll try to focus on the bright side more often!  Here's a post I wrote once about the benefits of gardening in Calgary, and Nora Bryan recently posted 5 more good reasons.  Since I'm trying to be more positive, I can also say I didn't have to worry about my plants drying out while I was away...

So it's supposed to be nice this week-end.  Finally! Let's talk about how much of my May to-do list I have got done and what's in store for the rest of June:

Finishing the May to-do list:

• I finished moving and planting perennials early in May.  I always like to do that in May because I know I won't have to worry about watering them in June!  All my seedlings and pots are planted too.
• I'm still weeding and mulching the front gardens, as I posted here.  I will continue to do a little bit each day and hope to be done by the end of the month.

And the June to-do list:

• Like I said, finish weeding and mulching.  Well, you're never finished weeding but I find if you can stay on top of them in May and June it makes the rest of the season easy.
• Water the veggies regularly.
• Prune roses - actually I already did this in early June but I forgot to tell you! 
• Cut a fresh edge between garden and grass - already did this too.  One of my favourite jobs, believe it or not.  It always makes the garden look so much tidier!
• Start deadheading the annuals regularly.  This keeps them flowering.
• Put stepping stones in lawn - I had a great idea that I will show you when done!
• Be on the lookout for the red lily beetle.
• Snap candles on mugo pines - I don't have any mugo pines left in my yard but they're very common in my neighbourhood so if you have any, read this.
• Keep tucking the clematis and honeysuckle vines into the trellises that support them.  The hops seems to have no trouble finding its own way.
• Mow the lawn as needed with a pushmower.  Leave the clippings on the lawn.  
• Turn the compost pile every week.  I never do this, but I should, and I'm going to try harder this year.
• Keep birdbaths and birdfeeders clean and full.
• And last but not least, decide whether or not I'm going to enter the garden competition this year.  I'm torn.

Comments

[Paula H]

Just enter the garden contest! Yours looks as good as winners that we visited last year.

A note about compost...I am not good at getting around to stirring mine either. What I do, though, is once a year empty it (onto a tarp), water it, stir it, and dump it back in. The bin usually reduces by half and takes about one year to be ready. I also leave the lid off when we get a good rain, because I am cheap and don't want to pay to water compost!

[Kim]

I would love to see your garden in person...please enter the contest!

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Good tip on the compost Paula!
If I did enter the competition that doesn't necessarily mean you would get to see my garden since I don't actually expect to win. I'm more just interested in the feedback I would get. There are a few areas of my garden that still need to mature and other areas that just plain need work (England for example, and the site of the recently-removed greenhouse). I don't show photos of those areas very often...
If people would like a tour of my garden maybe I could just arrange to do that independent of the garden competition....? Anyone interested?
Janice

[Rhona]

I would be totally interested in seeing your garden! I found your blog about 2 months ago and found it very inspiring as I am currently remaking my garden after a recent garage build.

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Thanks Rhona! I do hope my blog is inspiring and informative because that's why I do it. Have fun in your garden and I will consider inviting readers for a tour this year. Stay tuned!
Janice