I don’t know about you, but for me, the summer has mysteriously disappeared and we are somehow at mid-August. Wasn’t it just a short time ago that we were planting up our containers and gardens, and now we are harvesting veggies and almost ready to pull some things out. How did that happen?
But what a beautiful time of year it is. When I go on my tour each day, there is always something wondrous to see. This morning, I couldn’t believe how the squash vines are surfing over the tops of the potatoes, with chartreuse spikes of dill heads and electric-pink cosmos poking through here and there. It was beautiful to see! This year we made a pact that we would not pull out any volunteer flowers that came up, no matter where they came up, because they are so vital for the bees. The result is a rather wild-looking landscape, but well worth it because when we are outside, we hear the steady drone of bees. And that is a very good thing! If you are making notes in your garden journal about this year’s garden, make a reminder to yourself for next year about bee-friendly plants. My notes will have a reminder that says “oregano, borage and sunflower”.
More than just a wonderful herb for seasoning, oregano is a true bee-magnet. The delicate mauve flowers that come into full force in mid-summer are always busy stops for the bees. And a bonus is that they are lovely to look at, giving your garden a misty mauve cloud. On a hot day, the oregano sends out the most captivating fragrance, not floral, but an earthy and herby fragrance that is most pleasing. Growing oregano is very easy: full sun, good drainage, quite drought tolerant, and no pest or disease problems. Then when the season is over, you can dry your oregano and think of summer all winter whenever you sprinkle it on pizza, pork, or potatoes.
Borage is another easy-going friend in the garden. If you are planting it for the first time, next spring plant when danger of frost is past, and that is about all you need to worry about from that point on. You may need to thin them out a bit, but they don’t need much else. When they are up and growing, you will have a prickly-looking plant that will grow about two feet high. When the beautiful blue star-shaped blooms appear, that’s when the bees in your garden will contact every bee in the area, and they will be happily buzzing around in no time. They don’t call this plant “bee bush” for nothing! The flowers can be used in salads, and borage can be used in tea or soups. And once you have this plant in your garden, it will usually self-sow and keep coming up for years to come.
Sunflowers must be one of the happiest plants to have in our gardens. Just sow them and forget them! What’s not to love? They grow quickly, attain amazing heights, and have one of the most cheerful flowers that God created. Here again: no fuss, no muss. Just enjoy the beauty and the bees will thank you.
Have you checked out our new feature, “Mystery Plants”? Log on and see if you can identify the plant. You can take part and send in a photo of an unusual plant. Include the name of the plant, if known, and tell us a little about it. Or, if you have a plant and don’t know what it is, maybe someone can identify it. We’ll all learn together! Please send in photos to yorktonhort@yahoo.com Thank you to our friends at Yorkton This Week for their amazing work. Let’s pray for health and happy times ahead. Have a good week and be sure to wear a hat! Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca
