Can this really be the last week of August? It seems like just a short time ago that we were making our gardening plans, and now our gardens are fading. Still beautiful, but not with the lush greenery of mid-summer.
But there is still plenty of time to enjoy our gardens! This is a great time to take a stroll and make notes in your garden journal of what really worked this summer and what didn’t. We always think we’ll remember, but brief notes never hurt! Notes in our journal include the increased presence of bees in our garden thanks to “Buzz’s Corner” using the seeds from Cheerios and Vesey’s; better yield of tomatoes in a new spot; success of planting borlotti beans for the first time; poor results in one row of peppers due to a forest of dill surrounding them (not as much sun filtered in as we hoped: because our garden is small we doubled up the plants in one row). All things to keep in mind for next year!
This is also the time to assess if you want to add or remove any plant material from your garden. If you want to add anything, I’ll mention to you now that the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be holding their Fall Plant and Bulb Sale on Friday, Sept. 21 at the Parkland Mall in Yorkton. If you purchase some new additions, they will still have plenty of time to get settled in before winter.
Do you remember that fun song by the Bangles, “Walk Like An Egyptian?” I know it wasn’t written about onions, but that song came to mind when I was on my daily garden tour and looking at our Egyptian onions, also called “walking onions.” Are you familiar with them?
They are, of course, part of the onion family, allium proliferum. But their unique feature is that the little bulbs grow on top of the plant, not below ground in the usual way! Then, when the bulbs either drop off or the stalks bend towards the soil, they “walk” across the garden bed where they are planted, root, and begin another plant! Very cool!
Walking onions like sunny, well- drained soil with some organic matter. Plant the bulbs about an inch deep, but give them room, about six to ten inches, between bulbs to allow for their “walking.” They grow to about three feet in height. This is the time to plant walking onions, and then by next spring you can begin using the onions. Even though they are a garden novelty, they are completely edible, not only the bulbs but the green onion stems as well.
And how did they get this delightful name, Egyptian onion? I read one theory, very romantic, that they were carried by gypsies from the Egypt area as the gypsies moved towards Europe. But who knows, because scientifically, the onions are definitely crossed with Welsh onions! And their other name, “walking onion,” is because they grow away from the place where they are originally planted. Whatever their well-travelled history, the onions are an interesting addition to your garden!
If you are shopping for fresh garden produce, remember that you can find locally-grown produce at the Yorkton Gardeners’ Market, every Saturday from 8 a.m. till noon at Melrose and Simpson streets in Yorkton (north parking lot of the Prairie Harvest Christian Life Centre). Please note the time change. To register as a seller, email ethelda61@hotmail.com or tymiak.g@sasktel.net or call Glen at (306) 783-7040.
Visit the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society at www.yorktonhort.ca and have a great week; be sure to wear a hat!
