Gabriel's Garden Notes

HARVEST

May started cool with lots of rain and night temps in the low 40's.  As we passed mid-May the temps finally started to climb and now it is May 25th and the soil is warm and finally ready for warm season veggies.

Memorial Day weekend and many are out barbecuing, enjoying Folk Life or perhaps hiking in the Cascades or Olympics.  I am here in my own little bit of paradise finishing up soil prep.  One bed left to go.  I had to harvest 7 head of Pak Choi today as it it beginning to bolt with this hot water.  Bolting is the end of a cool season annual vegetables growth.  The plant starts to go into "I must procreate mode" and start to go to seed.  If you don't harvest when this starts leafy vegetable such as lettuce, spinach and asian greens will taste bitter and eventually become nearly unedible.

Since I have harvested much of the Pak Choi I can next now plant some squash that I started from seed 4 weeks ago.  Today I squeezed in three Delicata Squash starts and 3 Jaune et Verte.  Pictured here Bok Choy that will need to be harvested soon with lettuce.  Tucked between the Bok Choy is the Delicata Squash which won't be harvested till October.

I will need to start eating or giving away of lettuce soon.  I started Basil rather late but I think it will have to time to mature and I will have good timing for when the garlic is ready to make tons of pesto.

Breakfast this morning-fresh chicken eggs from friends with goat cheese, wild crafted Oyster Mushrooms, Spinach and Garlic from the backyard.

Pictured here Pak Choi

Now back to work lots of watering to do.

Abundance

Puget Sound gardens are alive with a rainbow of colors brought with the abundance of spring blooming trees and shrubs.  Our native Dogwoog, Cornus nuttalii has been blooming for a few weeks as have the pink flowering Cornus florida and other cultivars.  Many gardens still have Narcissus (Daffodils) and tulips in a vast array of color.  Pictured here tulips are used in containers (design by Anne Wambauch) in a stunning display.  Tulips are not usually long lived in our wet climate, they prefer a dry summer and a very well draining soil.  They do well in pots and are easy to remove when changing to summer color.  One can often see the signs of tulips planted in previous years every spring, a few green leaves and no flowers.  If they don't flower, dig out the old bulbs and toss!

Many of the spring flowering shrubs are also very fragrant.  A local favorite is Daphne odora 'Aureo-marginata, plant this medium growing shrub near a walkway or outside the front door so you can be sure to enjoy its sweet scent.

Lesser known fragrant shrubs are the Viburnums.  Viburnum bodnantense 'Dawn' is a deciduous shrub with tiny fragrant flowers that blooms in late winter before its leaves emerge.  Viburnum burkwoodi is one of my favorites and it is rarely seen in gardens in the northwest.  It has glossy deep green evergreen foliage and white fragrant flowers in the spring.  A mature specimen is pictured here.

Another one of my favorite flowering shrubs is Exchorda x macrantha 'The Bride', it is also rarely used and so stunning to come across when in full bloom.  It is perfect for a "white" garden or in English style garden.  It is a medium grower, under 4' so is good for a small garden.  In this garden it is paired with a low growing evergreen Lonicera, Pieris, Double File Viburnum and White Icicle Flowering Current.

Not flowering this spring is your dead Rosemary plants.  All over Seattle I am still seeing these pathetic dead Rosemarys that did not survive our worst winter in 70 years.  It is time to rip them out and replace!!  The spring rainy season is a great time to add new plants so head on down to your favorite local nursery today.