The Rural Voice, 2019-07, Page 46 Despite the cool wet spring or
maybe because of it, we had a
spectacular June. Lilacs, redbud,
wisteria, flowering crabapple,
magnolias, fragrant linden and
golden chain trees all in bloom above
our heads; along the ground we saw
sweet woodruff, tree peonies,
herbaceous peonies, iris, cranesbill,
primulas and drifts of forget-me-nots
along the paths. I could enjoy June
all summer.
July is a mature time in the
garden; the rush of growth and bloom
is over and now it’s time for some
solid growth. This is a perfect time to
get at spots we have not weeded yet
and finish with a bit of mulch here
and there. I use my mulch sparingly
along the front edge of the garden as
far in as twelve inches. I use leaves in
the back of the garden around the
larger plants. I don’t mulch around
my favourite plants that seed down as
it limits the seeds’ soil contact and
germination. I am missing my
magnificent Canadian columbine. It
would freely seed down and the
vibrant orange, yellow blossoms
make a wonderful visual with the
spotted blue-blossomed lung wort or
pulmonaria growing around its base.
But thanks to birds or maybe the
wind, a small one popped up 15 feet
away and I will spread the seed in a
few other locations.
Mulch is a wonderful tool in the
garden to help conserve moisture,
keep the garden soil cooler, and as it
breaks down it improves the quality
of the soil.
I should bring you up to date on
the state of my curcuma. Last
November I picked up this exotic
plant and once it died down, I stored
it with my canna and dahlia bulbs. I
checked for growth in January and
February and even gave it a bit of
water. But when I was pulling out all
the other bulbs, I discovered the tuber
had completely dried up. There was
nothing there but the soil and a few
dried leaves that would have been
around the base of the stem. Now I
wonder if it was actually a seed plant
and no tuber had formed yet. Like
seed begonias. So that purchase did
not end well but I think most, if not
all, gardeners have similar stories.
The next big experiment involves
more trees. John Hazlitt dropped off
half a dozen thick leathery seedpods
from a Kentucky Coffee tree. You
don’t see many of these trees in the
landscape. There is one species here
in North America and two others in
China. They are referred to as a
colony tree and have a vast root
system from which new trees sprout.
Male and female flowers are on
separate tree colonies. If you can
imagine this, an entire colony of trees
may only be one genetic individual.
If isolated, then fruit on these trees is
rare which makes these pods a
treasure.
Usually found in floodplains and
rich/moist woodlands, Kentucky
Coffee trees will tolerate open dry
sites or partial shade. They are
considered small but will grow to 80
feet and two feet in diameter when
happy.
They do hold the record for the
largest leaf of any Canadian tree.
They have double compound leaves
that can be anywhere from one to
three feet long and up to two feet
wide. It gives the trees a feathery
42 The Rural Voice
Scarring and
planting the
gift of Kentucky
Coffee Tree seeds
Rhea
Hamilton-
Seeger is a
skilled cook
and gardener
who lives near
Auburn.
Gardening
Kentucky Coffee Tree seeds are
embedded in a green pulp inside
the pods. In order to sprout, the
hard seed coat needs to be
scarified. These seedlings were
nicked with a grinder and then
planted in a sheltered spot to be
nurtured before transplanting.