HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1983-04-27, Page 52In Bayfield the Horticultural Society hosts a spectacular Garden Walk each summer through local residents' gardens.
The : ayfleld ehith boasts one of the highest memberships in Ontario for the size of the community. (T. Marr photo)
No need to make sacrifices
Flowers 4: d vegetables, side by side
by Bob Fleming
Horticultural
Research Institute
of Ontario
It would be marvelous if
plant breeders could develop
a petunia that also produced
tomatoes; a sweet pea that
produced edible green peas
or a rose that produced
fragrant flowers and a bonus
crop of cherries. Perhaps we
could develop an alyssum
with flowers like broccoli, or
a wallflower with a crop of
brussels sprouts as a final
flourish.
The ideas may seem far-
fetched, but each of these
plant relations is botanically
correct. Petunias are related
to tomatoes; roses are
related to most of our
temperate zone fruits; and a
number of flowering plants
belong to the same cabbage
family as broccoli and
brussels sprouts. So combin-
ing the flower and the
vegetable garden is not such
a wild idea.
Last season, because of a
lack of space in the
vegetable garden, I planted
sweet pepper plants among
the flowers. Ten plants, 45
centimetres apart, produced
a bountiful harvest of green
and red fruits. The plants re-
mained compact, vigorous
and attractive throughout
the season. The deep -green
leaves, glossy fruit and
small white blossoms added
variety to the flower border.
Other vegetables filled the
early season voids in the
flower garden. Leaf lettuce
or spinach, as an edging to
the flower border, can be
harvested well into June
without interfering with
tender summer annuals
planted in late May.
Sow beets or carrots in
clumps 30 to 45 cm in
diameter in early spring, to
produce an attractive
display of foliage - a feast for
the eyes and the dinner
table.
Summer combinations of
flowers and vegetables may
be more difficult. However,
a well-trained tomato plant,
confined by stakes or a wire
cage, can present a good
background for flowering
plants while supplying a
bumper crop of fruit. Some
of the new hybrid summer
squash are bushy, and re-
quire a square metre for pro-
per development of a single
plant. 'the large leaves,
showy blooms and tender,
delicious squash add dimen-
sion to the flower garden.
Before you rush out to
plant the overflow from the
vegetable garden among the
flowers consider these
points. Overcrowding the
flower garden can be just as
damaging to plant growth as
planting too closely in the
vegetable patch. Peppers in
the flower garden may mean
fewer zinnias this year. For
squash or tomatoes, you
may have to sacrifice the
giant marigolds you usually
plant for background and
late summer color.
For quick return, early
season, cool weather crops
rause the least disruption in
the flower garden. Lettuce,
spinach, early green onion
sets, radishes and an early
planting of beets or carrots
can be harvested before they
offer too much competition
to young annuals planted in
early June, and before the
annuals compete too strong-
ly with the ripening
vegetables.
Water regularly during
dry periods and fertilize
regularly to maintain
vigorous growth and insect
and disease control.
It takes a little extra ef-
fort, but combining the
flower and vegetable
gardens for greater efficien-
cy and productivity makes
good economic sense.
Peace 27
by Sez
After
h_rd ;yin the yr
reward yourself or
someone special with a few hours out
in a r<s Iaxing atmospher= among tri e nds.
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Coping wit clay soils....
from page 25
The resulting soil mix will be
lighter, more open, more
water -permeable. and
better -drained.
A frequent question from
homeowners is: "What can 1
grow in this heavy clay
soil?" The answer is,
literally any plant
climatically adapted to your
area. Some kinds of plants do
better on clay than others,
but if some pains are taken
to improve the tilth of the
garden clay, it is surprising
how effective these fine -
textured soils can be for
garden use.
As a very general guide,
pears, European plums,
raspberries, currants, and
gooseberries are fruits that
do Very well on clay soils.
Vegtables, such as lettuce,
cabbage, spinach and
rhubarb can also b` grown
successfully.
Under careful
management, potatoes do
quite well, but may be
somewhat misshapen if the
soil is lumpy. This tight, and
often lumpy soil charac-
teristic makes clay a poor
inedium for growing root
crops.
Today, most gardeners
want to include beets,
carrots, parsnips, summer
turnips and radishes in their
production repertoire, so the
amelioration of the clay by
adding organic matter, and -
or sand. becomes especially
important for root
vegetables.
Perennial plants, such as
garden roses and other
shrubs, vines, and trees, can
be surface -mulched each
late fall or spring. Dig mulch
lightly into the soil to provide
an excellent foraging
medium for the feeding
roots. Leaves, grass clip-
pings, old hay, straw, or
composted garden and
organic kitchen refuse are
suitable for mulch.
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