In the garden, June is a bit of an in-between time.
The spring planting is mostly over and the summer planting (for autumn) has not started. Instead of planting, our days are filled with 'taking care'. So we are pruning and trellising tomatoes and managing weeds. This year, we are using lots of cardboard scavenged at local shops, plus wood chips from a local arborist, to mulch the paths between the beds. We have a bit of a grass challenge in the garden, quack grass to be precise. It is an incredibly tenacious plant! Hopefully the cardboard and wood chips suppresses the grass, plus this thick mulch layer will keep the soil moist during dry spells, protect the soil from erosion during any downpours, and eventually decompose into wonderful soil. So laying out the cardboard and covering it with wood chips isn't really 'weeding'. It's a very multipurpose task!
In the meantime, we are nurturing the seedlings that will be planted in July -- loads of autumn cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli! Last week, when I checked on the tiny, freshly seeded plants I noticed a rather large 'hole' in a flat. And then another. Can you guess who caused the holes (see the picture)? A very big toad! The toad had snuggled into the wet (and cool) soil during the heat. And leapt away just as I was about to take a picture. Impressively agile! Good thing that we always plant a few extra seeds, just in case.
Happy end of the school year! And happy Canada Day. There is lots to celebrate about our country, including that by working together we can make it even better.
