In block a we grow on many perennials for later plantings in the other gardens we maintain. Here is a geranium.


We also have many colours of iris.

In the vegetable garden all the potatoes have been weeded and earthed-up at least once. The first sighting of Colorado Beetle was last Friday and on Saturday Kirsten combined weeding, dropping adult beetles in to a container of water, and squishing bright orange clutches of eggs, into one rainy operation. This afternoon, I spent two and a half hours going along about seventy feet of potatoes picking off adults and looking under every leaf for eggs. Now that the beetles are present and laying eggs, it is essential that the plants be cleaned on an almost daily basis. If larva hatch, it will be virtually impossible to prevent the plants from being defoliated. Anyone who is inclined to support the banning of pesticides is urged to come to the garden and to put in the time needed to prevent an infestation. We have about 250' of potato plants to inspect and keep pest free from now until harvest.

On Saturday planting of annuals began in the vee bed and the two oval beds in front of the main sign on Heart Lake Road. The lesson on drawing ellipses was put into practice to mark the outer rows of marigolds in the elliptical beds and the area calculations for ellipses also got used. Out of 16 flats of marigolds and salvias (about 770 plants) we had about half a dozen assorted plants left over. Brian, Ed, Louis and Rocio got about half the planting done on Sunday and Moeen completed the oval beds and watered on Monday. Margaret made some adjustments to the vee bed on Tuesday and the last nips and tucks were completed yesterday. In all it took twenty man-hours to lay-out, plant, and water the three beds.

Starting on Friday, Moeen has been planting dwarf single red dahlias as a front border in all the beds surrounding the main fairgrounds building. I don’t have a total count yet but it took fifty plants to edge just the bed under the classroom
window.

The last big planting of annuals is the bed at the corer of Heart Lake Road and Old School Road. There are several hundred pelargoniums to be planted and I’m hoping for enough volunteers to get the job done this weekend.

With all focus on planting the annuals, other activities - weeding and mowing especially - have got left behind so please try to get out this weekend and help stem the flood of insect and vegetable pests. As usual, I am available tomorrow
(Friday) am and pm and Saturday and Sunday 2 - 4 pm. If you can make a couple of hours please email reply or phone.