This hardy perennial is one of the best Liatris cultivars with its compact, upright clumping habit, producing a summer show of multiple flower stalks with terminal spikes (6-12 inches long) . Unlike most spike flowers, it starts flowering at the top and moves downward. It loves the sun and provides a great show for the garden! A great addition in your cutting garden or to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

ROSEMARY

Remember what Shakespeare said: “Rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” He was right in thinking that this piney scented herb is good for the memory.

Growing:

A native of the Mediterranean, rosemary is a tender perennial in our climate, and likes a sunny spot with good drainage and air circulation. It also likes sweet soil, so add a bit of powdered lime or crushed eggshells when you plant. Watering is crucial - rosemary can tolerate drought conditions much more than wet. Rosemary can stay outside until it reaches around 15 degrees. To winter over in the house, mist regularly and give a good 4 hours of sun a day.

Health benefits:

Rosemary has disinfectant and antibacterial qualities. It was a popular strewing herb in olden days to clean floors and sick rooms. Ingested in ordinary amounts, rosemary has anti-cancer properties and can help reduce stress.

Cooking:

Both fresh and dry rosemary are pungent. Rosemary goes well with lam, poultry, pork, grilled meats, veggies, beans, marinades, even pastries.

ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATOES

One of my favorite ways to serve potatoes freshly dug from the garden.

2 pounds new potatoes, peeled if desired and cut into quarters if necessary

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 425. Coat potatoes with oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle rosemary on and then toss to coat. Roast in single layer for 40-50 minutes, turning once.

Southwestern Layered Spread with Cilantro

Make this for Dad - even the little ones can help.  Layer this as indicated below or in any way you like. Sometimes I’ll put the sour cream layer on first, but it doesn’t matter. And you can use your favorite taco seasoning - you'll probably want spicy, Yardboy.

2 cups sour cream

1 pouch taco seasoning or bit more to taste

32 oz refried beans - 

16 oz jar salsa

Several green onions, sliced

1 large tomato, chopped

2 avocados, diced or prepared guacamole

8 oz shredded Mexican cheese (OK you can add more of this too)

2-4 oz sliced black olives 

Shredded lettuce

Cilantro to taste, chopped coarsely

Mix sour cream and taco seasoning. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

Heat beans and salsa until hot and easy to mix. Let cool. Spread bean mixture on large platter or in 9x13 pan. Spread sour cream/taco mixture over beans. Layer cheese, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and onions on top. Garnish with cilantro.

Over the past few years, a couple of poisonous weeds have invaded our natural areas as well as the landscapes.   

They’re wild parsnip and poison hemlock, and could be confused for each other, as they show up along roadsides, streams, pastures, edge of fields and woods, and even in our landscapes. 

Wild parsnip.  It’s a biennial, meaning foliage the first year, then foliage flowers and seeds the second.  Wild parsnip has leaves that alternate, pinnately compound, with sawtooth edges.  They grow 2-6 feet high, and support small, five petaled yellow flowers arranged in an umbel spanning 2-6 inches across.  Now although wild parsnip roots are edible (but do not eat them), it’s the plant juice that can cause “phyto-photo-dermatitis” when it gets on your skin and is exposed to the sunlight.  Your skin gets red with a rash that’s 20 times worse than poison ivy, and eventually turns brown in color which can last for several months. 



Poison hemlock...yes, the same poison used on Socrates!  Again, a biennial like parsnip, poison hemlock grows 4-10 feet tall, leaves are pinnately compound and fernlike, with white flowers that have five notched petals arranged in an umbel 2-3 inches across.  Very similar to Queen Anee’s lace, poison hemlock is distinguished by the purple spots and blotches along the stems.  All parts of the poison hemlock are toxic to humans and animals. 



Controls for these toxic weeds include handpulling before they go to seed (protect your skin), repeated mowings, or spraying with weed killers in the lawn or Roundup in open areas...and spray when they are smaller in size. Remember, the goal in stopping them is to get rid of them before they go to seed. 

Mr. Wilson,

Here is a picture of my cabbage. Can you believe how much it has grown in just 3 weeks. It seemed to have shot up overnight. Clearly something is eating away at some of my leaves, we have looked for eggs/bugs/etc but haven't seen anything quite yet. The tomato plant in the picture is the one that I got from the kid's area and it is growing pretty good. My Dad bought a cage so we can plant it in our raised garden bed whenever it is big enough. How big should I let it get before we put it in the garden? I am also growing a cotton plant that has something eating those leaves as well. I picked a lot of strawberries this weekend out of our garden. Any tips for helping my dad get rid of the roly poly's (potato bugs?) and millipede looking critters that were eating many of them. I'll send another picture in a couple of weeks. Thanks for the help.

Emily

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A blue-violet coloured Geranium named after the woman who discovered it growing at the bottom of her garden has been voted the Chelsea Flower Show’s Plant of the Centenary.

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