5 Tips for the Early Summer Garden

From one gardener to another

Winning Tip: Kneeler shoes

My granddaughter bought me a garden kneeler for Christmas . I did n’t think I needed one , but it has made planting and weeding easier on my knees while keep my garden pants cleaner . And I revalue the help have back up , since I move often . However , the ¾-inch tube used for the frame caused all of my weight to be focused on the two 12 - column inch sections form the feet . I was typically leave behind 1- to 2 - inch - mysterious tracks all over my lawn and garden . One daylight I was struck with an estimate : I could put shoes on those feet . I veer a 1×6 piece of baseball bat into two 12 - column inch objet d’art , mitered the recess , and have intercourse them to the feet using ½-inch pipe clinch . Now I leave behind no more than a pair of footprints .

— Scott Bradley , Kirkland , Washington

Plant-shopping help

I enjoy interpret about all the fun new plants from each issue ofFine horticulture , and I have feel a means to bring the information about them with me when I visit a garden centre . I take exposure of the relevant page , then keep those photos in a “ Plant Wishes ” pamphlet on my phone . It is quick to do , and the info is easy to retrieve . I am able to enlarge the photos to read them easy .

— Jean Shipley , Freeport , Illinois

Staking with metallic tubing

Each summer , when the colors and tallness of my plants are most apparent , I plan any changes I wish to make to my perennial mete . This preceding fall I decided to add eight dahlias , which require gravid staking . I also needed to know exactly where to constitute each tuber come up leaping . To solve the job , I purchase two 10 - foot lengths of ½-inch electrical metal tubing ( EMT ) from a local big box store for the very cheap cost of $ 4.30 each . ( EMT is easy cut with a hacksaw or tube carver into whatever lengths you need . ) Using a permanent marker , I wrote the name of the planned Dahlia pinnata for each location on a piece of the EMT before drive it into the priming coat . Because the tube is hollow , it fills with soil as it is driven , help to keep it firmly in place and vertical . These post are lasting , attractive , rusting trial impression , and more than strong enough to support a full - grow Dahlia pinnata .

— Martha MacDonald , Winchester , Massachusetts

From dead tree to wood bench

I live on a 2 - acre lot , and a good constituent of it has a number of large oak tree and pine tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . When one of them dies or fall , I endeavor to make the most of it by split up all the Ellen Price Wood into log for bonfires or making something useful out of the wood . From some of the larger trees — those 18 inches in diameter or more — I have create woodwind benches throughout the holding . I get down by cutting a 7 - animal foot incision of the tree ; from that , I edit off two 18 - inch logs and set them to the side . I stand up the now-4 - foot section on end and cut lengthwise through it . Each of these pieces will become a bench seat . To produce the legs , I split up the two 18 - inch log lengthwise . Returning to the bench seats , I cut a notch under the judiciary where the two leg will go . I endeavor to entrust as much bark on the tree diagram as possible for aesthetics . Then I bore two starter yap through the judiciary seat into each of the wooden leg and drive in 12 - inch spikes to hold back everything together . I have created six of these benches throughout my property . The dead Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree exist on !

— John Matthews , Raleigh , North Carolina

Carrot leaves in salad

I glean carrot leaves throughout the growing season . I do n’t ever throw them out ! They are a tasty summation to salads . The greens have a meek carrot flavor and can be taken from little or mature plant . If the plants are small , I only harvest a few of the tender leaf to avoid affecting etymon increase . The leaves from mature Daucus carota sativa are also untoughened but should be move out from the tough shank . Unharvested roots that might be too woody can be left in the grunge as a source of greens the same yr or the next leaping , as they will get down growing again after winter is over .

— Mary Crum , Holland , Pennsylvania

direct your tips to:[email protected ] , or mail them to Tips , Fine Gardening , 63 South Main Street , Newtown , CT 06470 .

From Fine Gardening # 199

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