June in the Garden

sunflower seeds, three different types, and planted them all over my yard. Not a one came up. Then, one day, I noticed a seedling in the bed in front of my porch. I started to pull it up, but realized it was not a weed but a sunflower. I had not planted any seeds in this particular spot. That little seedling grew like crazy, every day gaining six to twelve inches. Its trunk got fatter and fatter. All the teens marveled at this amazing spectacle. Soon, the plant reached as high as the roof. One day, my son and I debated as to how tall it actually was. Getting out the measuring tape, we logged it in at 9 � feet tall! The head on it got bigger and rounder, waving in the wind high up in the sky. You could see the bright, cheerful yellow blossom from the corner down the road, where it peeked through a gap between two trees in my neighbor's yard. Other neighbors came by and commented on its huge size and the fact that you could see it from afar. Currently, the head has gotten so heavy the stalk is bending over, as it cannot support the bloom in an upright position. I definitely will keep some of these seeds for next year!

I promised I'd talk about mulches and compost this month. Compost is one of the most valuable soil additions the home gardener can have. Easy to make and use, a good compost pile will not emit horrible odors or attract bugs and other pests. Compost can be made in bins, piles and trenches. Grass, cuttings, small twigs, and leaves are the "dough" of the pile. Kitchen scraps such as coffee grounds, vegetable peelings and other general garbage from the kitchen, excluding bones, meat fat and meat scraps are the "seasonings" that can be added. Add a few shovels of sand or dirt, wet down and you are on your way to composting. Dried manure, (chicken, cow or horse), can be added, also, as can earthworms to speed the decomposition. If we do not have rain, you will need to wet down the mixture to aid the process. Occasionally turn the pile, either with a pitchfork or a shovel. It helps to keep the center of the pile a depression to help trap any rain or water. As the mixture breaks down, you can dig out the soil from the bottom and use it. Just keep adding more material to the top of the pile.

Mulch is a layer of material that is placed on the soil's surface to conserve moisture, hold back weeds, improve soil fertility and keep roots cool in the heat. Compost can be used as mulch. Other materials used are wood chips, stones and pebbles and pine straw. Wood chips will not draw termites. However, if you choose wood chips. I ask you not to purchase cypress chips. Next month I will explain why cypress is not a good material and why you should not use it.

I hope you are reaping the rewards of your vegetable gardens now. I have gotten one tomato thus far, with two more just about ready to be picked. My Thai pepper plants have thousands of fruits on them, many already drying and dropping. If you need or want some of these extremely hot peppers, please contact me and I will be glad to share them with you. 'Till next month, happy gardening and may all your weeds be wildflowers!