Harvesting Garlic Scapes

Who doesn't love garlic scapes--I use them like scallions (on everything from eggs to salads).
Here's another great How-To video from Umaine Cooperative Extension:

Bill's Favorite Native Plants: June

Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's nursery manager Bill Kennie has been working with the Falmouth Open Space committee to help eradicate invasive plants from the Maine landscape. Bill believes that it is very important to include native species in ornamental landscape gardens. Indeed, the more native plants a garden has the better--native plants are typically low maintenance, they provide food and shelter for wildlife and are visually in keeping with our native "wild" landscape.

 Vinurnum Plicatum:

There are many varieties of this plant, their sizes range from 4’-10’ high.  They all have beautiful clean white flowers that engulf the plant from May into early June.  Most bear fruit for the birds and have stunning foliage in the fall.  I have found these to be drought tolerant and take pruning very well.  Whether used as a specimen or a backdrop to the garden you can’t go wrong with one of these amazing plants!

 

Seed of the Month: Tenderette Green Bean

Tenderette Bush Green Bean

If you want to eat your own green beans all winter long—this is the bean for you!

Extraordinarily prolific, uniform in size and incredibly delicious!  Tenderette keeps its flavor and texture when frozen or canned making it a perfect green bean to put up for the winter.

Tenderette is a bush bean which means that it doesn’t require support and can be grown in containers.  So, if you’re short on space don’t think you’ll be short on delicious green beans!

Pressure Canning Green Beans: From Ball® (as in Ball Jars!) 

Definitely check out their web-site for great recipes and how to’s: www.freshpreserving.com

You will need:
2 lb green beans per quart
Water
Salt, optional
Glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE pressure canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) WASH and rinse beans thoroughly. Remove string, trim ends and break or cut freshly gathered beans into 2-inch pieces. Place prepared beans in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes.
3.) PACK hot beans into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Add 1 tsp salt to each quart jar, 1/2 tsp to each pint jar, if desired.
4.) LADLE boiling water over beans leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
5.) PROCESS filled jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Note: The processing time given applies only to young, tender pods. Beans that have almost reached the “shell-out" stage require a longer processing time. Increase processing time 15 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.

Father's Day  Nursery Special:

June 10th - June 15th

30% OFF 4' Conifers

Including: Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, Concolor Fir, Frasier Fir, Balsam Fir, White Pine, Austrian Pine.

June Garden Tips:

Geraniums at AS&L--a sure sign of summer time!

• As the summer heats up

• Keep your garden watered.

• Mulch vegetable gardens with straw or salt-marsh hay.

• Plants in containers dry out faster than plants in the ground—water appropriately (they may need to be watered daily).  All this watering can wash nutrients out of the soil so be sure to fertilize.

• For newly planted shrubs and trees, water weekly & deeply (hose on trickle for 20-45min depending on the size of the plant). Basically, you want the water to reach the bottom of the root ball. Do this REGARDLESS OF RAIN unless you’ve planted in heavy, clay soil.  If you have planted in heavy clay soil you have to use common sense judgment to keep from over watering the plant.

• Cut back and divide spring blooming bulbs.

• Deadhead annuals and perennials to get the most out of their blooms.