My Sweetpea always said that we never stop learning, and that is very true for gardeners. If we get a rainy day, or you just need a break from your yard work, I'm going to tell you about a film called "Smarty Plants". It's a great little film that has a lot of information about how plants grow: you'd be surprised at how much is involved! The film is available through the Yorkton Film Festival: they will lend it to you, free, just like a library book, and when you're done just return it to their office on Smith Street. You'll enjoy this very entertaining and educational film.
And while we're learning new things, I'd like to remind you that the University of Saskatchewan's GardenLine is up and running! GardenLine is a free service offered through the University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources. If you have any questions about how to control pesky garden pests, or you would like to know about some good choices of trees or shrubs for your yard, GardenLine can help! For information or advice call 306-966-5865. (The advice is free, but you will have to pay the long-distance charges.) Or, questions can also be emailed to [email protected]. What a great idea!
I have been gardening for my entire life, and I am eternally grateful to my wonderful parents who made gardening a family project that we could share and enjoy together. I'm sure it must have been trying and time-consuming to have a toddler charging through the garden trying to "help", but we were always out there together. Some of my most cherished memories in my life are of family time in the garden. I probably told you how I had my own little patch, and one of the first things I grew was cress.
Now there's a strange choice, right? Not really! I loved cress because it grew prolifically without fail. My Mom, in her wonderful wisdom, knew that it was a plant that would not disappoint an eager little gardener. Cress belongs to the mustard family. The small, curly leaves pack a lot of peppery punch. You can start snipping the shoots just a couple weeks after you plant the seeds. Cress likes to be sown in cooler temperatures (and this year, it still is likely not too late!). It does not like a sunny or dry location: look for a shady area with damp soil, or plant it in a pot and keep it moist and in the shade. While we have to be careful not to plant thickly with most of our plants, cress doesn't mind cozying up. To keep a continuous crop going, sow a new row or container every few days. Snipping it will keep more coming, but once the weather turns very hot, the plants may become too peppery to use. Just like radishes!
When it comes up, and when it's about two inches tall, you can begin snipping it and sprinkling it in salads or sandwiches. And my goodness, it tastes so good, even if you just add a few little leaves to a hard-boiled egg! I still remember, as a child, carefully pinching the first few little stems and proudly bringing them in to the house for Mom to use as she prepared Daddy's lunch. What excitement! Again, I thank my parents in my heart for always making those small little garden achievements an important family highlight! It was their encouragement that made gardening a life-long joy for me, one that still brings such pleasure and satisfaction. How I miss gardening with them: my two best teachers, my two precious friends. But what a gift they gave to me.
So let's come back from memory lane and return to cress again! If you see the seeds anywhere, give it a try! It's an easy-to-grow plant that you will be able to use many ways.
The next meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society will be Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m. This is a pot-luck supper, with meeting to follow, but it is for members only and significant other. If you have any questions, please call Liz at 782-2830.
Till next time, happy gardening, and be sure to wear a hat!
