Spring Cautions
Spring is in full bloom and the temptation is to go all in on those plants you love that perform well. Have you ever noticed that sometimes in the garden, love for plants can go awry? There are a few types of plants that work so well in our desert gardens that we invest heavily in their existence and then can potentially live to regret it. Below are the pros and cons of having a few of the most popular in your garden so that you can make an educated decision on whether the pros outweigh the cons.
Mint – Spreading through a comprehensive root system, mint should be planted in containers, and even then, monitored to make sure they do not leave the raised bed or pot they were planted in. Mint can actually get up to three feet tall in ground, depending on it’s environment. The pro is that mint smells wonderful and is a deterrent for some pests, most notably white cabbage moths, ants, rodents, flea beetles, fleas, and aphids. It can be used to make teas, drinks or as an essential oil. The con is that mint will end up shading other plants that may need full sun, leaving the containment they were planted in or choking out the root system of neighboring plants if not controlled.
Morning Glory – morning glory flowers are beautiful and also take off in the heat of the desert, with an impressive display of various flower color alternatives. However, it is also known as bind weed for a good reason. The vine has an impressive way of attaching itself to other plants, trellises and fences. Pros are that the morning glory plant reseeds itself each spring from seeds dropped from the previous year along with being able to be used in medicinal teas. The cons are if not controlled, it will overtake all neighboring plants and choke out those that their tentacles are not removed from.
Dill – once planted, dill will forever be in your garden if it is allowed to go to seed. While this sounds like a pro, it may add work to your garden to pull the seedlings out of walkways and areas it was not intended to be planted in. Pros of dill are it repels aphids and spider mites. You can sprinkle the herb on vegetables, like squash, when you want to keep pests away or plant near them as companion plants.
Sunflowers – along with dill, sunflowers, if planted once and allowed to drop seed will forever be in your garden. As a pro, the foliage and flowers create shade for the hot temperatures of summer, the flowers are beautiful, and they attract beneficial pollinators. The cons are that they will require lots of weeding the next year if flowers are left to seed. Cut the flowers before they go to seed to enjoy a wonderful bouquet and keep the weeding for next year to a minimum. More than just the seeds are edible on a sunflower. The heads of sunflowers are edible when cooked.
June Events
Last year, we celebrated love, unity, and community with over 200 attendees, and this year we're making it even bigger!
Date: Wednesday, June 19th
Location: Ridgecrest Community Garden
Time: 10:00am-12:30pm
From interactive workshops and activities to amazing food, music, and incredible people, this is an event you won’t want to miss. Let’s come together again to honor freedom and heritage.
Please stay tuned as we will be posting workshops and activities to look out for. We have some exciting things planned. Let's continue to stand on the forefront of equity and inclusion.
Zen out, Ridgecrest… 😊