Dear Helen: Every summer, as the tall, annual peony-flowered poppies finish flowering and form seedpods, the tall stems are felled and the pods eaten. I would like to have those seeds to save. I’m trying netting over some of the pods. Any other ideas?
P.C.
Could be rabbits. They chew even tough stems to topple plants, which they then eat. Setting up wire fencing around plants works, but it’s not convenient in all situations. The netting should be a deterrent. You could also try bagging the seed heads with pieces of old row cover, or with paper or organza bags. The seeds of these poppies (Papaver somniferum) are excellent in baking.
Dear Helen: In a recent column you mentioned making a pasta salad with summer vegetables. Do you have a recipe for the dressing to share? How do you put the salad together?
D.J.
I first cooked corkscrew type pasta, tossed it in a little oil and let it cool before adding the chopped vegetables and this creamy dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and honey to taste.
Carrots, sweet peppers, onion, cauliflower, broccoli, and zucchini all work well in these salads. Some prefer to lightly steam the cauliflower and broccoli, and green beans if they are being used, before adding them to the salad.
Dear Helen: Should I wait until the large pods on my fava beans dry out before gathering them to save for planting next year?
E.W.
Yes. Allow fava bean (broad bean) pods to dry and discolour on the plants. This can happen, unevenly, over several weeks. When the pods are crispy dry, remove them from the plants and spread them on a rack or newspaper in a warm, dry room to further dry for a few days. Then open the pods and remove the seeds.
Though it’s not strictly necessary, it’s a good idea to spread the seeds out for further short-term drying and for picking over to remove any broken or dubious looking ones. Store in a uniformly cool, dry place in a paper bag.
Dear Helen: Why does my compost heap give off an offensive, ammonia-like odour? I make sure it does not dry out by keeping it regularly watered.
S.W.
That particular odour emanating from compost is usually caused by an excess of nitrogen in the mass from an overload of high-nitrogen materials like young, soft, green weeds or plant parts, freshly mown grass and manure. These need to be balanced with dry, brown material like dried leaves and shredded newspaper.
The excess of nitrogen in a compost heap is released as ammonia, characterized by an “eau de horse barn” odour.
Nitrogen in the form of ammonia is wafted into the air also in alkaline conditions, which sometimes occur when alkaline elements like lime or wood ashes are added to a heap.
Another possible cause of a smelly heap is excess moisture, because wet conditions drive out oxygen, which aids decomposition. Decomposition without adequate oxygen is a malodourous process.
For the speediest possible decomposition and a heap that has a pleasantly “earthy” smell, chop or shred materials going into the heap, keep soft green (high-nitrogen) materials equal in amount to dry (high-carbon) materials, maintain an evenly modest level of moisture in the heap, and fluff it up occasionally to introduce fresh air.
GARDEN EVENTS
Arts & Music. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd., is hosting an Arts & Music n the Gardens festival on Saturday, Aug. 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will feature local artists and vendors, musicians, food trucks and children’s activities. The centre’s popular sunflower bouquets will be available and Master Gardeners will be on site to answer gardening questions from customers shopping in the plant sale area. Admission $12. hcp.ca.
Organic plant sale. The Victoria Compost Education Centre is holding a plant sale on Saturday, Aug. 10, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Haegert Park, 1202 Yukon St. Vendors will be selling organically grown plants, perfect for your over-wintering garden. The event will also feature music, and a parent and child gardening workshop.
Floral art. The Victoria Floral Artists Guild will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Garth Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Ave. The evening’s program will be an informative and entertaining demonstration of Lush Floral Design. Non-member drop-in fee $5. victoriafloralartists.ca.
