another year, another visit to the Lieutenant Governor's garden

Canada 150 tulips at the PEI Lieutenant Governor's garden.

In June, Larry Hughes, the head gardener of the grounds of the PEI Lieutenant Governor, was kind enough to show me and my gardening class around the place again this year.  And what a magnificent place it is!

First of all, the grass:  thick, almost no dandelions or other weeds, and he uses no pesticides.  His secret?  Aerating every few years, applying the right amount of the right fertilizer (high first number for nitrogen) and cutting no shorter than 3.5 inches, which shades out the weeds and allows the grass roots to go deep.

Beautifully manicured boxwood hedges frame roses and other perennial plantings.

Larry crafted this greenhouse with a wooden frame and PVC pipe curved to form a dome that supports plastic sheeting. The plants are easy to access - just tip it up.







The greenhouse holds a surprising number of tomato, squash, pepper, and other frost-sensitive plants until the weather warms.

Hundreds of annuals are waiting for warmer weather to find their place in the many ornamental beds around the grounds.

A native North American weed, pale jewelweed (Impatiens pallida nutt.), has completely taken over the shady forest floor. This seems to be everywhere this year.  The stems are very easy to pull out, but with thousands crowding the area, it's a lost cause.