May 18, 2019 - Issue #409

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Modeled after the long-standing CA Spring Trials that are held annually in California during the spring, attendees will have the opportunity to visit breeder company trial sites throughout the state in the middle of August.

The mint family offers a tremendous diversity of refreshing scents and flavors for cooking, beverages, and potpourris. Bumblebees and other pollinators are attracted to the delicate flowers that appear in mid- to late summer. Some varieties sport variegated foliage for added interest in the herb garden.

Like apples, Asian pears ripen on the tree and have a crisp, firm texture. But like pears, they have juicy, white flesh and pear flavor and fragrance.

Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) is found throughout North America, usually in compacted places in lawns or in garden pathways. A tap-rooted perennial, plantain becomes dormant in winter, and new leaves appear in mid-spring.

Combine flowering plants and those with attractive foliage in window boxes to add color to decks, window sashes, and porch rails.

There are many species of grasshoppers in North America, and about 30 of these qualify as garden pests. They are most damaging in the center of the continent in a band extending from Minnesota and Montana in the

There are several species of oregano used in cooking, but the one we recommend for kitchen use is Origanum heracleoticum. If you haven't been impressed with the flavor of oregano you've purchased at the store, consider that commercially available dried oregano may contain any number of species of oregano, and even unrelated plants! Growing your own is the best way to find out which best suits your palate and compliments other ingredients.

These simple maintenance tasks keep your patio planters and window boxes looking their best throughout the growing season and help cold-climate gardeners prepare for winter.