May 2024 | A Note from Bridge Gardens
May 14, 2024
By Rick Bogusch
May is when it all begins in earnest in the gardening world.
Beets and carrots can be planted early in the month, followed by summer crops like squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. You might also try your first row of green beans. ‘Provider’ is a good variety for planting when soil is still cool. We’re trying a new (for us) variety of French filet bean called ‘Maxibel,’ which has replaced our long-time favorite, ‘Masai,’ in seed catalogs.
Leeks are also a good crop to start now, as many require months of growing before harvest. For several years, we’ve been planting a variety called ‘Lincoln,’ because it can be harvested initially as scallions, then as baby leeks and finally as mature leeks at the end of summer. Traditionally, leek seeds or seedlings are planted at the bottom of a 6-inch trench, which is gradually filled during the season with a mix of compost and soil. This method increases the length of the useable white part of the leek and boosts your harvest.
It's still early in the Herb Garden, but it won’t be long before woad, valerian, poppies and foxgloves begin their spring display and seedlings of basil and epazote get troweled in for summer. Look for summer snowflakes and flowering onions in the borders here and trust that all the fertilizing, pruning and spraying in the Rose Garden yields a spectacular display in June.As always, there’s much to see and much to do at Bridge Gardens. I hope to see you soon.~~ Rick
Rick Bogusch
Garden Director, Bridge Gardens
rbogusch@peconiclandtrust.org