It’s June and Sunday, June 17th is Father’s Day. There are so many ways to honour our fathers – take them out for breakfast, join them in one of their favourite activities (golf or perhaps just going for a walk), and of course … help them in the garden. So this month, we’ve dedicated our newsletter to ideas to help Dad enjoy his garden.

Long-time Dig This customers know we have a 2-for-1 tool sale every year, and you’ve been asking us when it was going to start. It’s on right now, just in time to make it a bit easier to buy Dad that great new gardening tool he’s been longing for. Until June 17th, buy any tool and get the second tool of equal or lesser value at 50% off.

Have you ever noticed how fascinated many men are with the weather?  They are always needing to measure it and record it, and love all sorts of gauges and instruments.  We have some handsome, durable solid brass thermometers with large, easy-to-read dials. These quality, USA-made thermometers start out with a clean, brass finish that will acquire a nice patina with age.  Another great idea is a rain gauge to tell Dad exactly how much rain fell last night.

As we said, men like gadgets. If deer or raccoons plague Dad's garden, check out this locally made product. The Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler protects your yard, fruit trees, vegetables, flowers and water features from hungry or destructive animal intruders with a short but startling burst of water. The sudden noise, movement and spray scares animals away, teaching them to avoid the area in future. It works day and night without chemicals or unsightly barriers on just a single nine-volt battery. Best of all, it is very water efficient – it only uses 2-3 cups of water per deterrence.

After years of requests, the people who designed the popular Garden Bandit hand weeder have come up with a long-handled version that you can use while standing. The Telesco Weeder has a rust-proof stainless steel blade slips easily through the soil without damaging foliage or tender feeder roots. The handle telescopes from 35” to 61” (89 cm-155 cm). It's also great for working fertilizer into the ground around plants. Dig This staff love the short-handled Garden Bandit, but those of us who've tried the Telesco Weeder are very impressed.   Made in Canada.

Most serious gardeners will tell you that their pruner is the most important tool in their tool kit.  Getting the right pruner is really important - otherwise pruning is just a lot of hard work.

When shopping for pruners, pick a pruner that feels comfortable in your hand. The “right” pruner for you is the one that feels good.  Take them out of the package and try them out.  Most stores will have twigs you can cut to see how the pruner feels in your hands.

Cheap pruners aren’t made to be used a lot.  Nor do they last for long time.  Count on replacing them every year.  If you are an avid gardener, invest in a good quality pair of pruners, like Felco or Fiskars or Bahco.  You hands will thank you.

As a rule, don’t use pruners to cut wood thicker than your finger. Use a lopper or saw for the larger jobs.

Confused about bypass pruners versus anvil pruners?  Bypass pruners are the best for pruning live wood. Anvil pruners crush the stems and so are best for dead wood pruning.

Dig This staff swear by Felco pruners.  Once you make your first cut with a pair of Felco's, you’ll know why Felco pruners are the standard by which all others are measured. There are many different models to suit different hand sizes and gardening needs, including left-handed models and several ergonomic designs.

Elizabeth has had her Felco #2 pruners for almost 30 years.  Despite leaving them out in the rain and at the bottom of the compost bucket, they clean up beautifully and keep on giving great service.

Maureen at our Broadmead store likes Felco pruners so much she has three pair … a #2, #20 and #21.

If you are cutting branches more than one inch diameter, you need a different tool.  Our favourite for larger branches is a Fiskar mini-lopper.  These loppers are light-weight and small enough to fit into your gardening bag, yet large enough to prune 1¼" stems. Fiskars' unique power gear action makes the cutting movement easy and smooth, providing extra leverage and power, reducing arm and back fatique.  Cutting even larger branches?  Let us show you our excellent selection of loppers, saws and pole pruners.

Susan, from our Broadmead store, recently bought her Dad a kneeler/bench, but guess who enjoys it the most?  Susan!   She says she likes the secure, stable handles to help her get back up after a spell of weeding on her knees.  And then, there is the enjoyment of turning it over and sitting on it to admire all the hard work she's just done.

All work and no play make for a dull existence.  So after toiling in the garden, we like to kick back, have a cold drink and admire the beauty we've created.  Dad would love one of our Adirondack chairs made from Vancouver-Island cedar. Or how about an all-weather “wicker” glider bench for two?

Ah, June!  Everything is in bloom, the gardens look lush, but dig down a little and you'll find dry soil.  Don't forget to keep plants well-watered until they are established.  If you live in the CRD, check out the watering regulations at http://www.crd.bc.ca/water/conservation/outdoorwateruse/bylaw.htm.

June is the month for roses, and with roses unfortunately comes black spot and powdery mildew.  Remove and put into the garbage (not the compost) all diseased leaves and then spray with 1 tsp. baking soda and 1 tsp soap flakes mixed in one litre of water.  Make sure you spray the underside of the leaves too for best results.

Keep deadheading spent blooms and sheer back oriental poppies, hardy geraniums, centura montana, alchemilla, euphorbias that have finished blooming.

Prune back the long, wispy stems of wisteria, leaving about 5 buds on each lateral stem.

Feed tomatoes, peppers and eggplants with liquid seaweed.

Continue sowing beans, corn, squash, carrots, peas, spinach, lettuce and greens, and beets.

Remove the seedheads of hard-neck garlic so the plant will put all of its energy into the bulb. These tender tops make great additions to stir fries!

Although it's hard to think of winter now that the warm weather has finally arrived, start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale for winter harvesting.

Dig This Nanaimo will be hosting a sprouting workshop on June 20th at 7 p.m. At this workshop we will be demonstrating different ways to grow sprouts. We will be tasting a variety of sprouts in recipes and on their own. We will discuss the different health benefits of eating sprouts, exchange ideas and send you home with some sprouts to try at home. Cost $10.  Space is limited so please call 250 756 0049 to register in advance.

The Teeny Tiny Garden Tour for Victoria Hospice June 24th. Tickets $20 at all Dig This Victoria locations.

Gabriola Home & Garden Tour. Sunday, June 24th. Self guided tour of island homes and gardens from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets ($20) available at Dig This in Nanaimo after June 1st. For more information contact Diana at 250-247-9092 or dmumford@shaw.ca.  All proceeds from the tour go to People for a Healthy Community on Gabriola Society which operates community support programs including the Gabriola Food Depot, Rainbows for Children, Women's Drop In, Christmas Bureau.

Denman Island Garden Tour.  Saturday, June 16th and Sunday, June 17th. 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.  Tickets $15.  A nice way to spend an afternoon with Dad.

With the longer daylight hours and warm weather, we're all spending as much time outdoors as we can.  Don't forget to wear a good hat, and apply sunscreen regularly! 

Next month watch for tips on efficient watering, art in the garden, and more tool reviews.

The Dig This Team