Joppatowne Garden Club

06/14/2026

06/14/2026

DID YOU KOW...?

Peas are a nitrogen fixer. They make an attractive and delicious ground cover for your vegetable garden, and they help replenish nitrogen in your soil, benefiting everything you plant. You can harvest the entire plant for use in your salads. Pea shoots also make a delicious summer soup - puree them in your blender and season to taste. If you let them grow to maturity, they produce a lovely delicate flower that brightens up any space. And fresh pea pods are a wonderful gardener's treat that you can eat right off the vine.

06/13/2026

Read about the barbecue trick and 20 other uses here 👇 https://www.ruralsprout.com/rosemary-uses/ https://www.ruralsprout.com/rosemary-uses/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=PIB2GEG

Exuding that telltale sweet piny fragrance, rosemary is an easy plant to grow that demands very little from the home gardener. And because a single plant can grow at least four feet tall and wide,

06/09/2026

🪻Flower Gardening Tips - Beginners 💐

1. Assess your garden's light
-Before buying any plants, spend a day observing your yard to see how much direct sunlight different areas receive. Most vibrant flowers require plenty of sun

2. Choose the Right Plants
-If you are completely new, focus on resilient annuals and perennials that do not require specialized care such as Marigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos, Sunflowers, Black-eyed Susan, Coneflowers and Daylillies

3. Prep your soil
-The foundation of a great garden is healthy soil. Clear the space of any weeds, then use a garden fork to loosen compacted soil. Mix in a generous layer of organic matter, such as high-quality compost, to add natural nutrients and improve drainage.

4. Planting & Spacing
-Always follow the spacing recommendations on your plant tag or seed packet. Overcrowding plants blocks airflow and invites disease. A good rule of thumb is to place taller, larger flowers in the back and shorter varieties in the front so every plant gets adequate sunlight

5. Watering & Mulching
-New plants need frequent watering while they establish their roots. Aim for moist (not soggy) soil. After planting, apply a 2-inch layer of organic mulch (like bark or compost) around the base of your plants. This helps retain moisture, regulates soil temperature, and suppresses weeds.

06/08/2026

Ways to use your excess Basil

-Basil Salt

-Pesto

-Basil Garlic Butter

-Green Goddess Dressing

-Caprese Salad

-Strawberry Basil Lemonade

-Basil Infused Oil

06/05/2026

DID YOU KNOW...?

Squash flowers are edible! When your squashes start to flower, the tender pods can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Lightly sauteed, they make a delicious addition to garden and dinner salads or as a garnish to your summer meal. In parts of Italy - where they have truly made this New World food their own - they are battered and fried and sold as street food. This is such a wonderful early summer treat, be sure to leave some on the vine to mature so you can enjoy zucchini and calabacita as the summer heats up.

06/04/2026

A single tree frog or American toad sheltering near your vegetable bed eats several hundred insects per night through the growing season. This setup costs about $5 in materials and takes 15 minutes to build. 🌿

A frog hotel is a terracotta pot filled with rocks, a small amount of standing water, and several short PVC pipe sections standing upright. Frogs climb in during the day for shade and humidity, then emerge at dusk to hunt. In the photos, green tree frogs are using exactly this setup — looking up from inside the tubes is one of those genuinely satisfying garden discoveries.

What you need: a wide terracotta pot (10–12 inches across), small smooth river rocks, enough water to cover the bottom inch of the pot, four to six sections of 1.5 to 2 inch diameter PVC pipe cut to 6–8 inch lengths, and optionally a small shade plant or a piece of burlap to reduce direct sun on the pot.

Building it: place rocks in the bottom of the pot to create a stable base. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the rocks — a shallow puddle, not a pond. Stand the PVC tubes upright on the rocks, slightly angled or at different heights so frogs can choose depth and position. Place in a shaded spot against a garden wall, under a shrub, or tucked between raised beds. The key is location: full sun dries it out too fast and frogs won't use it.

Maintenance: refill the water every 3–4 days during dry weather. Rinse the pot monthly. In cold climates, bring it inside or empty it before hard frost — most tree frogs overwinter under bark and leaf litter naturally.

What it attracts: American green tree frogs, Pacific tree frogs, spring peepers, and American toads all use shelters like this in different regions of the US. Each one hunts a different mix of garden pests. 🐸