Latest news with #Delphinium
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
The seeds to sow in your garden now to have it blooming all through summer
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHEN the Scottish weather allows it, June is a great month to spend as much time as possible outdoors. Gardens will be coming to life with bursts of growth and flowering throughout the month. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Mature woman planting lavender in the garden 2 Watering plants in the garden And with everything growing so quickly, it's important to keep on top of the essential gardening jobs. Gardening expert Nigel Lawton has shared his handy gardening guide for June - including what seeds to sow right now to make your garden a riot of colour as the summer progresses. While your plants are growing with the light and warmth of summer, weeds may also sprout in the heat. Dobbies' Plant Buyer Nigel explains that hoeing weeds regularly during the dry weather is the best way to keep on top of them. He adds: 'Using weed killer such as Resolva ready-to-use 24 hour weedkiller in some areas is an effective way to combat this, and applying a thick layer of mulch over the soil surface helps prevent more weeds growing. 'Protecting your plants from hot and dry weather is important at this time of year. Watering plants regularly when the weather is dry and warm, and mulching plants with organic matter to lock in moisture and improve soil quality over time, is a great way to protect plants. 'Don't forget to water pots and containers too, and every few weeks add a liquid feed, such as Wesland Boost all purpose liquid plant feed, to containers and hanging baskets, to help produce up to four times more flowers. 'Protect herbaceous plants, such as Delphinium and Hosta, from slug damage using pest control repellents, and protect strawberry plants from hungry birds." Although June is a great time to sow seeds and plant young plants due to the warmer soil and high temperatures, Nigel explains that the heat may also dry the soil out. He emphasises the importance of watering your plants as often as needed during long, hot spells. Grow your groceries - how to grow tomatoes from tomatoes! Nigel's top picks for the best flower seeds to sow in June include; pansies, violas, primroses, calendula, godetia, lupins, delphiniums, and the last chance to sow coreopsisa. For fruit and veg, June is a good time to grow salad crops. Nigel's selects include beetroot, lettuce, pak choi and radish. Peas, sweetcorn, cucumbers, squash, marrows, courgettes, turnips, and broccoli are all good to plant while it's the last chance to grow pumpkins. Many flowers in your garden will be full of growth and colour in June but it is still the perfect time to fill other areas that you can admire for the rest of the summer. Dobbies' plant of the month is a rose, as the rose season is just beginning. June is a great time to pick new varieties to add to planters and borders for summer displays. Nigel's top picks for bedding and border flowers also include dahlia, cosmos and nicotiana for their fast growing during the high summer. He adds: "Fuchsias are ideal to plant this month as they bloom throughout summer to the early frosts, and for a pop of colour begonias, marigolds, and nasturtiums are also a good choice. "To add volume to borders, plant shrubs like lavender, rhododendron or even herbs. "In the pots and containers bringing colour to your walls and doorways, some good choices would be begonias, petunias, and dianthus. For more permanent containers, consider planting Japanese acers, hydrangeas, or cordyline for an eye-catching look. "Prune spring flowering shrubs when flowers have faded and early season herbaceous plants, such as geranium and Oriental poppies, can be cut back after flowering to encourage re-growth of new foliage. When it comes to lawn care, Nigel recommends regular mowing, at least once a week and says this is best if the weather is dry and not too hot to get the perfectly manicured lawn. He says: "Reduce the cutting height of your mower now that the grass is growing quicker. During heatwaves, it's best not to mow your lawn as it will already be struggling in the hot, dry weather. "If you have to mow your lawn in hot weather, raise the height of your mower blades and water your grass after mowing." It is also important to consider the wildlife in these warmer months. Nigel explains that bird baths make a nice feature in any garden and also create a safe habitat for birds as a source of water and place to cool off in summer heat.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
The seeds to sow in your garden now to have it blooming all through summer
WHEN the Scottish weather allows it, June is a great month to spend as much time as possible outdoors. Gardens will be coming to life with bursts of growth and flowering throughout the month. Advertisement 2 Mature woman planting lavender in the garden 2 Watering plants in the garden And with everything growing so quickly, it's important to keep on top of the essential gardening jobs . Gardening expert Nigel Lawton has shared his handy gardening guide for June - including what seeds to sow right now to make your garden a riot of colour as the summer progresses. While your plants are growing with the light and warmth of summer, weeds may also sprout in the heat. Dobbies' Plant Buyer Nigel explains that hoeing weeds regularly during the dry weather is the best way to keep on top of them. Advertisement He adds: 'Using weed killer such as Resolva ready-to-use 24 hour weedkiller in some areas is an effective way to combat this, and applying a thick layer of mulch over the soil surface helps prevent more weeds growing. 'Protecting your plants from hot and dry weather is important at this time of year. Watering plants regularly when the weather is dry and warm, and mulching plants with organic matter to lock in moisture and improve soil quality over time, is a great way to protect plants. 'Don't forget to water pots and containers too, and every few weeks add a liquid feed, such as Wesland Boost all purpose liquid plant feed, to containers and hanging baskets, to help produce up to four times more flowers. 'Protect herbaceous plants, such as Delphinium and Hosta, from slug damage using pest control repellents, and protect strawberry plants from hungry birds ." Advertisement Most read in Fabulous Although June is a great time to sow seeds and plant young plants due to the warmer soil and high temperatures, Nigel explains that the heat may also dry the soil out. He emphasises the importance of watering your plants as often as needed during long, hot spells. Grow your groceries - how to grow tomatoes from tomatoes! Nigel's top picks for the best flower seeds to sow in June include; pansies, violas, primroses, calendula, godetia, lupins, delphiniums, and the last chance to sow coreopsisa. For fruit and veg, June is a good time to grow salad crops. Nigel's selects include beetroot, lettuce, pak choi and radish. Advertisement Peas, sweetcorn, cucumbers, squash, marrows, courgettes, turnips, and broccoli are all good to plant while it's the last chance to grow pumpkins. Many flowers in your garden will be full of growth and colour in June but it is still the perfect time to fill other areas that you can admire for the rest of the summer. Dobbies' plant of the month is a rose, as the rose season is just beginning. June is a great time to pick new varieties to add to planters and borders for summer displays. Advertisement Nigel's top picks for bedding and border flowers also include dahlia, cosmos and nicotiana for their fast growing during the high summer. He adds: "Fuchsias are ideal to plant this month as they bloom throughout summer to the early frosts, and for a pop of colour begonias, marigolds, and nasturtiums are also a good choice. "To add volume to borders, plant shrubs like lavender, rhododendron or even herbs. "In the pots and containers bringing colour to your walls and doorways, some good choices would be begonias, petunias, and dianthus. For more permanent containers, consider planting Japanese acers, hydrangeas, or cordyline for an eye-catching look. Advertisement "Prune spring flowering shrubs when flowers have faded and early season herbaceous plants, such as geranium and Oriental poppies, can be cut back after flowering to encourage re-growth of new foliage. When it comes to lawn care, Nigel recommends regular mowing, at least once a week and says this is best if the weather is dry and not too hot to get the perfectly manicured lawn. He says: "Reduce the cutting height of your mower now that the grass is growing quicker. During heatwaves, it's best not to mow your lawn as it will already be struggling in the hot, dry weather. Read more on the Irish Sun "If you have to mow your lawn in hot weather, raise the height of your mower blades and water your grass after mowing." Advertisement It is also important to consider the wildlife in these warmer months. Nigel explains that bird baths make a nice feature in any garden and also create a safe habitat for birds as a source of water and place to cool off in summer heat.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Time of India
Valley of Flowers reopens for visitors, 83 trek to national park on 1st day
Dehradun: The Valley of Flowers National Park, a Unesco World Heritage site in the Garhwal Himalayas, reopened for tourists on Sunday. Each year, the alpine valley located over 9,000 ft above sea level in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district opens to the public on June 1 and closes around Oct 31 for winter. On the first day of the season this year, 83 visitors trekked to the valley, four of whom had registered online. Declared a national park in 1982, the Valley of Flowers is home to more than 600 plant species, including Uttarakhand's state flower, Brahma Kamal (Saussurea obvallata), along with Aster, Delphinium, Himalayan Blue Poppy, Ranunculus, Potentilla, Primula, and Lilium. Rich in biodiversity, the 87.5 sq km valley also houses endangered animal species such as snow leopards, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, Bharal (blue sheep), and red foxes. The valley was accidentally discovered in 1931 by British mountaineer and botanist Frank S Smythe when he lost his way while returning from an expedition to Mount Kamet. After it was damaged in the 2013 floods, the 4 to 10 km trek route from Ghangaria to the valley has remained in poor condition. DS Negi, a retired range officer, told TOI, "Since 2013, trekkers have been unable to go beyond 4 to 5 km due to the poor condition of the route, whereas earlier, they could venture more than 10 km into the valley." He added that landslides have always been a big challenge for the tourists coming to the valley and that the issues are yet to be resolved "despite multiple proposals sent to the govt". Forest range officer Chetna Kandpal also acknowledged that the trek is challenging , especially a 2 km stretch which runs over rocky terrain. "Temporary bridges have been constructed over streams, and paths damaged by snowfall have been repaired. This year, an online registration system has also been introduced for visitors," Kandpal said.
San Francisco Chronicle
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
A new sparkling wine captures the California coast
When Courtney Humiston set out to create a sparkling wine label, she didn't quite know how to describe her vision. Unlike many California wine producers, she was not trying to emulate the rich, long-aged style of Champagne. But she was certainly not making a fizzy, lighthearted pet-nat either. What Humiston had in mind was a wine that was bright and fruity but still had the precise bubbles of the Champagne method. Then she realized that there was a French model for the style she hoped to produce: crémant, French wines that are made in the Champagne method but not in the Champagne region. 'California crémant' is how she now refers to her project, Delphinium Wine Co., named for an endangered species of larkspur flower native to Sonoma and Marin counties. Crémant wines incorporate the signature grapes of their places of origin: Instead of defaulting to Champagne's typical roster of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a Crémant de Loire might be made from Loire Valley standbys like Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. The category encompasses a range of styles, but broadly speaking, crémant tends to taste less toasty and complex than Champagne, largely due to the fact that it spends less time aging on its lees — the dead yeast cells that, over time, impart those nutty, brioche-like notes that Champagne has become known for. Whereas Champagne must by law age on its lees for at least a year — and vintage Champagnes for at least three years — the minimum aging time for crémant is nine months. 'I wanted methode Champenoise, disgorged, but more following the laws of Crémant de Loire,' Humiston said. 'Shorter time on lees, more freshness.' Humiston has a long career in Bay Area wine. She's the former wine director at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg and Petit Crenn and Maybeck's in San Francisco; until last year, she was the director of hospitality for Healdsburg's Idlewild Wines. She is also a writer, a onetime wine columnist for 7x7, and as of this month a critic for where she will review wines from Sonoma County, Mendocino County, Oregon and Washington. The drive to start Delphinium came during the pandemic, when she was living in the coastal Sonoma County town of Jenner and had a moment to take a break from 'the constant grind of restaurants,' she said. 'It was pretty draining, and I felt like I kind of lost myself after years of running other people's projects.' She could already taste the wine she wanted to make. She wanted to capture the flavors and aromas that she experienced while sitting on her porch in Jenner: salty sea air, tiny spring wildflowers, heady lupine. Now she just needed to find grapes that could do that. 'I was almost manifesting terroir,' Humiston said. Starting with the 2021 vintage, she experimented with a range of different grape varieties and vineyards, everything from Riesling to Tocai Friulano. It wasn't until last year that she felt like she actually got it right. The current Delphinium blend, which Humiston produces at Brick & Mortar Wines in Healdsburg, is 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Chardonnay, both from Mendocino County vineyards. The Sauvignon Blanc is the musque clone, an increasingly rare planting in California that is extra-aromatic. It tends to smell more tropical, and less grassy and citrusy, than the prototypical Sauvignon Blanc. The wine spent 10 months on the lees. Despite the fact that it is bone-dry — there's no dosage, a sugary solution added to most Champagne-method wines — the 2023 Delphinium ($45, 12.8%) has a sweetly fruity side to it, reminiscent of candied grapefruit. It's crisp, with bubbles that taste creamier and softer than what you'd expect from Champagne. I can't say I've ever had the pleasure of inhaling a delphinium flower, but the wine does smell resoundingly floral. Humiston is ramping up. She made 1,500 cases of Delphinium in 2024, a big hike from the 500 cases she'd made the year before. She's trying to grow her presence by hosting special, intensive events, like an early-morning seaweed foraging lesson at the Sea Ranch Lodge and an excursion to the Rancho Meladuco date farm in the Coachella Valley. 'Something that I learned during COVID living in Jenner was just how to live with all your senses engaged,' said Humiston. 'That's why Delphinium exists.'
