5 things to do in the garden this week:
Fruit. If you grow blueberries, which are beginning to ripen now, you probably know that they need to be eaten soon after picking or will quickly rot. There is, however, a remedy to this problem. Freeze them after picking, and they will store for up to a year or more, although their flavor and nutrient value will best be appreciated during the first six months of storage. They only require around 10 minutes to thaw when placed in a bowl of cold water.
Vegetables. According to gardening guru Greg Alder (gregalder.com), April is for planting the following crops from seedlings: basil, beans, beets, corn, cucumber, melons, pumpkins, squash and tomatoes. Corn and cucurbits (cucumber, squash, melon, pumpkin), however, may still be planted from seed since their seedlings do not transplant well. You can also try planting luffa (Luffa spp.), a cucumber relative. When luffa fruits are young, they are edible. As they mature, they dry and, when you hear seeds rattling inside, they are suitable to be picked for use as sponges. Make sure to construct a sturdy trellis adjacent to your luffa planting since plants produce stout stems that want to climb.
Herbs. African blue basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum x basilicum var. Dark Opal) is the most ornamental of all herbs with pink or purple flowers against a background of dark foliage. It grows equally well in sun or light shade and requires a bare minimum of water. It is a perennial and will grace your garden for several years at least. You can use it to make pesto, to sprinkle over roasted potatoes and to flavor drinks and salads. It is more pungent than conventional basil so less is needed to make its flavorful presence felt. This is a large plant, growing up to five feet tall. When in full bloom, it becomes the most spectacular species in your garden. Due to its sterility, it displays long waves of blooms since there are no seeds to take away resources devoted to flower production. African blue basil propagates readily from 4-6 inch shoot tip cuttings.
Flowers. Six months ago, I wrote about Sicilian marigold (Calendula stellata), blooming unexpectedly in my garden since I had not planted it. Well, six months later, it is still blooming prolifically with starry gold and orange daisies. The seed from which my plant grew must have been in the soil of something else I planted, or else it was transported to my garden by a bird or squirrel who excreted it. In any case, it has yielded an enormous crop of seeds on its dried-up flowers, which I will plant in bare spaces between my fruit trees. You can find packets of Sicilian marigold seeds online and take satisfaction in planting them since this species is endangered in its habitat of northwestern Africa and the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Malta.
Lilacs (Syringa spp.) may still be in bloom and you want to consider cutting their opulent flowers and placing them in vases to waft fragrance through your indoor spaces. Once flowering is over, prune back your lilac bushes to keep them symmetrical. All this assumes that you are growing lilacs but, if not, you could plant them now. Select cultivars that bloom where winters are warm, namely California Rose, Lavender Lady, Blue Skies, Angel White, and Beach Party.