We'd like to wish everyone a very happy Father's Day!

About Father's Day

The driving force behind the establishment of the celebration of Father's Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd. Her father, William Smart, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. He was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself.

Mrs. Dodd was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, the anniversary of her father's death, she did not give the organizers enough time to make arrangements, and the first celebration was deferred to the third Sunday in June. Unofficial support for the holiday was immediate and widespread.

Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. The observance of Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. Lyndon Johnson declared Father's Day an official holiday in 1966. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed into law a permanent U.S. Father's Day to be observed on the third Sunday of June.

Like carnations to be worn on Mother's Day, roses are the Father's Day flower - red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.

By Tamara Galbraith

Mulch. The word doesn't exactly roll off the tongue like a Shakespeare sonnet, does it? But for everything the word lacks, the actual stuff, when placed on your garden beds around flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs, compensates by helping your plants live longer in summer's heat by keeping roots cool and soil at an even level of moisture.

Wood mulches look better but, in general, provide less nutrition to your plants. We prefer using a nutritious mulch, such as Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost, unless you are mulching a large unplanted area and need the look of a good wood mulch (in which case, we recommend Greenhouse Walk-On Bark).

So, how much mulch to use? Generally, you should plan to cover all exposed soil areas with 2-3" of mulch. DO NOT place mulch right up against the stems of plants and trunks of trees. Back off about 2" or so, as this allows water and air to reach the base of the plant, and also ensures against rotting from constant contact with the mulch. Also, don't think that more is better in the case of mulch. With trees, especially, think "wider" not "higher." Avoid piling mulch up in a volcano formation around the trunks of trees and thinking it will help - it won't.

There are several online calculators that help you figure out how much mulch you'll need to buy, depending on your garden size. Generally, one cubic yard of mulch covers about 100 square feet at 3" deep.

Be sure to fluff and add to your mulch every once in awhile, as it will compact and break down over time.

By Tamara Galbraith

One of the easiest (too easy, for some) perennial herbs to grow is allium schoenoprasum, commonly known as onion chives.

Every herb gardener or fan of the loaded baked potato should have, at the very least, a pot of chives to clip from now and again. In fact, this clumping, grass-like plant is a wonderful seasoning for many foods, including eggs, soups and salads.

Keep the pretty pink flowers clipped off when growing the plant for culinary use, however, to ensure the foliage gets the best flavor. (The flowers make a lovely vinegar.) Removing the flowers also prevents the chives from reseeding and spreading, which some gardeners may find to be a problem.

Dividing the clumps and pulling out the old brown foliage every year will also go a long way in keeping your chives tidy and under control. They require little else, except full sun, well-drained soil (amend with Kellogg Amend) and the occasional baked potato to bask upon.