These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis,
unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are
her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations
opinions.
Hi Gardeners
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| One of the tulips I don't know the name of. |
The weather is pretty this morning but very muggy and the
sun is destabilizing the atmosphere and making it likely we will have some
storms. Some of you had some pretty
nasty storms and heavy rain yesterday. I
only had about a half inch of rain.
There could be some nasty weather tonight as we have a cold front moving
in. I had to turn the ceiling fan on to
sit here and write and I am still hot.
Those of you who planted tender plants outside already should
pay attention to the weather forecasts for later this week as we have several
nights where frost could occur. Anytime
it’s clear and still and 32 degrees or less frost or freeze can occur but frost
can also occur when the dewpoint and the air temperature are the same and
temperatures are below 40. You’ll need to cover those plants or bring
them inside if these conditions occur.
Usually weather forecasters will warn you of frost but gardeners
should also err on the side of caution.
If it’s clear, the wind calm and temperatures are already 40 degrees or
less shortly after the sun goes down, cover your plants. Don’t count on the wind saving your plants
either, wind often dies down after sunset.
Some people also have frost pockets- low areas that seem to get frost
when other areas don’t. Those may be
areas that the snow melted from last or where you noticed frost early in the
fall. Cover plants in those areas
proactively.
Farmers have been planting up to the rainy weather
yesterday. I planted potatoes, onions
and shallots last week and plant to plant early sweet corn sometime this week
if there is another dry day. You can
plant a lot of things now too but stay out of your garden if you have to walk
on the beds or use machinery like tillers. If wet soil is compacted it’s very hard on
plant roots and you destroy the “tilth” or structure of your soil.
If you have raised beds with dedicated paths you can plant
when the soil is wet as long as it isn’t waterlogged,( swampy). Things that can be planted now are carrots,
beets, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, early sweet corn, potatoes,
onions and lettuce. Hold off a bit
longer for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, squash, beans, basil and other
annual herbs and cucumbers. Usually
these are safe to plant in the third or fourth week of May, depending on where
you are in Michigan.
Annual flower seeds can be safely planted now. Annual plants such as petunias, impatiens and
so on require decisions. If you are
willing to cover them if frost threatens plant them. If not and you can’t
afford to replace them wait a week or so. Some plants are more susceptible to cold, tropicals,
your houseplants, and plants in forced early bloom like dahlias and canna’s need
to wait until the end of May to be put outside.
Outside my clove current is blooming and the tulip show is
going strong. For get-me nots are
blooming. Fruit trees are starting to bloom; the apricot tree that split and
fell in our yard actually bloomed on the ground, which the bees liked. I
suspect redbuds will be blooming this week if they haven’t started blooming in
your area. In Pontiac, where I visited
my mother Sunday the flowers are about 10 days ahead of here. Her bleeding hearts were blooming nicely.
I planted a lot of tulips and lilies last fall, some
heirlooms, some new introductions. So I
could evaluate them I carefully labelled each variety as I planted them, with
tags I made from old blinds cut in pieces and a paint marker. Well best laid plans as they say, don’t
always work. I can’t find a single tag
this spring and the bulbs were planted in 6 different locations. Every tag is missing. I suspect chickens. Some nursery labels on hosta and other things
were still there only the tags from last fall are gone.
I did have some back up- I keep a notebook with the
varieties I plant – but not all the locations were noted and when I did note “Front
bed” I didn’t exactly say where. So now I am using catalog pictures and
descriptions to try and identify some of the very pretty tulips that are in
bloom. Frustrating.
My strawberries have buds. My honeybell is blooming- at least one plant
is- if the other doesn’t I probably won’t get fruit this year. The violets,
hensbit, deadnettle and ground ivy are blooming. Many trees are leafing out.
The orioles are back – in droves at my house. They are fighting and emptying a dish of
jelly every day. I have seen my night
heron that nests every year on our pond and the barn swallows. Hummingbirds are back too, at least some
things are blooming for them. I am now
seeing bumblebees and getting bit by mosquitoes too. Still waiting for dragonflies and
butterflies. I have baby ducks hatching
today and baby chicks in the brooder.
Amazing finds at the garden stores
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| Petunia Black Ray |
I like to look for new and unusual plants every spring at
the garden stores but who would think that my eye would be drawn to petunias of
all things? I am not much of a petunia
person, I used to imagine I owned a garden store called ”No Petunias”. But there I was in Campbell’s Greenhouse in
North Branch and some of the first things to catch my eye were petunias. These are the specialty kind of petunias to
be sure, but still gorgeous.
 |
| Black petunias against begonias. |
The first to catch my eye was the black petunias. Not deep purple or dark red but truly black
petunias. (‘Black Ray’) They are as
black as the velvet on an Elvis painting and the large flowers look like plush
velvet too. I bought some – they are
about $4 each – now I am deciding what to plant with them. The first thought that comes to mind is
pairing them with white- and I may put them with white verbena – but they look
good nestled next to the yellow, orange and red tuberous begonias I bought
too. The begonias prefer more shade than
petunias do though. Campbell’s had some really
orange colored petunias in this selection too- but I didn’t pick up any. They may have been just the right thing. I bought some silvery lavender petunias with
lines in the throat that I may pair with the black ones. (‘Surprise Purple Ice’).
 |
| Cha Ching Cherry |
Next my eye was caught by another specialty petunia, this
one is hard to describe but look at the picture. It’s a deep red, with a gold edge and gold
marked center, large flowers and it just seems to glow. (‘Cha-Ching Cherry’) I
had picked up a Michigan Gardener magazine in the green house and when I read
it later that evening surprisingly enough I found they had featured this same
petunia in an article. There was a
cousin to it that is also pretty, a wine red suffused with yellow markings.
And that’s not all the petunias that spoke to me. I was at my feed store, Town and Country in
Marlette- when I caught sight of a gorgeous hanging basket in their small
greenhouse. It’s a smaller flowered
petunia, white with rose markings with a very full rounded shape to the plant. (‘Blanket
Rose Star’) I just had to buy it as it was very reasonably priced. Petunia hanging baskets can be tricky to keep
looking nice so we will see how it performs.
 |
| Lady's Slipper Pink and Yellow |
Outside of petunias I was attracted to some new, very pretty
streptocarpus. The nurseries are
promoting the name lady’s slippers for them although that name should belong to
a wildflower in the orchid family. These
are simply named Lady’s Slipper ‘Pink and Yellow’ and Lady’s Slipper ‘Purple
and Yellow’. They have gorgeous large
ruffled flowers. Most streptocarpus
offered for sale are in shades of blue and purple so this is a breakthrough in
color. The flowers are larger on these
than previous cultivars too.
Streptocarpus are excellent flowering plants for partly
shaded areas. They are more expensive
than impatiens but since they are a tender perennial you can bring them inside in
the winter. I sink pots of them along my
shady path for a bit of color. I brought
one inside last winter and it bloomed all winter on a south windowsill. They need regular watering and fertilizing to
keep blooming well. They seem to rest a
bit in the hottest part of summer and the lowest light periods of winter but
resume blooming quickly.
 |
| Coleus Sea Crab |
Also there is a new line of coleus – Under the Sea
collection – that has some pretty remarkable colors and foliage. I picked up one called ‘Hermit Crab’ a delightful
frilly mix of yellows, pink and lime.
Citizen science project YardMap
Here’s another citizen science project that you can get
involved with. Cornell and Autobahn are
trying to map wildlife habitat that is comprised of our backyards and bits of
urban parkland. They want to determine
what species of animals, particularly songbirds utilize these habitats and how
backyard habitat can be optimized to attract and support more species.
You go to the site and create a map of your property using satellite
pictures of your property and adding trees, shrubs etc. that you know the names of. They have an app that lets you do this fairly
easily. You can get help from the site
and its community of volunteers to identify trees and shrubs. You can see other peoples maps, (more than
6,700 so far), read data collected and get lots of ideas on how to improve your
property for various species also.
If you don’t have your own property you can map a park, golf
course, cemetery or other “green area” for the project. Go to http://content.yardmap.org/
Vertical Gardening
Vertical gardening is trendy right now and many magazines
and articles are featuring clever gardens created by talented people that are
orientated vertically. When gardeners
used to speak of vertical gardening they were talking about growing vines on
fences and trellises. This is still an
important way to make space in small gardens, growing things like beans, peas
and tomatoes upward instead of letting them sprawl on the ground. But gardeners pressed for space are taking
vertical gardening to new heights.
 |
| Vertical gardening- Photo credit Basswulf-Flickr |
All kinds of soil containing containers are being attached
to fences, walls and rails to make room for more plants or just to create an
interesting effect. In the picture I am
showing a clever person made slits in plastic containers and slid a board
through them, then attached the board to a fence. The containers are then filled with soil and
plants. Gardeners have used pallets held
up by sturdy posts, filled them with soil and then planted in the spaces between
the boards. Rain gutters are filled with
soil, suspended, (not in place of regular gutters) and planted with
strawberries or lettuce.
Let your imagination run wild and recycle objects around the
house for interesting gardens. Look at
fences and walls in a new way- as a garden spot. One of the simplest types of vertical
gardening is to simply attach brackets to a wall or fence and insert or hang
pots of plants. Many brackets and pot
holders are now sold to make that easy.
Here are the “pluses” to vertical gardening
It opens up more space for gardening.
It can use items that are often disposed of for green
recycling.
It can make gardening more accessible for physically challenged
gardeners.
It can beautify plain or ugly structures.
It can be an outlet for creativity and provide garden
interest or focal points.
But there are downsides to vertical gardening to. You’ll want to plan carefully to avoid a
gardening disaster. Here are the
negative aspects of vertical gardening.
Only plants with short root systems do well in suspended
containers and in wall niches. Smaller plants do better than large.
Plants dry out quickly in sun and windy areas and may need
watering several times a day or an irrigation system installed.
Plants against a wall can cause the wall to mildew or
rot. Wooden fences may also rot or
mildew when used for vertical gardening.
As plants grow the weight of soil, water and plants may pull
down or warp walls, rails, or fences.
The support system must be very sturdy and frequently checked.
Make sure to arrange plant containers so it’s easy to water
and tend the plants even after they mature.
If a fence or wall is shared with a neighbor you’ll need to
get their approval to use it for vertical planting and you’ll want to make sure
the garden is attractive from both sides.
In cold winter areas most perennial plants will not survive
the winter suspended from walls or fences.
Planting onions
Onions can be planted as seed, sets, or plants. Onion seed is sown in rows in the garden in
early spring or inside in flats and transplanted outside. The small seed is hard
to work with but you can get a wider selection of varieties if you start with
seed. Sow onion seed about a 1/2 inch deep and thin to stand about 6 inches
apart. Sometimes garden stores will
carry flats of small onion seedlings.
Onions sold as plants are started from seed and are grown by
nurseries until they are about the size of a pencil. They are harvested, the
tops are trimmed, and then they are sent to gardeners. They may arrive bundled
in groups of 50-75 plants, a little dried up and yellow looking, but if they
are planted promptly they will quickly begin to grow. Plant them in the
row 6 inches apart with rows a foot
apart. Buying onions as plants cuts the
time from planting to harvest and there are more varieties available this way
than from sets.
Northern gardeners often grow onion sets. Sets are small
onion bulbs. They are easy to handle,
and are excellent for children and beginning gardeners because they are so easy
and fast growing. There are few varieties available as sets and sets make
smaller onion bulbs. To plant onion
sets, make a row in the garden soil just a little deeper than the tops of the
sets. Place the sets in the row with the pointed side up as close as 2 inches
apart, and cover with soil. As they grow you can then thin them to every other
onion at least two times, and eat the ones you pull as green onions.
Keep your onions well watered and weeded. Onions do not
compete well with weeds. When the onion sends up a long hollow stalk with what
looks like a little cap on it, it is trying to flower. Remove these as soon as
you notice them so the bulb continues to grow. Many people flatten onion plants
as they get large, it helps keep them from flowering.
Watch the skies today and be prepared to take cover.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More
Information
American Farmers Benefit from APHIS
Bird Repellent Research
Posted by Gail Keirn, USDA APHIS Public Affairs Specialist,
on April 25, 2014 at 10:00 AM
California is the “bread basket” of American agriculture. In
2012, California’s 80,500 farms and ranches produced a record $44.7 billion in
produce, dairy, and meats. With more than 400 crop varieties grown in the
State, California produces nearly half of all U.S. grown fruits, nuts and
vegetables.
To help ensure this basket stays full, the California
Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) partners with APHIS Wildlife Services
(WS) to address wildlife damage issues to agriculture. Some of the more recent
work involves the development of repellents to protect crops from birds.
Birds can cause substantial damage by feeding on newly
planted or ripening crops. For example,
horned larks damage lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, turnips, and peas;
American crows damage almonds; great-tailed grackles eat a variety of citrus
crops; and wild turkeys consume an assortment of crops from corn and wheat to
strawberries, peanuts, and ginseng. In a recent study, WS economists estimated
bird damage to California’s wine grape, blueberry, and cherry crops alone
accounted for $64 million in losses each year.
From 2010-2013, WS experts at the National Wildlife Research
Center and colleagues at the University of Mississippi and Arkion Life Sciences
LLC conducted a series of CDFA-funded studies to test the effectiveness of an
anthraquinone-based bird repellent to protect almonds, lettuce, melons, and
ginseng from bird damage. Some anthraquinones, which occur naturally in plants,
have been reported to cause repellency in some animals. In addition,
anthraquinone absorbs near-ultraviolet (UV) light (a portion of the light
spectrum not visible to humans) that is visible to birds. This visual cue may facilitate its repellency
effect in birds.
In studies with captive horned larks, American crows,
great-tailed grackles, and wild turkeys, scientists identified the minimum
amount of an anthraquinone-based repellent needed to reduce bird consumption of
repellent-treated crops by at least 75 percent.
One study also discovered that wild turkeys that ate 100 milligrams of
anthraquinone subsequently avoided food treated only with an UV-absorbent
cue. Researchers conclude that UV cues
could be used to enhance the effectiveness of repellents and, once birds gain
experience, could be used to fool them into avoiding UV-treated crops that do
not include repellent applications.
These studies aid in the development and registration of
economically-feasible, safe, and effective bird repellents for use on food
crops.
Events, classes and
other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Master Gardeners if you belong to an association that
approves your hours please check with that association before assuming a class
or work day will count as credit.
Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share? Post them here by emailing me at kimwillis151@gmail.com
The
Lapeer area Horticulture Society is looking for new members. There are no
education or experience requirements to join; only a love of gardening is
needed. The Horticulture Society meets
the third Monday of each month for socializing, networking and a brief
educational presentation. Next meeting is
at Swoish’s Greenhouse, North Branch, May 19th 6:30 pm. Everyone is invited to join. Dues are only $15 a year. For more information on joining or meeting
locations contact Bev Kobylas at bkobylas@yahoo.com
New - The Lapeer
Horticultural Society is having a Plant and Yard sale May 31st, from
8 am to 2 pm at 316 Davis Lake Road, Lapeer.
This yard sale will feature a variety
of garden plants and interesting items for the home and yard. Proceeds benefit the Lapeer Horticulture
Society. The sale is on the north side
of Lapeer, just off M24.
New- The 3rd
Annual Michigan Honey Festival- Saturday, July 12, 2014 10am - 5pm at The Harvey Kern Pavilion in Frankenmuth,
Michigan.
Attend educational seminars and learn
all you need to start beekeeping! Purchase all
your beekeeping supplies from a variety of vendors. Lots of Michigan honey for sale. Learn how to
brew honey beer and mead and attend the many cooking with honey demonstrations. There is a children’s craft area and a
demonstration garden done by Master Gardeners.
Watch a bee beard demonstration.
There will be lots of interesting products to sample and buy made from
honey or bee’s wax.
This year’s festival is all indoors,
so no weather worries. Admission is $5
for adults, children 12 and under free.
More information ? http://www.michiganhoneyfestival.com/contact.html
New- Invasive
Plant Workday , Thursday, May 22,
2:00–4:00 pm Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road Dryden, MI
48428-9776
We will spend the afternoon working
on removing garlic mustard. This a great opportunity for community service
hours and master gardener hours. Bring gloves and water. (810) 796-3200
New- Wildflower
Lore and Legends, Sunday, May
25, 2:00 pm Seven Ponds Nature Center 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden, MI 48428-9776
Let’s explore some strange uses and
weird names of some of our most common wildflowers. (810) 796-3200 $3 for non-members.
New- Dahlia Tuber
Sale Sat, May 24, 8am-4pm, 12am Dahlia Hill, 2809 Orchard Dr, Midland,
MI.
Dahlia bulbs for sale By Dahlia Hill Society
of Midland at $2/each or 6/$10. Expert
volunteers on hand. www.dahliahill.org.
New- 10th
Heavenly Hosta Sale, Sat, May
31, 9am-2pm, Sunday, June 1, Noon-2pm –First Presbyterian Church 1432
Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI.
Multiple groups will be selling
hostas as a fund raiser. Many varieties available and master gardeners will be on-site.
http://firstpresbyterian.org/
New- Clarkston
Perennial Plant Exchange Sat, , June 7,
8:30am, Village Parking Lot Clarkston, MI.
Sponsored by the Clarkston Farm &
Garden Club. Bring well rooted, tagged perennials. www.clarkstongarden.org 248-620-2984
New- Master
Gardener College (open to
public) June 20-21, MSU, East Lansing, MI
This year’s event features exciting
full day tours and hands-on workshops on Friday followed by a delicious dinner
at the University Club in East Lansing. Saturday features two entertaining and
educational keynote speakers, as well as eighteen exciting sessions to choose
from in order to feed your mind with science-based gardening knowledge. And, of course, there will be plenty of buying
opportunities.
Key note speaker Charlie Nardozzi will
speak on Foodscaping...A Growing Revolution
Almost a third of American households now do some kind of food gardening.
While everyone wants to grow their own
food, many are unwilling to give up precious yard space or have their yard,
perceivably, look unruly.
You do not have to be a Master
Gardener to attend. Re-certified MG get a discount. There is a wide variety of
pricing options for this event starting at about $65 for a single workshop to
about $200.00 for the 2 day event. Please
go to http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=mgcollege14 for more
information and to register.
You must pre-register. Registration
fees are refundable until May 31, 2014, less a $20 cancellation fee. After May
31, refunds are no longer available. For
more information, contact Betsy Braid at 517-884-7081 or braidbet@msu.edu.
Garden
Day August 2, 2014, 8 am – 4:15 pm,
Michigan State University Department of Horticulture, East Lansing Mi.
MSU’s annual garden day is on
Saturday this year. The keynote speaker
is Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants,
Flower Confidential, and The Drunken Botanist and other books. Ms Stewart is also the concluding speaker and
you can also stay for a reception after the event where she will discuss the Drunken Botanist. You can choose from a
number of excellent workshops/classes, 1 morning and 1 afternoon session.
Classes include Herbal housekeeping, Best Herbaceous perennials, Creative
Containers, Dividing Perennials, Herbs at Home, Pruning Basics, Gardening in
the Shade, Unusual Trees and Shrubs, Creative Edge, and Going Native.
Cost of the event is $85 until July
22nd , $95 after. Lunch and free parking
included. Additional $39 for evening reception.
Go to hrt.msu.edu/garden-day-2014
for class
descriptions and to register.
2014
MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION - GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN GARDEN TOUR – June 22nd
2014.
Celebrate spring by enjoying a stroll
through beautiful gardens in Genesee County's east side. Each site has its own unique
features. The homeowner or a Master Gardener would be delighted to answer any
questions. Although each garden looks very different, all of the homeowners
share the passion of watching their garden grow and expand each year. Much
thought has been put into every loved plant or garden art. The gardeners
believe that the garden is an expression of them. Fortunately for us, they want
to share their masterpiece with us.
Please join us in touring nine
outstanding gardens on Genesee County’s east side Sunday, June 22 10:00AM -
5:00PM.and visit the For-Mar Truck Farm at one of the sites. Mark your calendar
for the easy self-guided tour. The total tour is 16.3 miles with easy access
from I-69 to start at site #1 and I-75 to end at site #10 home. There are no rules
where you start or finish, but the routemoves nicely goingfromnorth to south or
south to nor
Advance tickets will be available on
May 23rd at the MSU Extension office for $10.00, $2.00 for children under 12.
Advance tickets will also be available on May 23rd from the following
merchants:
Bordine Nursery 9100 Torrey Rd, Grand
Blanc - (810) 655-5588
Jenny B’s Garden Party 9063 Clio Rd.
Clio - (810) 687-7742
Piechnik Greenhouse,13172 McCumsey
Road, Clio - (810) 686-9211
Walker Farms & Greenhouse 5253 Atherton
Road, Burton (810) 743-0260
Tickets may also be purchased the day
of the tour (Sunday, June 22rd) at any of the garden sites. Site addresses will
be posted on the web page the night before the tour. The photo on the ticket
cover was by a student that won the coloring contest at one of Swartz Creek’s
elementary schools.
Gardens will be open for viewing on
June 22 from 10A – 5P, Rain or Shine.
Visit the web site for driving
directions/questions: http://GCgardentour.weebly.com/
NOTE: Gardens open only on this
specific day and time. PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE!
Accommodations for persons with
disabilities may be requested by calling Jim Harrow, Plant & Pest Hotline
(810) 244-8548 two (2) weeks prior to the event to ensure sufficient time to
make arrangements. Requests received after this date will be met when possible.
Landscaping with Herbs for Large
& Small Spaces Wednesday,
May 14, 2014 , Noon-2:30pm, Big Beaver United Methodist Church, 3753 John R
Road, Troy, MI, United States
Use herbs as
part of your landscape. Light lunch included. $7. Troy Garden Club Register: infoandideas@aol.com.
MSU Horticulture
Gardens Public Plant Sale May 17th , 7 am-2 pm. MSU Horticulture Garden, East Lansing, MI.
Your chance to get some of the newest and oddest plants as
well as old favorites. This sale is very
popular, arrive early.
Newsletter
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes.
You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any
individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do
reserve the right to publish what I want.
Once again the
opinions in this newsletter are mine and I do not represent any organization or
business. I do not make any income from this newsletter. I write this because I
love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my
research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and horticulture.
It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you don’t wish to
receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to
receive these emails have them send their email address to me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
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