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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

June 3, 2014 Kim' s Weekly Garden Newsletter



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

Bristly Locust.
I was so glad to get some rain, if only a little bit yesterday.  Last week when some of you got rain I didn’t and it’s really dry here.  The wind today probably dried up any moisture that did fall so I wish I could see some more rain. 

The peonies are starting to bloom; it looks like the blooms are small compared to other years.  My azalea actually bloomed on the branches that had been buried under snow to protect them but it is getting new leaves on the top branches.  My redbud tree only had a few blooms- winter kill but the bristly locust is loaded with blooms.  The May apples are also blooming.  The sweet woodruff is also blooming about three weeks later than normal.

I thought my bamboo may actually have been killed but finally some sprouts appeared.  It’s amazing how fast those sprouts grow.  From not seeing any sprouts to 2 days later seeing sprouts as high as my waist.  They come up as a rod shaped stem, the leaves unfurl later. I wouldn’t mind if it was thinned out a little though.  I might have to be the one that does that.

I wrote an article for Examiner about some new Velcro Brand Pots I was sent to review.  Read the article and you could win a prize.  Here’s the link

June almanac

It’s June, even though that’s hard for me to believe.  June is a wonderful month in the northern hemisphere, the month of strawberries and roses.  Indeed this month’s full moon( June 12)  is called the Full Strawberry moon in North America and Full Rose moon in European countries.

June’s birth flower is, of course, the rose.  There are actually 3 birthstones for June (thanks to greedy jewelers), the pearl, the moonstone and the alexandrite.

Peonies also bloom in June.
June 7-11 is a good time to plant above ground crops.  Additional days to plant above ground crops are June 27-28.  The 22-23 are good days to plant root crops.  Good days for fishing are now until the 13th.  Do you need to cut hay?  Try June 20-21st.

June is National Rose, Dairy, and Fresh Fruit and Vegetables month.  It’s also Gay Pride month and Fight the Filthy Fly month.  We have a Friday the 13th this June for all you superstitious people.  Tomorrow is Old Maids Day (don’t they deserve their own day?) and the 5th is World Environment day. Flag Day is June 14th and Father’s day is June 15th.  The 17th is Eat your Vegetables day.  The 26th is Forgiveness Day.

Summer solstice is June 21st at 6:51 am.  At the time of the solstice the sun is at its highest point and the point farthest north that it gets in the northern hemisphere.  Solstice comes from Latin, roughly meaning sun stands still.  At the solstice the sun seems to pause for a few days, and then slowly reverses its direction, moving back toward the south and lower in the sky.  Sadly it’s the longest day of the year and the nights get longer after the solstice. 

In ancient times this event, the solstice, was always celebrated.  It’s still a good day to have a campfire, gaze at stars and wonder at the immensity of the universe and our place in it. It falls on a Saturday so get out in nature and celebrate!

The month of June is named after the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage, family and childbirth.   To marry in June was said to make a couple fertile and blessed with prosperity.

June is a traditional month for weddings and it’s not just because the weather is usually pretty.  The month of June being favored for weddings is actually a practical matter dating back thousands of years to our agricultural origins.  In June planting is usually done or being finished and harvests have not yet begun.  Children conceived in June are born in a favorable time of the year, early spring.  Their mothers are generally able to help then with planting and certainly with harvest. 

Is it time to give up yet?

I am getting calls and mail from people asking if they should prune off dead branches or remove dead plants that never greened up after our hard winter.  The answer is maybe.  Certain plants may be taking longer than normal to leaf out or may be coming back from the root system when they normally would be leafing out from branches. 

If your roses have branches that appear dead you can now prune them all off.  They aren’t coming back.  Some roses will have shoots popping out of the ground; they are coming back from the root system.  Whether you keep these depends on what type of rose you have.  If the rose was grown on its own roots, as many landscape/shrub roses are its fine to let the shoots develop.  Eventually you’ll get the same flowers you had previously.

However if the rose was a grafted rose, as most tea roses, tree roses, grandifloras and many others are, what comes back from the root generally represents the hardy rootstock that the floral part of the rose was grafted on to.  It may or may not have a flower you’ll want to keep, but the flower won’t be the one you had previously.  Most rootstock has small single or semi-double flowers that bloom once a year. You can keep it and see if you like it, or simply dig these out and plant new roses.

Fruit trees that have not leafed out at all may be dead.  They too may come back as sprouts from the roots, but most fruit trees are grafted and the sprouts will not produce a good fruiting tree.  Cut off sprouts coming from the ground or below the graft bump.  Examine the fruit tree branches carefully for leaf buds before cutting them off.  Prune off dead limbs in stages, looking for green wood as you prune.  The green will show just under the bark.  Green limbs should still bend without snapping. 

If the tree was young, with few branches, scratch the stem and see if you see any green under the bark.  Anytime you see any green the tree has a chance to come back and you should leave it a bit longer.  If the branches are brittle and snap, if you see no signs of buds or green wood then the tree is probably dead and should be removed.

Ornamental trees and shrubs that are deciduous can have any dead looking branches trimmed off.  Just as with fruit trees above look for buds and green wood to determine how much to prune.  However if some of these appear dead but do sprout from the roots you may have a chance to save the plant.  A few ornamentals are grafted, but most of these plants grow on their own roots and sprouts from the roots will look the same or similar to what you had before. 

A few things may have some differences if they return from the roots after losing all their woody parts.  Some may have lost variegation or have a different leaf color.  You may want to let them grow a year or two to see how they develop before you decide to replace them.

This holly looks bad, but the stems are still green.

Evergreens, both broad leaved and needled can be tricky.  With broad leaved evergreens like holly and azaleas you can apply the green wood test and look for buds fairly easily.  For needled evergreens look carefully for buds along dead looking stems or branches with reddish brown needles.  Look on branch tips for clusters of new buds.  If you see buds, the browned needles will eventually be replaced.  You will just need to be patient.  Trimming all the browned areas off, without checking for buds, may result in no return of green.  You can trim a branch back to where you see green buds to remove some of the unsightly needles.

Stems that snap off easily are dead.  Prune dead areas off evergreens, using the same method for other trees, prune a bit, and then check for green wood.  Most established evergreens will not be completely dead from the winter cold but some will take a long time to regain a pleasing shape and size.  You’ll need to decide if you want to replace them or wait it out.

Most herbaceous perennials should have returned by now. There are a few notorious slow developers, like hardy hibiscus that are always late. However it doesn’t hurt to let perennials sit in the ground a bit longer, sometimes you’ll be surprised at a late revival.  If there is a gap in the garden where the plant was and you want to fill it you can replace it with a similar plant and just say to heck with it or put some annuals there until next year.    I have planted a new plant next to the old root system and found the old plant returning later in the fall or even the next year.  Then you have to transplant one !

When replacing plants you may want to evaluate whether it was this harsh winter that actually killed the plant or zone denial.  If you were lucky enough to get a plant growing out of its rated hardiness zone for a few years because our winters were milder than normal, then you are taking a chance when you replace the dead plant with the same variety.   Also remember that plants that weren’t in the right location, were struggling from disease or insect attacks may have died regardless of how cold the winter was.

Forced to cooperate

It is now thought that about 80% of terrestrial plants benefit from a symbiotic relationship with fungus.  These fungi are known as Mycorrhizal fungi.  After they enter the roots of a plant they help the roots absorb moisture from the soil and extract minerals from it.  In exchange they slurp up the sugars that plants produce in photosynthesis.  But a group of researchers in France found that the plants don’t willingly invite the Mycorrhizal fungi inside their roots.

The area of soil around a plants roots is called a rhizosphere, a specialized environment consisting of plant roots and hundreds of fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms.  As they push through the soil plant roots excrete a biochemical signal.  When fungi detect the signal they begin to grow toward the plant roots.

When the fungi get close to the roots they release little invaders, protein molecules scientists have dubbed effectors.  One of these proteins has been isolated and named MiSSP7.  MiSSP7 proteins disable part of the plants immune defenses and allow the fungi to creep inside the plant roots. 

Once they have conquered their host the fungal invaders do indeed prove to be helpful.  Plants with mycorrhizal fungi colonies usually grow better than plants without them.  They can better utilize minerals in the soil and take up soil moisture more readily.  And the fungi can reproduce much better with the aid of the plants sugars. 

Scientists have added MiSSP7 to the roots of plants that don’t normally use mycorrhizal fungi, (perhaps they don’t have the signals that attract them), and found that the fungi also helped those plants achieve better growth.  The finding of MiSSP7 could prove beneficial to agriculture, where the soil nutrients are poor or plants have difficulty accessing them MiSSP7 could help more fungi colonize plants and increase their growth. 

This recent research was published in May 2014 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online.  The research was done by  INRA, Lorraine University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Western Sydney.

Herbal uses of the rose


June is National Rose month and there is a lot to love- and learn- about roses.  I am going to feature some articles about roses all month.   Roses of various species- some 100-150 species- grow almost everywhere in the world.  Some are fragrant, some are not but it’s the fragrant types that probably caught man’s attention first, although those roses with big “hips” certainly provided some food.

Roses have been used medicinally probably since people first noticed them.  While not considered to be spectacular healing plants and not mentioned much in modern herbals except as a cosmetic or aromatherapy preparation, various preparations made from roses were once used regularly.  If you have roses in your garden or wild roses growing nearby you may want to experiment with rose remedies.

Recent research published in the American Society for Horticultural Science has found that roses contain phenolic antioxidants and some 30 plus flavonols that are probably responsible for any medicinal effects.  They found higher amounts of these substances in wild rose species or old cultivars closer to the species than in newer hybrids.  Heavy fragrance and rose or red coloration also seemed to predict more phenolic compounds.

Native Americans used teas made from rose leaves and petals for eye problems (as a wash),and to drink for inducing sleep and calming anxiety.  Rose water has a reputation as an eye wash for irritation and infections among many cultures.  In Asia tea from dried rose petals was used for indigestion and headaches. 

 Rose syrup and honey was used for sore throats, coughs and colds in a number of cultures.  Sometimes the petals are used; other times the hips,     (seed pods) to make the syrup or honey.  Rose vinegar was a harsher cold and cough remedy.   Rose has a pleasant soothing taste and rose syrup and honey were often added to other less pleasant tasting herbal preparations to make them easier to swallow. 


Rose hips are high in Vitamin C which may have helped patients’ immune systems.  They were used as foods for many indigenous people and helped prevent scurvy.  They were eaten fresh or turned into jellies or even drinks.  Rose hips store about as well as apples and could be saved for winter consumption.

Rose water was used to soothe irritated skin and as a vaginal rinse.  A tincture of rosehips can be used for diarrhea and colic.  The hips were turned into conserves and jellies for this use too.  The Chinese used rose petal tinctures as a blood tonic and stimulant.

To make rose honey collect petals from roses that have just opened after the dew is dried in the morning.   Use petals from roses that have not been sprayed or treated with pesticides.  Wash the petals and pick through them to remove insects or debris.   Bring 2-3 cups of distilled water or rainwater to boil for a quart or so of petals.   Turn off the heat.  Mash the petals in a bowl (or use a food processors for just a few seconds.  Add the petals to the warm water.  Pour the mixture into a glass container with a lid and set it in the sun for a few hours or alternately set the jar inside a crock pot turned on low heat.

After a few hours strain the leaves off the remaining water using cheese cloth or a fine strainer, saving the water.  Mix the rose water with pure honey (not store honey made with corn syrup) in the ratio of ½ cup rose water to a cup of honey.  Store the mixture in a clean container in the refrigerator and use within 30 days.  Discard any mixture that grows mold, although it shouldn’t.   Shake or stir before use.  Swallow a tablespoon or so for a sore throat or scratchy throat every hour or so.  You could also add it to tea.

Next week I’ll write about cosmetic uses of rose water and rose oil and several ways to make them.

Make sure to put on mosquito repellent as you garden!

Kim Willis
 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

More Information
See Honeybees at Work: USDA Launches BeeWatch
Posted by Annie Ceccarini, Program Manager, The People’s Garden Initiative, on May 15, 2014 at 11:00 AM

At the ribbon cutting of the USDA Headquarters People’s Garden in April 2010 plans were already in place to install a beehive on the roof of the Whitten Building as well as a “bee-cam” so anyone anywhere could learn about bee activity. USDA’s newest ‘buzzing’ residents were welcomed on Earth Day but the bee cam was put on hold. 18 gallons of honey later, that idea has finally come to bee. You can now #USDABeeWatch 24/7 at www.usda.gov/beewatch.


So what will you see on our bee cam? This time of year, the camera – placed several feet from the entrance of the hive – shows female worker bees entering and exiting the hive gathering nectar and pollen (both collected from flowers) to convert into honey. Be on the lookout for bees carrying a load of pollen on their hind legs. As bees groom, they’ll move the pollen onto their back legs creating a pellet of pollen. A small amount of nectar is used to stick the dry pollen together.

Bee on catnip.
The availability of pollen and nectar from flowering plants in surrounding landscapes is very important to the growth, development and productivity of any honeybee colony. Populations of honeybees, native bees and other pollinators like birds, butterflies, beetles and bats have declined due to habitat loss, disease, adverse weather, and other conditions. We need pollinators to pollinate most of our flowering plants giving us the foods that give our diet nutrition, diversity and flavor.

Helping pollinators is essential. That’s why we’ve adopted pollinator-friendly gardening practices at USDA Headquarters and encourage you to do the same. Simple actions you can take on your farm, ranch or garden to create or improve pollinator habitat include:

- Planting a variety of native flowering shrubs, trees and wildflowers that bloom continuously throughout the seasons; allowing small plants like clover in your lawn instead of trying to eradicate these “weeds” with herbicides.

- Finding non-chemical solutions to insect problems;

- Providing a source of clean water for birds and other pollinators such as a birdbath;

- Using native plant species that are from your ecoregion;

- Leaving dead foliage on native perennials as a source of food and nesting material for wildlife in winter; or

Become involved. Plant a small pollinator garden and experience the pleasure of observing pollinators in your garden. Share your findings with us using hashtag #USDABeeWatch. Most importantly, get outside with your family and friends and explore the natural and urban habitats that we share with pollinators and flowering plants.

- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2014/05/15/see-honeybees-at-work-usda-launches-beewatch/#sthash.IjfmU3qH.dpuf

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

Wild Edibles of Early Summer Sunday, June 8, 2:00 pm, Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden, MI  (810) 796-3200

Today we will forage for early greens and berries while learning how the early residents utilized the plants growing around them.

What is Popping in the Ponds?, Sunday, June 29, 2:00 pm Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden, MI  (810) 796-3200

Wetland plants will be blooming and birds will be singing on our walk to see what is popping.

Build a Hypertufa Leaf Birdbath, Saturday, July 5, 10:00 am Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden, MI  (810) 796-3200

A hypertufa birdbath nestled into a garden space will attract a myriad of bird species. In this class we will learn the process using a real leaf as a mold. Please bring a blanket to cradle your project on the way home and a bag lunch. Please call to preregister for this adult (12 and up) class. Fee $15.00 (members $12.00).

Rose Show Sat, June 14, 1-5 pm,  Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, MI,

Sponsored by the Grand Valley Rose Society at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.  See a variety of rose blooms--hybrid teas, miniatures, floribundas and old-fashioned types, all locally grown and carefully prepped for this judged show. Vote for the most fragrant rose and see lovely rose arrangements. Grand Valley Rose Society members will be available all weekend to answer your questions and provide growing tips. Anyone can enter roses in this show--a special section will be reserved for "novice" entries. Bring your finest roses (along with their names) to Meijer Gardens on Saturday between 8 am and 10 am. Rose Society members will provide guidance and encouragement.

Fee: Free For more information www.meijergardens.org.

24th Annual Ann Arbor Garden Walk Sat, June 14, 10am-4pm, Ann Arbor, MI,
Winter has been brutal this year, but Spring has arrived, and that means it will be time for Ann Arbor Farm & Garden's 24th Annual Ann Arbor Garden Walk on Saturday, June 14th, from 10 am to 4 pm. We have six unique private gardens lined up in the Ann Arbor Hills area and one public garden at Arbor Hospice.

Waterfalls and ponds; arbors and pergolas; hillside plantings; terracing and hardscaping; evergreen borders and an extensive array of perennials -- all this and more awaits you. Come find the next idea or inspiration for your own green space!

Proceeds from the 2014 Garden Walk will benefit two organizations: Leslie Science & Nature Center (LSNC) and Edible Avalon. At LSNC, Garden Walk funds will support rejuvenation and expansion of the Center’s landscaping using native grasses, plants, and shrubs. These native plantings will provide educational and demonstration opportunities for visitors. Edible Avalon, a non-profit program of Avalon Housing, develops community gardens tended by residents, along with nutrition and health-related programs and youth programs focused on local food and sustainable gardening.

Tickets are on sale now; cost is $15 per person. Tickets can be purchased at any of the gardens on the day of the event, or in advance at these locations: Dixboro General Store, Downtown Home & Garden, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Nicola's Books. You can also purchase tickets online using PayPal through June 4 (a small handling fee is added to each ticket) For more information  and online tickets www.annarborfarmandgarden.org.

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

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

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

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.



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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