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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| A display at the Garden on Suncrest, Lapeer. |
We got some needed rain this weekend but I hope you didn't get any unneeded storms or power outages.
The biggest damage I had was that my Oriental lilies, the huge Casa Blanca’s
are falling over. I was lazy and didn't stake them this year. They are the
tallest lilies this year with many of my other varieties being shorter and
having fewer blooms than the year before.
The Farmer’s almanac was sure wrong about this month. It said we would have a warmer than usual
month. Instead we have had one of the
coldest Julys on record. That’s ok with
me though and I bet the people at the Eastern Michigan State fair won’t mind
cooler temps as long as it doesn't rain too much. I believe the average precipitation
in July is 3-4 inches depending on where you are in Michigan. I have had over 5 inches so far and it’s
still going to rain some more before the month ends.
Speaking of the Eastern Michigan State Fair I saw some
pretty pictures of the Master Gardener exhibit there. If you go to the fair why not stop in and
take a look? For those readers not familiar
with Imlay City and the Eastern Michigan State Fair let me say that it’s a great
fair to attend. It’s clean and safe, and
they have a one price ticket that includes parking, shows and rides. Admission is only $10.00 until 2pm today July
29th and tomorrow July 30th and $15.00 after that. They have lots of farm animals including a
petting zoo, circus performances every day and some grandstand shows each night. The fairgrounds are easy to get to- just
North of I69 on M53.
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| Pink Zazzle. |
The garden phlox are adding color in the garden right along
with hydrangeas, buddleia and of course the beebalm, helianthus, coreopsis,
rudbeckia, all the day lilies and trumpet lilies. I will probably have sweet corn ready this week
but the tomatoes are ripening very slowly in the dreary cool weather.
I have been very happy with my black petunias this year up
to the point where we put the planters of them on our new deck and the fallen
flowers stained the deck dark purple when it rained. Beware the color stains! I am also quite happy with the new gomphrena Pink
Zazzle that I planted in a container this spring. It’s very colorful and unusual and does well
in part shade. It’s supposed to keep
well over wintered inside, we will see.
Freeze those blueberries
Blueberry season is upon us and while it’s great to eat
fresh blueberries they are even better for you if they are frozen before
eating. Research done at South Dakota
State University found that blueberries are higher in anthocyanin, (the healthy
antioxidant that comes from the deep blue color of blueberries), after they are
frozen. The freezing bursts cell walls and makes the anthocyanin more available
when the berries are consumed.
Blueberries are an almost unique fruit to the US, with the
US producing 84% of the world’s blueberries according to the Agricultural
Marketing Resource Center. Some blueberries
are also produced in Canada, Chile, Mexico and Central America and a few
European countries. Michigan is the state
that usually has the highest yield of blueberries.
To freeze whole blueberries spread them on a cookie sheet a
single layer thick, put in the freezer about an hour and then dump into a zip
close bag or plastic container. You can
freeze and add more berries to the container as you get them.
Freezing blueberries in a single layer then pouring them
into a container keeps them from sticking together and makes removing some for
a recipe easy. When using berries from
the freezer container, take out the berries and promptly return the container
to the freezer so they don’t begin to thaw and stick together.
When blueberries are defrosted they hold their shape, but
the texture is softer than fresh berries.
They need to be used quickly after defrosting. If baking you can just throw frozen
blueberries in the recipe without defrosting.
Trumpet Vine- a Hummingbird Magnet
Trumpet vine grows happily through much of the United States
and that’s good, because there are few plants more attractive to
hummingbirds. If you need a sturdy, easy
to grow vine for sun or partial shade, or want to attract hummingbirds to your
yard, plant a trumpet vine. While there
are some gardeners who consider the trumpet vine invasive, it has many good
features if carefully managed. Many
types of birds nest in trumpet vines and the seeds are also eaten by birds.
You may know the Trumpet vine, Campis radicans by one of its
other common names, Trumpet Creeper, Hummingbird vine or Cross Vine. It is native to the Southeastern United
States but has naturalized in many other areas.
Trumpet vine is hardy from zone 4-9. There are also Asian species that have been
hybridized with our native species to produce different colors and forms.
Growing Trumpet Vines
Before you purchase and plant a trumpet vine, carefully plan
where you want to plant it. While beautiful
in bloom it can be very invasive and destructive. Do not plant trumpet vines close to homes or
outbuildings. The aerial roots that the
vine produces creep under shingles and boards and lift them; the heavy vines
may collapse structures that are not sturdy.
The roots of the trumpet vine will crack foundations, come up through
asphalt and invade sewer lines. If a
vine climbs into a tree it may eventually kill it. If near flower beds it will send out invaders
from its root system that will soon over take the bed and are very difficult to
eradicate, even with common weed killers.
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| Trumpet vine climbing light pole prop wire. |
So where do you plant it?
Plant Trumpet Vine on a sturdy trellis or fence some distance from the
house or flowerbeds. Plant it on a pole
or dead tree in an area that can be mown around. Without support Trumpet Vine will form a
large shrub. If it’s situated in an area
that can be mown around this is often the best solution. Keep suckers mown or trimmed down and prune
and thin aggressively to keep it in control.
Trumpet vine will grow in sun or partial shade in almost any
soil. It will even grow in fairly deep
shade, although it will seldom bloom there.
Gardeners usually buy trumpet vines as plants. The vines send out underground runners that
develop into new plants that can be detached and transplanted. Trumpet vine
resents transplanting however, and may sulk the first year. Potted plants from a nursery transplant
somewhat better. Once it gets established though, watch out! Trumpet vine can grow 30 foot or more in one
season. Trumpet vines can also be
started from cuttings, which root fairly easily.
The trumpet vine has compound leaves, consisting of 7-11
leaflets per stem. They are slow to
leaf out in the spring so be careful when pruning out winter damage. Once it
gets established the trumpet vine thrives on pruning. Thin and prune aggressively to control and
shape the plant. Wear gloves when pruning as Trumpet vine causes a rash on some
people who handle the plants.
Trumpet vine flowers consist of 5 petals fused into a long,
tubular shape that flares out at the end.
Most trumpet vines have orange flowers; the color can vary somewhat
depending on the weather and the age of the flower. In full sun, with rich soil and even moisture
the trumpet vine can be in bloom from early summer through fall. In dry or very hot conditions the trumpet
vine may stop blooming for a while.
Hummingbirds love trumpet vines and a large plant may have
several Hummers on it at the same time.
The flowers also attract bees and ants. Trumpet vine flowers eventually
turn into bean-like seedpods full of flat, paper like seeds, if the Hummers
have done their work.
Keep trumpet vines well watered as they get
established. They do not need fertilizer
and seldom get diseases or insect pests.
If drought conditions develop in your area a deep watering may keep them
in bloom longer. Trumpet vine stems
become thick and woody over time. These
woody vines usually survive winter and then put out new growth. Where trumpet vines are grown as a bush they
will die back to the ground in some areas, but will come back quickly from the
roots in the spring. Wait until spring
growth has started, which may be quite late, before pruning out winter damage,
as it is difficult to determine dead wood on these vines. In the far south, trumpet vines may remain
semi-evergreen.
Cucumbers are a summer treat
Cucumbers are now available at Michigan farm markets and
there’s nothing tastier and cooler than fresh Michigan cucumbers. Did you know that cucumbers are actually 10
degrees cooler inside than the outside air?
Michigan grows cucumbers for the table and also for pickling. There is a national pickle company processing
plant in Imlay City, Michigan, (Pinnacle Foods). Unless you pickle them, cucumbers don’t store
long, but that’s ok because there are so many ways to enjoy them.
Cucumbers are mostly water- about 95% water but they do pack
some nutrition, especially in the peel.
Cucumbers are very high in potassium.
Here are a couple of cucumber recipes to enjoy this summer.
Here are two great ways to use cucumbers.
Cucumbers in yogurt sauce
3 medium cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup of plain yogurt- Greek is good
3 tablespoons of salad dressing such as Miracle Whip
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill leaf
1/4 teaspoon of celery salt
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon white
pepper
Blend yogurt and salad dressing with spices. Add cucumber slices and gently toss to
cover. Refrigerate for at least one hour. 3-4 average servings.
Instant pickles
2 thinly sliced and peeled cucumbers
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 dill flower or a few chopped leaves
Combine everything in a bowl and let marinate in the
refrigerator for 15-minutes to an hour.
It can sit longer but the longer it sits the saltier the cukes
become. Discard after 1 day.
The two recipes above are great with cucumbers that have
gotten a little large. Salad cucumbers
should be picked while young and skinny.
This weeks weeds
Queen Anne’s lace
Flowers sometimes get fanciful names but this wild carrot
does have a pretty flower that looks lacy.
It’s a common sight and the subject of many a child’s bouquets for
mom. Queen Anne’s lace is also known as
wild carrot or sometimes bird nest flower.
Queen Anne’s Lace, (Daucus carota), is the ancestor of the
common garden carrot and it does have a yellowish-white thick taproot. But it’s not advisable to eat the roots of
those plants found growing wild as it often hard to distinguish Queen Anne’s
lace from some very deadly forms of Hemlock.
Queen Anne’s lace is a bi-annual plant. The first year it sends up a mound of
feathery fern-like leaves that smell like carrots when crushed. In the second year tall, tough spikes- up to
5 feet high come out of the mounds of foliage.
These support flat, umbrella shaped clusters of white flowers. There can be many stems and flowers from each
plant.
In the very center of most flower clusters is a single dark
red or purple flower. As the flowers die
they curl upward, forming a brownish cup or “birds nest”. Seeds mature inside the cup and are
eventually shaken to the ground by the wind.
Plants die after the second year.
Queen Anne’s lace is in flower from June through the
summer. It is found in sunny, well
drained soils of all kinds in fields and along the roads. It makes an excellent cut flower.
Virginia Creeper, woodbine
Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is one of
those plants that some consider a weed and others consider a garden plant, even
purchasing it from nurseries. It is
often confused with Poison Ivy because of its growth habits. It has beautiful fall color and is an easy
vine to grow in all most any conditions.
While it is not irritating to everyone, Virginia Creeper does have a sap
that some people are allergic to, although it doesn’t affect people as badly as
Poison Ivy.
Virginia Creeper has compound leaves with 5-7 parts, not
three, although an occasional three leaflet leaf leads confusion to its
identity. The leaflets are joined at the
base in a palm shaped pattern. In the
spring new leaves may have a reddish tinge, in summer they are green with
reddish stems. In fall, the plant is
truly beautiful when the leaves turn to scarlet red.
Virginia Creeper has small, greenish white flowers that are
barely noticeable. The flowers produce
small grape-like fruits which turn blue-black in autumn and contrast nicely
with the red fall foliage. The fruits
are poisonous to humans but are very well like by birds that soon gobble them
up.
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| Virginia Creeper just starting fall color. |
Virginia Creeper grows as a vine, it has tendrils with a
sticky pad on their end that can attach it to almost anything. It will climb trees or sprawl on the ground,
or cover fences. One plant can cover
huge areas. It is a perennial plant
although the foliage dies each winter.
Some older vines get woody and thick and persist through winter. Pieces of the stem can root where they touch
ground and the plant also spreads by seeds dropped by birds.
Once established in an area Virginia Creeper spreads
aggressively. It will grow in any kind
of soil, in wet or dry areas and in sun and shade. It doesn’t play nice in the garden and care
should be used if it is wanted in the garden for fall color.
Break out
the sweaters and umbrellas!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More
Information
What
do I do if there’s a bat in the house?
In August
there is always an increase in people reporting bats in their house. This is because baby Brown bats, the most
common bat in Michigan, are learning to fly about this time. Like all youngsters they get lost and do
stupid things, like crawl through a crack to explore a new place. They don’t want to get in your hair or bite
your neck. They just want out!
But bats in
the house are no laughing matter for most folks. They cause panic and great concern. While no one should panic, bats in the house
should not be tolerated either. Bats are
helpful creatures and yes, they should be protected, but they also carry rabies
and other diseases and parasites. Every
year in Michigan bats are found that test positive for rabies and almost every
year people in Michigan who were in contact with rabid bats have to have
preventative rabies vaccines.
If a bat
suddenly appears flying through a room, open a window or door, darken the room
and be quiet or leave. If you are not
screaming and jumping around, the bat will generally sense the air current from
the open window or door and leave. You
can leave enough light that you can see, like the light from a night
light, but bright lights generally make
the bat want to find a place to hide. If
it doesn’t fly out you may be able to scoop it up in something and throw it
out. Do not handle a bat with your bare
hands. If you do manage to get bitten in
the process you must not release the bat.
You will need to keep it for rabies testing.
Bat found
hiding or dead in a room
If you see
a bat hanging on the curtains, crawling on the floor, or hiding in the room
somewhere or find a dead bat in the living quarters of the house, you have
different things to consider. If there
are sleeping children in the room, or people who are ill and unaware of their
surroundings and the bat could have been there for a while, you must consider
whether it could have bitten them. Brown
Bats don’t seek out humans to bite and they don’t drink blood, but if they feel
threatened by sudden movement, are stepped on, or handled or rolled over on in
bed they could bite. The bites are tiny
and not very painful and a sleeping person could easily not know they were
bitten. Toddlers may not be able to communicate that they were bitten or forget
about it.
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| Big brown bat eating a meal worm. |
While only
a small percentage of bats carry rabies, the threat is great enough that bats
found in these circumstances should be collected carefully and submitted to
your local animal control or health department for rabies testing. You must use great care not to get bitten
yourself. Wear heavy gloves and try to
scoop up the bat into a jar, or box.
Even dead bats should not be handled with bare hands. If you smash the bat with a tennis racket or
other item you may damage the head, which is needed for rabies testing and end
up with you or your loved ones receiving rabies prevention shots. If there is a delay in transporting the bat
to the proper agency for testing they will tell you how to store it.
Pets with
bats
If you find
your pet with a dead or living bat or even if you find a dead bat close to farm
animals such as horses, you should have that bat tested for rabies. This is critical if your pet has not had a
recent rabies vaccine. If the pet gets
rabies it could easily be passed to owners and their family before they realize
what is going on. Don’t worry about
getting a fine for an unlicensed or unvaccinated pet, rabies is nearly always
fatal and an extremely painful way for anything to die. Animal control or the health department will
help you decide whether vaccinated pets should also be quarantined.
Bats in the
attic
If you find
a bat in a room that hasn’t been occupied for a while, or in spaces like
attics, crawl spaces, chimneys, wall voids etc. you do want to remove them, but
you probably don’t have to worry about submitting them for testing as long as
you don’t get bitten handling them. Try
to remove them alive or exclude them from the space after they have left in the
evening to feed. There is no law that
prevents you from killing bats when they are in your home, but they are
beneficial creatures that are becoming increasingly endangered and their lives
should be spared if possible.
Usually if
more than one bat is found roosting in an area of the home it is a colony of
female bats and until August, each female bat is likely to have one baby bat
with her. When they fly out to feed at
night they leave these babies behind.
You may hear noises and scrambling around as the females leave. By mid-August, most baby bats will leave
each night with mom. You don’t want to
seal up holes the bats are using until this time. Even if you don’t care that the baby bats will
die without their mothers, they will cause quite a smell and attract insects if
they die. Male bats are solitary or
gather in small groups of 2 or 3.
Bats should
never be tolerated living in a home with humans, even if they are in spots
where people seldom go. Besides the treat of rabies, bats carry parasites like
lice and batbugs, (similar to bed bugs), the dust from their excrement can
cause lung disease, and their excrement can build up until it damages the
building and the smell becomes over whelming.
The urine and excrement can damage wiring and cause fires. Large colonies can be quite noisy at
night. Bats are very beneficial in nature
but need to be removed from human homes for health and safety reasons just as
we remove rats and mice.
Bat control
Ultra sonic
devices, mothballs, and poisons for rats and mice do not work on bats. Bright lights hung in bat roosting areas at
night are seldom effective with established colonies either. The best way to remove bats is by
exclusion. This means locating all the
places bats are coming and going from and sealing them off when the bats are
outside feeding at night. You can stand
outside, maybe with the help of friends and count how many bats are leaving
just after sunset and where they are leaving from. After a few days of watching and locating
holes the holes should be sealed after the bats have left for the night. Bats can go through any size hole a mouse
could go through, a 1/2 inch crack is all they need.
If it is
going to be hard for you to do the sealing work yourself there are companies
specializing in bat removal. They often
use traps that allow bats to leave but not come back in after sealing all the
other holes during daylight hours. You
can do this too. After a week or so of
using excluder devices all the bats should be gone and the excluder site can be
sealed. You can also wait until cold
weather (November - December) and seal holes because the bats will have left
for hibernation spots.
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
Eastern Michigan
State Fair- July 29th – August 2nd Imlay City Mi. (M53 just North of I69)
One of the best fairs in Michigan is
early this year. See the large Master
Gardener exhibit as well as other exhibits of flowers, veggies and fruits. Lots of animals, fair food and carnival rides
too. Daily circus and alligator shows. Rodeo on July 29th, 7 pm.
Price- July 29th and 30th
all tickets are $10.00 before 2 pm otherwise admission is $15. Admission price includes all shows and
rides. Parking is free.
Weeds and Herbs from the Wild -Tuesday, August 19 at 7: 00pm at Seven Ponds Nature Center 3854
Crawford Road, Dryden, MI
The Friends of Herbs at Seven Ponds will host speaker: Jim
McDonald- innovative Michigan herbalist and wildcrafter. He will share
with us what herbs and weeds can be harvested during this time of year.
Preregistration is required by calling 810-796-3200 to reserve your seat. Join us for a
wonderful informative program, cost is $5.00 per person.
Herb & Butterfly
Garden Tours -Sunday, August 10, 2:00 pm
-Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden, MI
We have the loveliest cultivated gardens totally maintained by
volunteer gardeners. This is a walk suited for those who cannot venture too far
from the center. Non-members- $3.00 adults, members and children 12 and under free. (Tour is being conducted by park
naturalists.)
Cool Plants for
Shady Areas- Sat, August 9, 10am English Gardens,
all locations (Ann Arbor, East Pointe, Clinton Twps., Dearborn Heights, Royal
Oak, Commerce Twps., West Bloomfield
call 1-800-335-Grow
Creating a beautiful garden is
possible even in the shade. This program
will cover basic information on planning, planting and maintaining flowers and
plants in the shade. Special emphasis will be given on perennials. FREE.
www.EnglishGardens.com.
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.
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. 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
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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