May 19,
2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim
Willis
Hi Gardeners
 |
| Garden at Suncrest, May 2015 |
As usual Tuesday is a day of weather change. It’s hard to imagine yesterday was 85 and
humid. Tonight we have a chance of frost
once more so all of us who have those tender plants out there will need to
cover them tonight. I would cover the
plants you can’t afford to lose even if it’s cloudy tonight. The skies are likely to clear at sunrise and
that’s a good time for frost to occur. It’s also going to be quite cold tonight and a
blanket will feel good to those shivering plants.
It’s amazing that weather can be quite different even in the same
county. I was talking to some folks last
night who told me that they had over 3 inches of rain last week and the ground
was too wet to plant. They were south of
me 20 miles or so. Here we had only 8/10
inch last week and about 3/10 inch yesterday.
I was happy to see some rain as I needed it to get the garden up and
growing.
My vegetable garden is pretty well planted now. I planted popcorn and sweet corn this
weekend. Hopefully when it sprouts the
danger of frost will be gone. The garden
is transforming from the yellows, oranges and reds of early bulbs to the
purples of alliums, lilacs, dames rocket, early dwarf iris, creeping phlox and
wild geraniums. Sweet woodruff is adding
some tiny white flowers to the mix and the bleeding heart is accenting with
vibrant pink.
The orioles are back. They have been
busy at the grape jelly feeder all week.
The pair of green herons is back at my pond, with their raspy croaking
at me whenever I get close. The crows
are chasing the hawks and the Eastern kingbirds are chasing the crows. The Canada geese are parading their broods
across the horse pasture across the road going from pond to pond. And turtles are crossing the roads. If you see one and want to help, always put
it in the direction it was headed, even if that seems like the wrong way to
you. Otherwise they will just try
again. Please don’t run over them if you
can help it.
Memorial Day Planting tips
Can you
believe it?- Monday is Memorial Day! In Michigan Memorial Day seems to send
everyone into planting mode. Some people
even think you have to do your planting on that weekend, as if it’s the
deadline to get plants into the ground.
Nursery and garden shop owners love Memorial Day and most will be fully
stocked. But before you wade into the
frenzy here’s some things you should consider.
Memorial
Day isn’t the last time you can plant; there will be several weekends in June
left for good planting. If wet and cold
weather prevail, plants are probably better off in the greenhouse. Things may
be a little picked over right after the holiday but you will probably get some
bargains as nurseries want to move out most stock before it gets too warm.
Memorial
Day’s arrival also doesn’t mean we will be frost free from then out. In Michigan we can and sometimes do have
frost after the holiday. Keep an eye on
the weather for a week or two after the holiday and be prepared to cover tender
plants if frost threatens.
Before you
go out shopping set a budget, decide what you need and make a list. If you are a plant-a -holic take a friend who
isn’t one to keep you on the straight and narrow.
Vegetable transplants- The healthiest transplants are
those that are stocky and dark green.
When you are looking at cell packs- (the plastic containers holding 4-6
plants), you do not want to choose vegetable transplants that already have
flowers and fruits. These have been
stunted and stressed and will not perform well for you. If vegetables such as tomatoes are in large
pots, then having flowers and fruit are ok, if you want to pay a premium price.
Look for
vegetable plants that are not lanky and yellowing or wilted. Plants like cucumbers, squash, watermelon and
pumpkins should be very young, with just one set of true leaves. If they are larger they tend to get
transplant shock when planted and never do well.
Annual plants- Most annuals will be in full
flower when you choose them, even though that probably isn’t the best way to
purchase them in cell packs. It would be
better to choose those annuals in cell packs that are dark green and stocky,
and just starting to bloom. For foliage annuals such as coleus the plants
should only be about 6 inches tall in cell packs. Look over plants carefully. They should be healthy looking, not lanky,
and yellowing or losing a lot of leaves.
If the annuals are in cell packs- see above- the biggest, tallest plants
aren’t the best choice; they are usually stressed from growing in the cells too
long. Check each cell pack you pick up to see if there is a plant in each
compartment. No sense in paying for 4
plants and getting 3. Many times a plant
will have died somewhere along the growing cycle.
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| Waiting in a greenhouse near you. |
If annuals
are in pots, such as 4-6 inch pots, then buds and bloom are expected and the
plants won’t be stressed as much from their time in the greenhouse. You can see the almost mature size of these
plants and while they are more expensive you may buy less of them because they
cover more space.
Don’t over
buy annuals. They may look a bit sparse
when first planted but will fill in quickly.
Crowded plants are prone to disease.
And since annuals only live one season it doesn’t make sense to make
them the biggest part of your plant budget.
Here’s a
tip that most of you will disregard. For
the best start and rooting of annual plants remove all fully opened blooms and
those buds about to open before planting.
Plants will quickly replace the blooms.
Perennial plants- First realize that many of the
blooming perennials you pick up are not blooming at their regular times. If you are putting together compatible colors
in the shopping basket realize that those plants may never bloom again at the
same times. Also realize that most perennials
bloom for a few weeks then are not in bloom for the rest of the year. You can
often get bargains if you purchase plants in nurseries that have quit blooming
for the year. If you can wait for blooms
until next year these are a good buy.
Make sure
to check perennial tags to see if they are hardy in Michigan. Sometimes plants slip through into Michigan
stores that are not really winter hardy here.
This is more likely to happen at chain store garden shops, rather than
local nurseries. Below M-59 in Michigan
plants hardy to zone 6 may over winter, zone 5 plants are better. Above M-59 choose plants hardy to zone 5,
unless you are in zone 4 or 3 pockets of upper Michigan.
A lot of
tropical and tender perennials are being showcased in garden shops. Chinese hibiscus, bougainvillea, gardenias,
camellias, agaves and other things look beautiful in gardens, but are a bit
expensive and won’t over winter outside in Michigan. If you are not at a true
nursery with experienced help, don’t count on sales clerks to know what is
hardy. It’s fine to buy these tropicals
if you know you’ll need to provide winter homes for them or are willing to let them
die at summers end.
It’s always
good to do your homework before purchasing perennials to see when they bloom,
how often they bloom and what conditions they like before investing in
them. The adult size of the plant should
also be taken into consideration.
Trees and shrubs It’s
probably too late to get healthy trees and shrubs that are packaged- those in
plastic bags with shavings or in cardboard boxes, called bare root or dormant
plants. If they are marked down to
bargain prices you can take a gamble and sometimes you’ll get lucky. Because
they are often leafed out and look fine, people think they are healthy. They have used up most root reserves and
often don’t live. If you are paying full
price go for potted trees and shrubs by Memorial Day. This is also true for
roses. Potted plants should be showing green buds or be leaved out at this
time.
For any
type of plant, if it’s an impulse buy, make sure you have the right conditions
for the plant at home, what kind of light and moisture conditions does it
need? There is no sense buying plants
that won’t grow in your conditions.
And
finally, take care of your plants after you buy them. Don’t leave plants in the car in the sun
while you shop elsewhere. They can die
from overheating. When you get home you
should place the plants in a shady location, sheltered from wind, until you
plant them. Don’t forget to water them;
they dry out fast in pots. Plant them as
soon as possible, make it a rule to plant what you have before buying more.
Should you worry about contaminated
soil in food gardens?
Many people
who want to put in food gardens in urban areas worry about the soil being
polluted with harmful substances such as lead, arsenic, and other chemicals
from auto exhaust, smokestacks and illegal dumping. But a recent article in the Journal of Environmental Quality by
researchers at Kansas State University concluded that the benefits of growing
food outweighed the slight risk polluted soil might pose.
The
researchers found that plants did take up pollutants and that plants grown in
polluted spoils might test higher than ideal levels for some pollutants. But researchers also found that there were
ways to grow food crops in contaminated soil that left little risk to those
eating food produced from it.
The first
thing to do when beginning a food garden in an area suspected of being polluted
is to have the soil tested and amend any soil nutrients that are low or
lacking. The test doesn’t confirm or rule
out contaminants, just the levels of basic soil nutrients that all plants need.
If plants have the basic soil nutrients they need for good growth they are less
likely to take up contaminants. The soil
pH should also be adjusted to about 6.5, which is ideal for most food crops and
keeps nutrients available to plants and not locked in the soil.
Secondly lots
of compost or other organic matter should be worked into the soil. That’s good for all garden soil but in
contaminated areas the compost dilutes the amount of contaminated soil
available to plants and provides micro nutrients for plant health. If people are really concerned about soil
contamination they can bring in clean topsoil to mix with the existing soil
also. If you are still concerned build
raised beds and fill them with fresh, clean soil.
Third, all
food grown in contaminated soils should be thoroughly washed before eating
it. While plants do take in some
contaminants and retain them, people are more likely to be exposed to pollutants
from soil residue clinging to plants. This
is particularly true of root vegetables.
Eating a baby carrot right from the ground may give you a good dose of
any contaminants in that soil. Washing
all fresh produce before consuming it is good food safety anyway as any garden
can be contaminated with E. coli and other harmful bacteria.
Of course
if you know a spot where a heavy oil spill occurred, where toxic waste was
dumped for long periods or other serious site contamination is known or
suspected it might be wise not to garden there.
But if you are just concerned about contaminants that might have seeped
into soil from decades of urban living research shows that your risk of getting
high doses of any toxic contaminant are very low. And the benefits of growing your own food
nearly always outweigh any small risks from contaminated soil.
And
remember soil contamination is not just an urban thing. Old farmland can have high levels of arsenic
from prior pesticide use or irrigation with arsenic contaminated water. Lead paint
flakes can be mixed into the soil around old farm buildings as well as urban
homes. All new garden spots should be
treated with equal care that includes a soil test, soil amendment if needed,
and lots of compost and organic matter added to the soil.
Plants may transmit Mad Cow and
other prion diseases
It’s not
only chemical pollutants that plants can absorb into their tissues. New research has found that plants can absorb
prions, tiny organisms like viruses, that are responsible for several horrible
diseases and actually transmit those prions to animals who eat them.
The
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has recently published
research that shows that wheat grass can absorb prions into its roots and
leaves from contaminated soil and then transmit the prions to lab animals who
eat the wheat grass and then die from prion diseases. The prions are in the plant cells, not just
on the surface of the plants. The prions
have been found in several species of plants, it’s unknown if all plants can
absorb prions or not.
While it’s
not confirmed that humans could also get a prion disease from eating infected
plants this research would suggest it can happen. (No one wants to eat infected grass to test
the theory.)
Prion
diseases include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), scrapie in
sheep, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and chronic wasting disease that
infects deer and elk. In some places
these diseases are endemic in wildlife and this made researchers suspect there were
more ways of transmission than simple contact.
Prions are
expelled from sick animals in their urine, blood and other body fluids which
are absorbed into the soil and then into plants. Dead animals decaying on or in soil may also
release prions.
Meat from
prion infected animals will also transmit disease and humans have become
seriously ill or died from such meat. Even
getting blood or other fluids on the skin from an infected animal poses a
risk. Now there’s a chance that eating
plants could transmit the disease also.
It’s unknown if just handling prion infected plants could transmit disease.
This is
another reason to exclude animals from food gardens, wild and domestic, and to
not use urine or blood as a garden fertilizer.
Composting dead animals and using such compost in the garden would also
be unwise. Those who gather wild foods
in areas where prion diseases are known to be present may also want to
reconsider their habits.
Growing Lilacs
 |
| The common, but beautiful lilac. |
Lilacs were
one of the first plants that early settlers brought to America. Nothing can top the lovely fragrance of
lilacs as spring begins to slip into summer.
Lilacs are so hardy and easy to grow that they often persist for
hundreds of years after the person that planted them is gone, as many old
abandoned farmsteads in Michigan can attest.
While considered old fashioned by some, lilacs are one of the most
planted landscape shrubs in North America.
The large
bush lilacs make good privacy screens and hedges. Tree lilacs make excellent specimen trees as
they have interesting bark and fall color as well as flowers. Dwarf and compact varieties of lilacs can be
used in foundation plantings and in perennial beds.
Lilacs are
originally from colder areas of Asia and Europe. They do well in Michigan in all zones. Most lilacs grow as large shrubs. Some varieties of lilacs, however, grow as
small trees, with a single trunk, and there are dwarf varieties on the market
for those who have small yards.
Lilacs have
dark green, heart shaped leaves. Lilac
flowers range from lilac to deep wine- red, white and light yellow. The flowers are born in large clusters in
late spring. As they age the flowers may
become lighter in color. Most lilacs have that wonderful lilac scent, but
beware; some varieties have little or no fragrance. Lilacs bloom for only a
short time, so to prolong the heavenly scent; you can plant several varieties
that bloom at different times.
Growing Lilacs
Choose the
site for your lilac carefully as they resent being transplanted. Although they root easily, they may not bloom
for several years after being moved.
Lilacs need full sun for the best bloom and disease resistance. They prefer light sandy soil that is slightly
alkaline and well drained. They may not
bloom well if the soil is too acidic and may fail to grow in heavy, wet
soil. Lilacs can get 15 feet high and
wide, so make sure the spot where you plant them will be big enough for their
adult size. If you are using lilacs as a
hedge or screen, plant lilacs 6-10 foot apart.
Transplant
lilacs in a cool period of the year; early spring before they leaf out is
ideal. Keep them watered while they get
established. Too much nitrogen will
cause lilacs to have lots of leaves and few flowers, use a little 5-10-10
fertilizer in the early spring if the plant seems to need a boost.
Lilacs
sometimes get powdery mildew, a fungal disease that makes the lilac leaves look
like they were dusted with white powder.
While it looks bad, it doesn’t affect the lilac plant too much. You can use a garden fungicide as a
preventative spray once the weather starts getting warm. Another problem of lilacs is lilac
borer. If lilac stems seem to be
wilting, check them for tiny holes. This
usually affects older, woody stems. If
you find holes, trim that stem off as close to the ground as you can and
destroy it. Pruning the oldest stems
off lilacs helps prevent lilac borers from being attracted to your bush. You can also treat the lilac with a systemic
insecticide to kill borers.
Pruning Lilacs
Lilacs bloom on old wood, the blooms form on
stems that grew the year before. Too
much pruning at the wrong time will leave you with no flowers. Prune lilacs immediately after they
flower. If the bush is too large and
overgrown, take out the largest and oldest stems first, the ones with woody
bark. Unless you need a drastic pruning
to restore order, don’t remove more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. You can trim the tops back to a more
manageable height, but you may not have many blooms the next year. Most shrub lilacs sucker from their root
system, remove suckers that are spreading too far into other areas. They can be
dug and transplanted to start new lilacs.
All lilacs benefit from removing the dead blooms so they don’t form
seeds.
Some Varieties
There are
hundreds of varieties of lilac. If you like the look of old fashioned lilacs,
choose common lilac, Syringa vulgaris. Some popular varieties include; “Lilac Sunday”-
typical lilac color but many more flowers, “Charles Joly”- double flowers of
dark purple-red, “Rochester” - white, “President Lincoln”- blue, “Krasavitsa
Mosky”- double flowers of pearl pink, “Primrose”- pale yellow, “James
McFarlane”- a late blooming pink, and “Sensation”- a violet red with white
edge. Dwarf and compact varieties
include “Miss Kim”-lilac color and late blooming, “Tinkerbelle”- deep pink, and
“Red Pixie”- wine red. Tree lilacs are
often sold as “Chinese” or “Korean” tree lilacs. Most tree lilacs have creamy white flowers but
“Syringa meyeri” has red-purple blooms.
Beginning a cutting garden
If you love
to add fresh flowers to your home or bring bouquets to friends why not start a
cutting garden? You can just cut flowers
from your regular flower beds if you have an abundance of flowers but you are
often torn between cutting blooms for inside or leaving them to make the best
display in the garden. If you have a
cutting garden, a garden solely designed to take flowers from, you won’t have
those hard decisions.
Cutting
gardens can include plants that look good in the vase, but may be hard to
integrate in landscape beds and borders.
Gladiolus are an example, they don’t blend well in most mixed beds. And when you cut the glad flower there is
little left to lend interest in the garden.
Plants that have a straggly growth habit, plants that require extra care
like tea roses, plants that don’t suit your landscape theme, and plants with
flower colors that clash with flowers in your landscape beds are good choices
for growing in a cutting garden.
Location for a cutting
garden
In order to
grow the largest variety of flowers choose a location in full sun. The soil
should be tested if there has never been a garden there and amended if necessary. Most flowers want a well-drained area.
Your
cutting garden is best in a spot where it is out of public view. If you use a lot of flowers from it, which is
the point of a cutting bed, it won’t always look as nice as a bed designed to
be seen. A spot behind the garage or by
the vegetable garden may work or you may want to plant behind a screen of some
sort.
You may
want to have separate areas within your cutting garden for perennial plants and
annual plants and tender bulbs. That way
when you are digging dahlias out for winter storage or planting zinnias in the
spring, you won’t disturb the perennial plants.
Plant selection for
cutting gardens
Think of
the plants that you like to use in flower arrangements and choose those
varieties, but don’t limit yourself.
It’s always fun to try different things. Plants that bloom prolifically, plants that
have sturdy stems for cutting, and plants that are quick and easy to grow make
great cutting plants. Always try to
plant a good selection of fragrant plants, for bouquets that smell as good as
they look.
Summer or
tender bulbs have some good candidates for cutting gardens. Gladiolus and dahlias are two common ones
that come in a wide range of colors and flower forms. They can be dug up and stored after frost in
the fall or treated like annuals and discarded.
Other bulbs to try are tuberose, and calla lilies.
Perennial
bulbs make great cutting garden candidates.
You don’t have to worry about the dying foliage making the garden look
bad or clashing colors. Go wild with
tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, alliums, Asiatic, trumpet, and oriental
lilies. Bearded and Siberian irises are
also great. Try to choose several
varieties that bloom at different times to extend your harvest.
Daisy-like
perennials are cutting garden and bouquet favorites. These include shasta daisies, heliopsis,
gaillardia, coreopsis and echinacea.
Chrysanthemums will extend the harvest into fall.
Other good
cutting garden perennials include lavender, Russian sage, phlox, ornamental
oreganos, Cupids dart, hardy asters, bee balm, hydrangea and goldenrod. Don’t forget tiny flowers for tiny nosegay
bouquets like lily of the valley, pansies and violets.
Annual
flowers, those that live just one year, offer many great choices for cutting
gardens. Be picky about varieties; look
for ones with sturdy stems and disease resistance. Good choices are zinnias, marigolds,
sunflowers, cosmos, annual asters, cornflowers, snapdragons, salvia, statice,
cleome, celosia and calendula.
If you love
cut roses you may want to use tea roses as annuals in the cutting garden. Start with top size potted or bare root tea
type roses, plant and care for them well all summer and you will be rewarded
with tons of blooms. If they come back
next year it’s a bonus. Hardy shrub or
landscape roses have a different type of flower shape but still can look nice
in arrangements and will be more likely to over winter without extensive care.
Cutting garden care
Just
because it’s out of sight doesn’t mean it should be out of mind. Make sure you can get water to the cutting
garden if it’s dry. Fertilize perennial
flowers in the spring when they first begin growing with a slow release fertilizer
formulated for flowers. Annuals in the
cutting garden require fertilization when planting and about every 6 weeks
until frost.
Keep your
garden weeded, weeds encourage disease and insect problems and compete for food
and water with your desired cutting garden plants. If you aren’t using all of the flowers for
cutting, keep flowers picked off the plants as they fade. This encourages the plant to keep
blooming. Keep track of what varieties
did well for you and what didn’t so you’ll know what to buy next year.
When you
have a cutting garden it’s easy to be generous with its bounty. Almost everyone likes flowers and keeping the
flowers cut is good for the plants.
Bees and butterflies can enjoy the flowers until you pick them. And you won’t feel like you are leaving a big
bare spot like you do might when cutting from your landscape beds. No more indecision- cut away!
Suggested
reading: http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/growing-annual-flowers-from-seed-the-garden
 |
| Help save me. |
Watch for turtles crossing the road!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
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. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
Here’s a seed/plant
sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/
A new herb group is forming!
The Lapeer Herb
Circle will meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at Rebekah’s Health
and Nutrition Store, 6 pm. at 588 S.
Main, Lapeer ( next to Office Depot).
They also have a facebook page you can join.
New- Free Garden tour by Michigan Hosta Society,
Saturday June 13th, 9 am – 5pm.
Take a self-guided
tour through 5 beautiful gardens, public welcome and it’s free! There will be refreshments at some gardens
and vendors will be offering items for sale and demonstrations. To
get more info and a map go to http://easternmichiganhostasociety.blogspot.com/
New- Peonies Galore Sale, Sat, May 30, 2015, 10am, Nichols
Arboretum,1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI
Locally grown
heirloom peonies for sale set amid the largest collection of heirloom peonies
in North America. 734-647-7600.
New- Welcoming the Summer Get-Together, Auction & Plant Exchange Mon, June 1, 2015, 7pm, Congregational
Church of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Get
to know your fellow gardeners, share secrets & bid/exchange great plants.
Hardy Plant Society 248-693-0334
Learning about Lavender workshop Saturday, May 23, 2015, 11 am -Marguerite
DeAngeli Library, 921 West Nepessing St., Lapeer MI
Lavender expert Iris
Lee Underwood will share with participants the history of her lavender farm and
how her love of lavender began. She will also discuss how to grow lavender, the
benefits and uses of lavender, as well as the importance of learning to live
sustainably on our land.
Call the library at
810 664-6971 to register for this program.
Here’s a link to
classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North
Branch. Now open.
Here’s a link to
classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a link to
programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in Michigan.
Here’s a link to
classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now combined
with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a link to
classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston and
Brighton locations
Here’s a link to
events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann Arbor,
Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden
Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a link to all
the spring programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden,
Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/
Here’s a link to events
and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Back Track To Nature offers the
following programs to inspire you and deepen your relationship with
nature! In partnership with the Lapeer Land Conservancy and Seven Ponds Nature
Center these programs are a perfect way for families and adults to enjoy the outdoors.
JUNE 2015
Learn in the Garden Tour - A
Visit to Three Roods Farm
Monday, June 1,
2015 9:30AM to
11:30AM and 3:30PM to 5:30PM
4821 One Acre Drive,
Columbiaville, Michigan 48421
In this tried and
true farm and garden tour we will discover what’s growing at 3RF and learn the
meaning of CSA. See what goes into managing a beehive, discover how
permaculture garden design uses the inherent qualities of plants and animals
combined with natural characteristics of the landscape, and visit with the chickens, ducks and peahens
all living in harmony with one another. Dress for the weather. No admittance
fee. Please call 810-969-1023 to
register, children under 17 must be accompanied by a registered adult.
The History of the Land Series -
Introduction to Land Stewardship
Thursday June 4,
2015 6:00PM to
8:00PM
Entrance and parking
is located across from 4090 Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, Michigan In this
History of the Land Series, our focus will be on land stewardship of the
Tibbits property. You will gain valuable
information and understanding about what a land steward is required to do: we
will discuss how to monitor property, identify encroachments both the animal an
human impact and show you how to perform trail maintenance and identify
invasive species. Join Karen Page land steward, at the Tibbits Nature Sanctuary
a Lapeer Land Conservancy property. Cost is $3.00 per person, children 12 and
under are free. Groups of 5 or more please call Karen at 810-969-1023 at least
3 days prior to reserve your spot.
Wild Springtime Tea Party
Saturday, June 13,
2015 10:00AM to 12:00PM
Cassie M owner of
Hilltop Barn will guide us through field and forest to show us how to identify
native plants and brew up some tasty teas and learn the how wild edibles are
beneficial to your overall health. Please contact Karen Page at 810-969-1023 to
register, children 17 and younger must be accompanied by a registered adult. No
admittance fee and donations accepted. Please park in the designated parking
area.
Living with Less: Talk and Tour of
the Tibbits Nature Sanctuary
Saturday, June 13,
2015 1:00PM to
3:00PM
4107 Columbiaville
Road, Columbiaville, Michigan 48421 Rewire your brain to repurpose, reuse,
recycle, harvest rainwater and grow your own foods, begin a new lifestyle
recreated by living with less, Tibbits Nature Sanctuary owner Clark Tibbits
will share his successful experiences creating a life long choice to live on
less. A step you can make toward a living with less can be as simple as adding
a rain barrel and a square foot garden to your home landscape. Back Track To
Nature owner Karen Page, will demonstrate how to harvest rainwater and grow
your own food in a small spaces. Please
call 810-969-1023 to register, children under 17 must be accompanied by a
registered adult. Follow the signs and park in the designated parking area.
The History of the Land -
Introduction to Wetland Restoration
Monday, June 15,
2015 9:00AM to 11:00AM
and 6:00PM to 8:00PM
Entrance and parking
is located across from 4090 Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, Michigan. In
this History of the Land Series we will explore, observe and study the wetlands
and learn about rich and exciting varieties of wildlife and plants, focusing on
water lilies, Today, this wetland is cared for by the Lapeer Land Conservancy
but it could have been in the backyard of the famous painter Monet who in 1890
developed his own outside studio where water lilies influenced his paintings.
Cost is $3.00 per person, children 12 and under are free. Dress for the weather. Groups of 5 or more
please call Karen at 810-969-1023 at least 3 days before to reserve your spot.
Change of the Season – A Guided
Nature Walk
Saturday, June 27,
2015 9:30AM to 11:30AM and
3:30PM to 5:30PM
Entrance and parking
is located across from 4090
Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, Michigan Join us for a guided nature walk on
the trials of the Hilton and Marjorie Tibbits Nature Sanctuary a Lapeer Land
Conservancy property. Bring water bottle, binoculars, camera and field guides.
Dress for the weather. This is a walking tour on uneven terrain. No Admittance
fee. Groups of 5 or more please call 810-969-1023 at least 3 days prior to this
walk.
Learn in the Garden Tour - Planting,
Composting and Water Harvesting
Monday, June 29,
2015 9:30AM to 11:30AM
and 3:30PM to 5:30PM
In this tried and
true garden tour you will learn basic techniques, of planting, composting and
water harvesting to promote sustainability and keep your own garden growing in
abundance. This farm and garden tour will be held at Three Roods Farm at 4821
One Acre Drive, Columbiaville Michigan. Dress for the weather. Class size is
limited to 15, children 17 and under must be accompanied by a registered adult.
No admittance fee. Call 810-969-1023 to reserve your spot.
Newsletter
information
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love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research
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