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Tuesday, June 2, 2015

June 2, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

June 2, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter    © Kim Willis

Hello Gardeners

Bristly Locust in bloom
I love June.  There’s something about the season, posed on the brink of nature’s maturity, like a lovely girl about to become a bride.  Maybe that’s why June is favored for things like weddings and graduations; it’s the brink of maturity, the passage way from youth to maturity.  June is full of hope and promise, lush with roses and sweetened with strawberries, plump and ripe.

I do apologize for telling everyone that it was time to plant everything last week. Some of you probably got light frost last night.  I didn’t check for the full moon, and I have noticed that it seems to get cold around the full moon at the end of May or beginning of June.  On Monday morning the weather service issued a frost advisory for areas above I-69 but they had modified it by late afternoon, saying frost would only occur north of the Saginaw Valley.  With the wind dying at sunset and the sky clear I decided to cover some of my more tender plants anyway, the tropical houseplants I put out last week when it was 85 degrees for example.  I left the veggie garden pretty much alone, hoping for the best.

This morning most of my plants seemed fine, especially the covered plants.  It got down to 34 degrees early this morning and that’s good enough for frost.  There was heavy dew, but I don’t know if any of it froze last night because I didn’t get up early enough.  However the single pepper plant I have looked like it was touched by frost.  They are cold tender anyway.  Tonight should be ok, temps are supposed to stay above 40 degrees.  I guess we just have to remember that this is Michigan having a stretch of 85 degree weather and then getting frost is possible.

The taste of honeyberries
Honeyberry fruit in my garden
I was in the vegetable garden weeding yesterday, enjoying the sun after the few days of rain we had, which we really needed. (1 and 3/10’s inch over 2 days here)  I happened to look up under my honeyberry plant and lo and behold- it had ripe berries.  This is the third year in my garden and while it bloomed last year it didn’t set fruit.  Since it is supposed to need 2 different varieties for pollination and my second plant had only a couple flowers, I didn’t expect fruit.  The fruit is hard to see, concealed under the branches.  I was excited to taste it but somewhat disappointed.  They have a sweet-sour taste but it’s bland.  I wasn’t impressed. The fruit is very small; it’s long and blue when ripe.  While the plant is advertised as a blueberry alternative, I wouldn’t expect much of a crop from it.  People are said to make jam from the berries, maybe that would work if you had a lot of plants.

My lovely heirloom graduation rose (aka Harrisons Yellow) is in bloom and is lovely next to the purple Dames Rocket.  Columbine and wild geraniums are in bloom.  Bearded iris are blooming The Bristly Locusts that occupy great expanses of our lawn on the east are all in bloom.  This plant is very invasive but it’s so pretty in bloom.  People stop and ask for starts of it every year when it’s blooming.

The yellow flower blooming all along the roadsides and in fields is yellow rocket.  It’s a biannual and dies after setting seed.  The little lavender daisy like flower with the yellow centers that’s blooming everywhere is Daisy Fleabane.  Field corn and soybeans are coming up and many farmers are cutting hay for the first time.

I have harvested romaine and butter head lettuce.  The apple trees seem to have set a good crop of fruit.  Strawberries are progressing nicely.  My large cucumber plant is flowering, and so are my tomatoes, but it will probably be a few weeks before they set fruit.   My sweet corn and popcorn have germinated as well as melons and pumpkins.  The Scarlet runner beans I planted are also up and cleome, cosmos, calendula and nasturtium.  For some reason the zinnias I planted have not appeared.

I test a solar water fountain pump

After seeing advertisements for them I decided to purchase a small solar powered water pump to use in a water garden.  The thing is very tiny- about 2 inches square and I was skeptical when I saw it that it would work at all.  It has a solar panel about a foot square that is connected to the pump with a 10 foot cord so you can locate it in the sun a little way from the fountain if needed.

I took the pump in its box with me when was on the way to the barn and set it down on a patio table, meaning to test it when I was done with chores.  When I came back the box lid had blown up and the pump was working away!  I was worried I had ruined it because the pump isn’t supposed to work without water.  But after filling a bowl with water to test it I found it worked surprisingly well. Turn the solar panel to the sun and the pump begins working almost immediately. This one had a rise of only about 5 inches, meaning it needs to be about 5 inches underwater if the fountain head is at the surface.  But the fountain spray rose about 18 inches in full sun conditions and was quite wide, which surprised me.  It had 3 different spray heads to choose from.  I was pleased with how well it ran.  I’ll post a picture when I get my water garden finished.

This model cost less than $25 and of course it runs absolutely free.  You don’t have to have an electrical outlet near the water feature, just sun within 10 feet.  Of course these pumps don’t work at night or when it’s real cloudy.  When I angled the solar collector the height of the spray dropped, light hazy clouds also caused a drop, but it didn’t quit.  There is no on or off switch on these either and you can adjust the height of the spray only by adjusting how much sun the collector gets.  But for the price I really like it and I’m excited to get started on a small water feature.  My husband told me to order another one, since he wants to experiment with a fountain in another spot.  

The model I ordered from Amazon is 1.8 watts solar fountain pump by Atniches but there are many to choose from, from several places, including larger, more powerful ones.  There are some with battery backup too, so you can use them at night or during cloudy times.  If you want a water feature without hooking up electrical power outside or don’t like how high your electric bill jumps when you run water pumps, try one of the solar pumps.

June almanac

June is a wonderful month in the northern hemisphere, the month when strawberries ripen and roses begin to bloom.  Indeed this month’s full moon,( June 2),  is called the Full Strawberry moon in North America and Full Rose moon in European countries.  And it sure was full and pretty last night.

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.

June is a good month for planting.  Good days to plant above ground crops are June 16-18th and the 24th -28th .  The 3-5th and 12th -13th are good days to plant root crops.    Do you need to cut hay?  Try June 10-11th and June 28th.

June is National Rose, Dairy, and Fresh Fruit and Vegetables month.  It’s adopt a cat month. It’s also Gay Pride month and Fight the Filthy Fly month. 
June 4th  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 21st this year.  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 Sunday this year 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.

Harison’s Rose, Yellow Rose of Texas, Oregon Trail Rose, Graduation Rose

In my family we call it the Graduation Rose because my mother, I, and all of my siblings and our kids have been photographed in front of my grandmother’s bush in our cap and gown.  But while it is a hybrid variety this rose is old and well known and is found throughout the US.  It even grows wild along the Oregon Trail, where pioneers abandoned belongings or where they planted it at the graves of those who died on the trail.  I have a plant (several
My Graduation (Harison's) Rose
actually) from my grandmothers plant.

The rose originated in the Manhattan NY gardens of a George Harison by chance mutation in the 1830’s.  Harison named it, reproduced it, and sold the cultivar widely.  The rose was very popular because of its hardiness and adaptability in the 1800’s.  It was carried west by hundreds of pioneers and can be found growing across the US.  It is extremely hardy and long lived and is often found growing wild on abandoned homesteads.

While it blooms only once in early June, Harison’s Rose is usually covered in small double light yellow flowers that have a nice rose scent and a well grown bush is beautiful.  It’s the first rose to bloom in most gardens. The plant forms a large 5-6 feet bush with arching canes if left to its own devices but can be pruned after blooming to make it more compact.   My grandmother trellised hers, I let mine arch gracefully.  Flowers produce small rose hips which are dark red-black.

Flower close up- Harison's Rose.
This rose has stems covered in small thorns, which make it hard to handle, but keep deer and other animals from grazing it pretty effectively.  Leaves are small and dark gray-green.  This rose can handle light shade, but blooms best in sun.  It suckers rampantly in good soil, and will form a thicket if allowed.  However the suckers make great plants to share.  Harisons rose is disease resistant and rarely suffers from blackspot or other diseases.  It doesn’t need winter protection and suffers little dieback even in severe winters. 

Even though it only blooms once and takes up a lot of space this heirloom hardy rose is worth having in the garden for its history and beauty if you have the room. It’s the rose that symbolizes the American spirit.  Harison’s Rose is hard to find commercially.  I have given away several suckers this spring but if you are interested contact me and I’ll try to dig one for you.

How to Grow a Catalpa or Catawba tree

You may know it as catalpa, Catawba, Indian Bean, Cigar tree, or Fish Bait tree but chances are if you live in the United States, you have seen this unique tree.  Catalpa is a true tree of the people, surviving in all kinds of conditions from polluted cities to windswept prairies.  Native Americans utilized the Catawba long before settlers arrived in the New World.  But the settlers soon recognized the value of the catalpa and carried it with them across the country.  With catalpa’s ability to survive most conditions and grow rapidly, and it’s bonus of beautiful, fragrant flowers, it was the pioneer’s choice of trees to plant on a new homestead.

For fast shade in rough conditions, catalpa is a good choice.  Farmers plant catalpa for the wood, which makes strong, lightweight, rot-resistant fence posts.  It makes a nice specimen tree with showy flowers at a time few other trees are blooming.

There are two recognized species of catalpa or Catawba tree in North America, Southern Catalpa, C. bignonioides, and Northern Catalpa, C. speciosa.  There are only subtle differences in the two and they have both been planted far outside their natural ranges.  Both catalpas are hardy in Michigan to zone 4, both have large, heart-shaped leaves, fragrant white flowers splashed with yellow and purple, and long skinny seed pods resembling bean pods. The Southern Catalpa is a slightly smaller tree, with the leaves growing in a whorled pattern rather than opposite each other as in the Northern Catalpa.  The leaves of some Northern Catalpas may be lobed.  Catalpa ovata, Chinese Catalpa, is a small tree, with lobed leaves.  The creamy yellow flowers are also a bit smaller, and produced later in the summer.  They are hard to find.
Catalpa blooms

The white flowers of the Northern and Southern Catalpa tree are large, frilly and orchid-like.  They are marked with purple dots and yellow patches, no two seemed to be marked quite alike.  When catalpa trees bloom in June or July, the sweet scent of the flowers can be almost over powering.   Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds flock to the flowers.  It’s quite a show for a week or two, and then all of the flowers are shed, making the ground under them look like a summer snowfall has occurred. The flowers turn into purple, then green, and then brown narrow pods, up to a foot long.  They may hang in the trees all winter. In the fall or following spring the pods release hundred of flat seeds.  If birds do not eat them they turn into more catalpa trees in every corner of the yard.

The catalpa tree is slow to leaf out in the spring, but when it does, it produces a deep shade. The leaves of catalpa are large, up to a foot long in some cases.  Usually they are medium green, slightly lighter and downy on the underside.   Purple and golden leaved varieties exist. 

Catalpa culture

While catalpas seem to pop up everywhere when you have a tree in the yard, the seeds seem to be a little tricky to germinate.  If you cannot find a small catalpa tree to purchase and have access to seeds, sow them in an outside bed of well-prepared soil in late fall or very early spring, cover lightly, and let nature do the work.  Catalpas transplant fairly easily when small.  Catalpas will grow almost anywhere, in any kind of soil, but they need full sun and fairly regular moisture.  They will not grow in poorly drained areas.  They grow quite rapidly when young.   A catalpa tree in a good spot may add 2 foot of growth a year and trees bloom young, as early as six years of age.

Catalpa trees do have some disadvantages in the home landscape however.  Severe winters, like the winter of 2014-15 can cause a lot of dieback on catalpa including limbs on large trees, but the trees usually recover.  The trees are messy, shedding flowers, large leaves, and seed pods abundantly.  Some people are allergic to the pollen of catalpa flowers and the scent really bothers some sensitive people.  In the south catalpas are also host to large green and yellow caterpillars in great numbers, the larvae of the Catalpa Sphinx moth, the reason for one of catalpas folk names.  Many a southern fisherperson has planted Catawba trees just to get the bait worms.  But for other folk these caterpillars are a big disadvantage, raining down green droppings and defoliating the trees. They can be controlled with insect sprays when they first hatch.  These worms have not been a problem in Michigan.

Catalpa trees often become infected with verticillium wilt, a fungal disease that causes large parts of the tree to die.  Catalpas tend to shoot up suckers from the roots, and side shoots from the trunk, and few ever totally die, but they look unsightly and need constant trimming of dead areas.  There is no real cure, but fertilizing with a high nitrogen fertilizer helps the tree keep growing.  If you remove the tree, don’t replace it with another catalpa tree in the same area as the disease remains in the soil.

If people in the household frequently suffer from seasonal allergies, a catalpa tree might not be a good landscape choice, as the flower pollen is quite allergenic.  The roots of catalpa are poisonous, but don’t seem to cause the problems with other plants that walnut roots produce.  The sawdust from working with catalpa wood can cause inhalant and skin allergy symptoms.  For that reason it would probably not be good to use catalpa wood chips or shavings as animal bedding.  The seedpods and seeds of catalpa contain a mild narcotic and sedative and should not be put in the mouth or consumed.

Rethinking the resistance to GMO’s

If a crop plant could be improved by natural breeding programs but the same result could be produced faster by genetic engineering is it fine to do it?  If we remove certain genes from a domestic crop that were developed through decades of conventional breeding in order to strengthen disease resistance is it wrong and evil? Is it dangerous?  These are things that are now possible because of genetic engineering methods developed by companies to make a profit.  But the words “genetically modified” have become scary to many people and they reject any food produced that way without finding out what, how and why the crops genes were manipulated.

It takes a profit motive for most agriculture based innovations to become realities.  When companies were pouring money into ways to modify the genetic structure of plants they were thinking about producing plants that could be trademarked, like the infamous Round Up ready soybeans that Monsanto profits so greatly from.  But the methods of manipulating genes in plants that these companies developed can be used in other ways that re actually beneficial.  The methods of generic modification are not inheritably wrong; although what we produce with it can be dangerous it can also be incredibly helpful and absolutely safe.  We have to start making the distinctions.

Genetic modification is not new

Man has always modified food crops genetically, but for a long time we had only one long and laborious way of doing so, through selective breeding.  We choose the best plants and bred them together, decade after decade.  Sexual propagation always produces new combinations of genes. There was some experimentation with radiation and chemicals to produce mutations, but these are hard to control and direct.  Then with the development of new ways to identify individual genes and discover what they controlled, we were also able to discover how to add or remove those genes to quickly produce plants with specific traits.

When man had to depend on selective breeding to modify plants, before we could separate the genes and discover what roles they played, we often brought along genes we didn’t want or that weren’t beneficial when we selected plants for certain beneficial traits.  We didn’t understand how genes usually come in groups called chromosomes which can carry many traits.  We knew that nature would weed out certain traits that benefited humans if they didn’t benefit the plant species.  But we didn’t know how to preserve the beneficial to human traits and still keep the traits nature gave the plant to protect it.

When man selected wheat plants for bigger seed heads and shorter stems the wheat plants lost some traits for disease and insect resistance.  What if we can find some wild wheat relatives and add back those disease and insect resistant genes without losing the genes for big fat seed heads and short sturdy stalks? Or what if certain genes that were changed when wheat was selectively bred and that caused the plants to be more attractive to insects could be removed?  Scientists think they can do this.  They could even do it conventionally, by breeding wild wheat with domestic, testing each generation for specific genes, for 20 to 50 years.  But they can also do it by isolating the desired genes and either adding or subtracting genes in new modern wheat varieties and get a modified crop in just a few years.  Which way is best?

Is it wrong to add carotene genes from carrots to rice so that people whose diets consist mostly of rice can benefit from them?  Carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the body and lack of vitamin A can cause blindness among other things.  Rice does not have vitamin A without genetic modification.  Is it wrong to modify carrots to have more carotene?  After all, the ancestors of modern carrots had white roots but we modified them through selective breeding.  We think nothing of adding back artificial vitamins to many food products.  Why not add vitamins/more nutrients to plants through genetic modification?

What we learned about genetic modification and how to manage it was never wrong, even though the methods may have been used to produce certain plant crops that were harmful to us and the environment.  What companies do for profit often leads to less than honest reports of the benefits or problems with a product.  Ultimately however, it comes back to bite them.  Because of the less than ideal or healthy crops some companies put on the market, the term genetic modification scares many people. But consumers should not reject all crops produced by modern methods of genetic manipulation.  There are many crops produced by modern genetic manipulation that are not harmful and some are greatly beneficial.

Yes there are things that we have done to plants (and animals) through genetic manipulation that have proved harmful.  We should reject those things and we should also demand rigid, non-biased testing on new genetic manipulation, especially that which could not be reproduced naturally.  But we should also embrace the technology that has so much to offer if it is used correctly and stop fearing it.

Lambsquarters, a weed to recognize and control

Lambsquarter seedlings
Common Lambsquarters, (Chenopodium album ) is also known as White Goosefoot, Fat Hen, and Mealweed and it gets those names in an interesting way. Europeans used the weed to fatten poultry and sheep, and also as a cooked green, similar to spinach. Common Lambsquarters is an annual plant that grows just about anywhere. It is found all over the worId, it’s one of the 5 most common plants world- wide.    

Native Americans collected the seeds of lambsquarter, which were eaten raw or ground into a flour to cook. They also ate the plant as a green.  At one time it was thought that lambsquarters were of European origin and introduced to the new world.  But archeological digs have found evidence that the seeds of lambsquarters were collected and stored by Native Americans long before European settlement.  Indigenous people around the world stored and ate the seeds of lambsquarter in prehistoric times.  Remember this if you are ever searching for survival food.

Lambsquarters has several herbal remedies also.  The leaves are high in Vitamin C and used to prevent scurvy. A cold tea of the leaves is used to stop diarrhea and is used for stomach aches.  Warm poultices of the leaves are used for burns and rashes and to relieve itching. 

Animals eagerly seek lambsquarters out to eat when it is young and tender.  It’s a good food for poultry, goats and sheep and was used as fodder in earlier times.  Horses and cows will also graze it.  Once the stems of lambsquarters get thick and hardened, however, animals usually leave it alone.

Lambsquarters likes rich soil and often comes up in manure piles and barnyards. In rich garden soil it will make a thick carpet of green very quickly in the spring and tends to smother out other seedlings if left to grow.  It is a plant of disturbed soil, crop fields and gardens, and rarely appears in meadows or undisturbed areas.  Farmers say if the soil is covered with lambsquarters it’s good fertile land.  However lambsquarters can and will appear almost anywhere, in poor soil or rich, in sun and shade, in all pH soils.

Identifying lambsquarters

Common Lambsquarters has roughly triangular leaves, with notched edges and sometimes small lobes. One large leaf on the tip of a stem is often followed by two small leaves that are opposite of each other. The rest of the leaves are alternate on the stem.  Lambsquarter leaves have a grey, somewhat fuzzy underside, especially when young, that is an identifying feature.  The fuzziness disappears on older leaves.

The plant makes thick sturdy stems that have vertical ridges and are often red tinged. It can grow to 3 feet or even larger in great spots.  In good soil and sun, many branched, bushy plants up to 6 feet high can form.
Lambsquarter flowering.

The plant has inconspicuous, greenish grey flowers that look like tiny knots on spikes near the top of the plant. Common Lambsquarters produces two kinds of seeds, a hard, black, round seed that can survive in the ground for a long period of time, and a lighter brown, flattened oval seed which generally germinates quickly. The plants produce thousands of each type of seed each year.  Don’t let them go to seed.

Lambsquarters could be controlled with broad leaf weed killers but is easy to pull or hoe up when young.  It rarely gets large in lawns because mowing regularly will kill it.  Many fungal and viral diseases of tomatoes, potatoes and other crops may be passed to them from lambsquarters.  Mosaic viruses are especially prevalent in lambsquarters.  Remove all lambsquarters plants from the garden as soon as seen.  You may want to eat them!


June, roses in hand, strawberries on the lips
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.

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/

Here’s a facebook page link for gardeners in the Lapeer area

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/

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

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
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.
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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