Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages: January 2016

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

January 26, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

January 26, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

Hello Gardeners

Well January is almost over and we haven’t had very terrible weather. Some cold and snow, but nothing like last year. The rest of the month looks like that trend will continue, with no big storms looming. It’s just 33 days to meteorological spring, March 1, and only 53 days to calendar spring, March 20. Let’s hope Nature’s spring is right on target.

The grass is green where it shows. Even my hardy bamboo is still green. Birds are singing. It’s raining instead of snowing, my kind of winter. We are lucky we didn’t get all the snow they had in the eastern US. Speaking of snow did you know you shouldn’t eat it, especially if you live in an urban or suburban area? Snow is filled with pollutants like lead and benzene that it picks up from the air. It cleans the air, but isn’t so good for you to ingest. No making ice cream from snow or sucking on icicles please.

I discovered that puppies must like the beneficial benefits of soil bacteria too. My pup Gizmo was utterly fascinated with the soil I was putting in pots to start some cuttings and seeds this weekend. He was smelling the air and barking, dancing around like I was playing with steak. I filled a tray with pots of moistened soil and turned to look at my seed collection. Gizmo knocked the tray on the floor and gleefully wallowed in the soil. He’s a mostly white, fluffy pup and looking at him the next morning I decided he needed a bath.

Later after the bath he followed me back into my office, where I had left the bag of potting soil on a chair. I have to start paying more attention to what he’s doing when he’s quiet. While I was at the computer he had pulled the potting soil off a chair and spilled it on the floor. Happy dog, not so happy dog mama. It was dry and brushed out better than the wet soil the day before. I sat the bag up on a small step ladder.

Today I was sitting here typing and heard a noise behind me. Gizmo had just been able to reach the bottom corner of the potting soil bag. He had chewed a hole in it and it had spilled down all over his head and chest. His little muzzle was nice and dirty. Needless to say the soil is now up high in a very safe position. I can’t wait until he finds all the soil outside this spring.

So just what is the difference between soil, potting medium and dirt?

Gardeners have a lingo all their own, just as most hobbies and occupations do. But knowing the difference between, soil, dirt, compost and planting medium isn’t just about lingo, or words, it’s about knowing what’s best for your plants.

Soil is the earth beneath our feet. It’s a mixture of rock broken into small particles, decayed organic matter and pore spaces, some filled with water, some with air. Soil may also contain a lot of living organisms, many too small to see, such as bacteria and fungi and larger organisms such as grubs and worms.

These are planting medium.

Soil varies from place to place depending on what rocks were broken down to form it, how fine the rock particles are and what organic matter has been added to the mixture. What we call clay is rock broken down into the smallest particle sizes, with small pores for water and air. Sand has the largest rock particles and pores.

The organic matter in soil is called humus. It has finished decaying and is a fairly stable product. The organic matter in soil and the minerals that came from the rocks broken down in the soil determine the soil pH and the nutrients available for plant growth. They also determine the color of soil. Soil color varies from light brown to almost black.

The mixture of rock particles and humus leads to different kinds of soil. A soil heavy in humus with fairly even amounts of clay and sand is called a loam soil. A soil with a little more clay is called clay loam and so on. In nature plants will grow in the type of soil they prefer and each kind of soil has advantages and disadvantages. When we want to grow certain types of plants in areas where the kind of soil isn’t suitable we need to amend it.

Top soil is the layer of soil closest to the surface and that soil generally has more organic matter or humus, therefore it looks darker. Soil isn’t “better” because it is dark in color, nutrient rich soils can be light in color. Be careful if you buy topsoil, it is generally collected from building sites or waste areas and can be filled with debris, weed seeds, and even dangerous chemicals.

Planting medium, potting medium or sometimes it’s called potting soil, really isn’t soil at all because it lacks the broken rock component of real soil. It’s usually composed of peat, shredded bark and vermiculite or perlite. Other products are sometimes used. Fertilizer- minerals- are usually added to these mixtures although one must read the bag label to find out.

Plants can grow for a while in soil less mixtures like this without fertilizers because plants have the ability to make their own food. But eventually they do need some of the minerals that real soil has and that is furnished with the various plant “foods” or fertilizers that are on the market.

Sterile potting mediums are great for starting seeds and rooting cuttings to help avoid diseases that can be present in real soil. Not all planting mediums are sterile, so once again check the label if you need disease free medium for starting plants. Potting mediums are used in general for pots, hanging baskets and raised beds because they are lightweight, hold moisture well, are easy for plant roots to penetrate and don’t crust over and crack when dry.

Compost is organic matter that has decayed to a point where it looks like rich brown crumbles. It may have a few pieces of stem or larger matter still recognizable but most of what went into it should no longer be distinguishable. Compost has nitrogen and a number of micro nutrients plus helpful bacteria and other organisms in it. However the nutrient values of compost varies and it shouldn’t be considered fertilizer. Plants can be started in compost if it is sterilized and it can be used in hanging baskets and pots. Remember it has no broken down rock or minerals in it and those things will have to be added to make compost a good growing mix.

Compost is added to soil in the garden to improve it, to add nutrients and microorganisms, to make it lighter and hold more water. Compost eventually turns to humus. It would be very hard to add too much compost to any kind of garden soil.

A new product on the market is called garden soil. It’s generally a mix of compost, soil from somewhere and maybe some peat. It is often used to fill raised garden beds. It’s more expensive than amending most garden soils but some people prefer the convenience.

Dirt is something we sweep out the door; dirt is debris, something undesirable. A good gardener learns to call the substance we grow plants in soil, planting medium or earth.

Why schoolrooms should be green

Last week I talked about why gardening makes us happy. This week I’d like to tell you how looking at plants or out the window at a green, natural setting could make your child or the children in your classroom more productive, happy, focused, calm and smarter.

The latest research on this subject published in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences is from a group of researchers who analyzed other recent research to come up with the best model for a classroom environment. The researchers found that students who could look out on a natural environment, even if it was just lawns and trees, had better test scores, were calmer and more focused on learning and seemed happier than students whose view was a parking lot, another building or had no view at all. This was true for students of all ages.

Other factors in a classroom environment that promoted mental health and achievement were natural lighting, a temperature between 68 and 74 degrees F., and pictures and objects that depict successful people, especially if those people represent disadvantaged groups making up the student body. Participating in outdoor activities, having plants and animals in the classroom and gardening or nature activities also produced happier, more successful kids than students in classrooms who did not have those advantages.

While we can’t change the view from every classroom we can add plants, pets, and pictures of nature or successful people to the rooms. We can keep shades open to let in natural light. We can advocate for the proper temperature. And we can do garden projects or study nature. Getting a child close to those beneficial bacteria in soil that I talked about last week can only help a child. Behavior problems might lessen if we get the kids outside to take a long walk in a natural setting.

If you are a teacher who doesn’t have plants in the classroom get in touch with me and I will get you some. Let the children care for them. Every classroom should have plants, they will promote a calmer, happier, less stressful environment for all concerned.

Reminiscing About Roses

Rose catalogs are starting to arrive and looking at them always stirs a bit of nostalgia in me. When I was a child I could look down from my bedroom window next door onto my grandfather’s rose garden and smell the roses on the first warm days in June. And on some days my mother would rush around shutting the windows as my grandfather sprayed his precious roses with DDT or Malathion, which smelled like cat pee.

In winter my grandparents poured over the catalogs, selecting the new roses that they would try. My grandmother frequently gave me the catalogs when they were finished and I would see where my grandfather had circled a rose or made notes about it in the catalog margins. I learned about tea roses and grandifloras and black spot and bud count and fragrance types as I read the catalogs and planned the rose garden I would have some day.

My grandfather made little metal tags by laboriously punching the names of the roses into aluminum with a set of metal bars that each had a letter on the end. These tags were mounted by each bush. His rose garden was surrounded by bricks painted white. When I was young the rose garden was always impeccably weeded-by my grandmother and sometimes with me helping. My grandparents belonged to a garden club and there would be days when people strolled the gardens while my grandfather extolled on the virtue of one rose or another.

A picture copied from an old, faded slide of my
grandfather in his rose garden after he was older,
and it was a bit less cared for.

When my grandfather got older and sicker, his rose garden was less stylish and more cottage like, with huge unpruned bushes of the hardiest rose varieties spilling petals and fragrance into the garden like mature ladies of the night, still pretty but a bit blowsy. When my grandfather passed my grandmother tried to keep up with all the gardens- they had many- but when she remarried her second husband turned the rose garden into a huge food garden. Only a few roses survived along the fence. One of those roses, a Harrison Yellow, we called the graduation rose because we all had our pictures taken in front of it in our graduation gowns, even my mother and her sister. I have plants started from that rose in my garden now.

When I moved into my first home I immediately wanted to plant roses. My lot was very shaded however and I had only a limited spot where roses would thrive. There was one rose already in the landscape. But I planted some, the climber Blaze on the garage wall and a few tea roses in a spot of sun in the front. A vegetable garden took up much of my sunny area but I even had a rose in the center of it.

When I moved to the country twenty some years ago I had much more room but my time was more limited and the roses I have chosen for my gardens here are basically hardy, low fuss, landscape types. I have several Knock-Out varieties and Meillands and of course my Harrison/Graduation rose. A multiflora rose that I keep pruned grows at the side of my front porch. It’s one of those pesky non-native invaders we are supposed to hate and destroy but it’s so pretty and fragrant when it blooms that I let it stay.

Double Knock Out.

Recently I was looking through the rose offerings of several catalogs. I noticed several roses that I grew or that my grandparents grew that are still listed. With the thousands of roses that have been developed over the years any rose that has stood the test of time and is still popular enough to be offered after 40 years- or longer- have passed has to be a winner. If you like roses and want to plant some oldies but goodies here are some roses to reminiscence with.

‘Arizona’ is a peachy pink and yellow grandiflora with a wonderful sweet scent. It’s very vigorous and went on the market in 1975.

‘Baronne de Rothschild’ is a hybrid tea with magenta red petals with a white back. It is very disease resistant and has a strong spicy scent. It is a Meilland rose and was first offered in 1968.

‘Adolf Horstmann’ is a hybrid tea of a rich gold hue, touched with salmon. It’s large, hardy and vigorous with a slight fragrance. It was developed in 1971.

‘Cariba’ is a large, strong, hardy tea rose. It has flowers variegated in yellow, orange and red and each bloom is different. It has a mild fragrance and was first offered in 1972. I grew this rose and it always attracted oohs and awes.

‘Color Magic’ is a hybrid tea that seems to change color as it ages, from ivory pink to deep salmon red blends with numerous blooms of various hues on each plant. It has a strong, fruity scent and was developed in 1975.

‘Chrysler Imperial’ is the classic red tea rose with a strong old rose scent. It’s vigorous and hardy and still worth purchasing even though its debut was in 1953. I remember this beauty very well.

‘Chicago Peace’ and ‘Peace’- If you like classic tea roses you must have ‘Peace’ in your garden. It’s a mildly fragrant blend of pale pink and yellow roses on a large, vigorous bush. It took the rose world by storm when introduced in 1945. Rose growers suggest this heritage rose needs less fertilizer than modern roses to remain healthy. ‘Chicago Peace’ is a deeper pink sport of ‘Peace’ that came out in 1962. I remember my grandfather’s urgency to have this rose when it was first introduced and how proud he was of it.

‘Don Juan” is a velvety red double flowered climbing rose that rivals ‘Blaze’ in popularity. Its roses are generally produced in early summer and are intensely fragrant. It was introduced in 1958.

‘Fragrant Cloud’ is a lovely, deep orange-red tea with a beautiful fruity rose scent. It’s very hardy and more compact than other old tea roses. I have grown this rose several times and I am thinking about buying it again.

‘Iceberg’ is one of the few white roses in the oldies but goodies section. It’s a single flowered floribunda with large fragrant blooms. It blooms almost continuously and makes a large robust bush. It is often included in lists of the top 10 roses. I have grown this rose and found it charming. It was introduced in 1958.

‘Miss All American Beauty’ or ‘Maria Callas’ as they prefer to call it in Europe, is a tea rose of exceptional hardiness and disease resistance. It has deep red-pink blooms with a lovely old rose fragrance. It was introduced in 1968 and was one of my grandfather’s favorites.

‘Mister Lincoln’ is another classic deep red tea rose with a wonderful rich rose scent. It’s a large, sturdy plant that was introduced in 1965. You’ll find this rose in many of the inexpensive dormant rose collections in stores and its worth buying.

‘New Dawn’ is a climber or pillar rose. It produces pale pink, double, very fragrant flowers in clusters in early summer and occasionally repeats bloom. It was introduced in 1930. I had this rose growing at my old house in Pontiac, one of the few flowers that was there when I moved in and I wish I had started a cutting of it. It is tolerant of light shade and indeed at my old house it scrambled up and leaned against an old mulberry tree.

‘New Day’ was one of the tea roses that I grew at my old house in Pontiac. Its light yellow with a good spicy scent and blooms profusely. It’s also disease resistant and was introduced in 1972.

‘Perfume Delight’ lives up to its name with a wonderful fragrance. It’s a deep pink and the flowers are very large. I found that this rose had fewer blooms than some other tea roses but it’s very beautiful. It came out in 1974.

‘Queen Elizabeth’ is an older grandiflora rose, producing flushes of true pink roses in large candelabra style groupings. It’s very hardy, has a nice scent, and turns into a large shrub over time. It was one of the roses in my grandfather’s garden and was introduced in 1955.

Harrison's Yellow Rose in my garden.

‘Tropicana’ was another rose that caused a sensation when it was introduced in 1963 and I remember my grandparents being very proud of having it in their garden. It’s a coral–orange tea rose with a strong scent. It’s another rose you’ll often find in the packaged roses offered in garden shops and worth purchasing.

‘The Fairy’ is a very old variety of polyantha rose. It produces clusters of tiny light pink double roses in flushes through the season. It’s very hardy and grown on its own roots. The sturdy disease resistant plants were often turned into low hedges and this rose separated our yard from my grandparents yard for a considerable distance. The fragrance is a mild apple–like one. This plant is in the bloodlines of many modern landscape roses and was first introduced in 1932.

There you are- a selection of oldies but goodies to consider if you are going for a cottage garden look or like antique varieties of plants.

Fungus gnats in houseplants

In the winter people who have houseplants in the home may notice tiny insects, similar to fruit flies flitting around the home. While they don’t bite humans or cause human disease, fungus gnats, (several species and families of Diptera), can be annoying. They may flit into your face or end up in your drinks, although they are not attracted to food. While they don’t harm most mature plants unless there is a very severe infestation, they can harm seedlings as the larvae feed on seedling roots. They can also spread the fungus responsible for damping off, so if you want to start seeds in your home you should get rid of the fungus gnats first.

Description

Female black fungus gnat.
Credit: en.wikipedia.org

Fungus gnats look like small dark mosquitoes. They are about 1/16 to 1/8 inch in size, with a dark, slender body shape; females have an ovipositor which can look like a “stinger” on the abdomen. Their wings are clear or pale gray, with veins visible. If you can see them closely you will notice long segmented antennae. Fruit flies are generally rounder, and lighter in body color than fungus gnats with darker wings. Fruit flies and other household flies are pretty good fliers, but fungus gnats are not as active and are often seen resting on plants. Like all flies they are attracted to light and may be seen on windows or lamps.

The larvae of fungus gnats are almost invisible to the naked eye. They live in damp potting soil or damp organic matter. They are a typical fly larva or maggot, with almost clear bodies and a black head. To see if you have them in pots, lay several slices of raw potato on the soil surface and check the side on the soil the next day. The larva are generally attracted to the potato and will show up as small dark spots (that’s the heads) in the potato slice.

Where did you get fungus gnats?

If you move houseplants outside for the summer you may bring the gnats back inside in the fall. Many greenhouses have a problem with them so a new plant you bring home could carry the insects. Any damp organic matter you bring inside could harbor them. Planting mediums (soil) that have organic matter in them and are not pasteurized or sterilized can have the eggs or larvae of fungus gnats.

Organic type potting soils containing compost or manure and garden soil are more likely to have fungus gnats than some other soil mixes. But most potting soil mixes contain some organic matter, whether peat, coir or bark fiber. To minimize the chances of getting fungus gnats look for potting mixes that are sterilized or pasteurized. This is especially important for starting seeds. Look for bags that do not have holes and have not been left outside to absorb moisture. Don’t add your own compost or other natural products to potting mixes.

Fungus gnat Life Cycle

Female fungus gnats lay eggs in damp potting soil or other damp places which hatch in about 3 days. The tiny larvae feed on plant roots and decaying organic matter in the soil for about 10 days, there are 4 larval stages or molts of the skin, then they turn into tiny pupates or cocoons. In 4 days these hatch into adults and the cycle begins again. So depending on temperature each generation takes 17-24 days.

Fungus gnats are very hardy. They can survive freezing temperatures and live indoors or outdoors. The adults are attracted to flower nectar or pollen and can be pollinators for some plants. They can carry mushroom spores on their feet and are important distributors of spores. Their feet can also carry disease from plant to plant. In the absence of flowers adult fungus flies feed on bits of fungus on soil surfaces and may feed lightly on soft plant tissues. They don’t live long, 10-24 days.

Damage and control

The worst damage from fungus gnats occurs to seedlings, which cannot tolerate much feeding on their roots. Since these insects also carry dampening off, a fungal disease that kills seedlings, it’s important to eliminate them before starting seeds. In heavy infestations the fungus gnat larvae can also limit older plants growth or in some cases even kill more delicate plants.

There are several ways home gardeners can control fungus gnats. First the gnats need very moist soil to breed in and over watering plants can aid infestations. Let the soil surface dry between watering. Also dispose of water in pot saucers and trays soon after watering. To keep the soil surface drier you can add perlite, fine gravel like parakeet gravel, or clean sand to the soil surface. Some sources recommend diatomaceous earth but since it can be harmful to human lungs if inhaled it’s better to use safer products.

Even proper watering can’t control all fungus gnat infestations. One of the most effective treatments involves a biological product called BTi. This is not the BT product sold for use on garden caterpillars but a special product Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis for fungus gnats. It can generally be found in better garden stores or from on line nursery/garden supply sites. Brand names include Gnatrol. This is mixed with water and poured on the soil. You will need to do it every 5-7 days for a month or so. BTi is harmless to children and pets. Mosquito dunks or other mosquito products using BT are not usually effective in plant soil nor are the BT products for garden caterpillars.

Nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) which kill fungus gnat larvae can be purchased in some greenhouse supply stores. These are generally used by those with large plant collections or in greenhouse settings but if houseplant lovers can find them they are very safe and effective.

A home remedy that has pretty good success is hydrogen peroxide. Use a mixture of 1 part 3% strength hydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water and pour it in the pots until the soil is saturated. It will foam but that’s not harmful. Generally hydrogen peroxide will not harm plants but some like Peace Lily, can be sensitive to it. Don’t use this on real expensive exotic plants. This treatment will need to be repeated several times, with the soil drying out in between. If the leaf tips of the treated plant turn brown or the plant doesn’t look good after a treatment then don’t use peroxide again. Some gardeners have even used hydrogen peroxide full strength on plant soil with no serious effects.

Some gardeners have mixed a couple teaspoons of cinnamon with the hydrogen peroxide. The cinnamon kills the fungi in the soil that larvae feed on but not the larvae. Use this cautiously as some plants need certain fungi associations to grow well. It might be considered with seedlings, when you have a problem with dampening off and fungus gnats.

There are chemical insecticides that can also be used to control fungus gnats. These need to be systemic products that are poured on the soil. Check the label to see if the product can be used for fungus gnats and follow label directions. If you use these keep pets and children away from the treated plants. Spraying the adult fungus gnats with pesticide as they fly around or even rest on plants is usually useless and contaminates the indoor air.

You can trap adult fungus gnats either by buying yellow sticky paper traps in stores and cutting them into small pieces or making your own sticky traps. To make your own sticky traps coat small pieces of the brightest yellow paper or cardboard you can find with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). You can stick the coated paper in the tines of a plastic fork and place them in pots or use clothes pins to hold pieces on small stakes. Place some in windows and by light sources too.

There are fruit fly traps that can help to catch adult fungus gnats on the market. They may also be attracted to a bit of cider vinegar in a cup but these attractants don’t work as well on fungus gnats as they do for fruit flies.

Use the cut slices of potato on the top of soil mentioned above to monitor whether you are controlling the fungus gnats or not. Dispose of the pieces every few days outside of the house. This will also help eliminate the population of gnats. In some cases you may want to re-pot the houseplants with clean, soil less potting medium. Gently wash the soil off the roots before placing them in new soil and use a mild soap to wash the pots inside and out before reusing. Be aware that this may not eliminate all the fungus gnats and be prepared to use other control methods. Keep your potting soil sealed up and dry to avoid breeding gnats in it.

On occasion fungus gnats can breed in little used drains, in moist corners of a greenhouse or in other moist places with organic matter. Drains can be cleaned with bleach and other areas cleaned up and scrubbed.

Unless you are starting seeds or growing seedling plants, fungus gnats are generally more of a nuisance than harmful. Be careful to weigh your control decisions based on that fact.

Floating bonsai

Here’s an interesting link to a video showing a neat new gadget. It’s an electromagnetic device that can keep a plant floating in the air. They show it using little bonsai plants but I could see it with air plants or tillandsia or any small plants.

https://www.facebook.com/ScienceNaturePage/videos/767207526744841/?theater

Get outside and take a walk

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.

Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share? Post them here by emailing me.

Free seeds

I have these seeds that I collected from my garden that I am willing to share free. Look at the list and if you would like some contact me at kimwillis151@gmail.com

I will tell you where to send a stamped self-addressed envelope for the seeds. If you want popcorn or black walnuts it will take several stamps. I have published this list on the seed swap sites also. I’ll try to give everyone who asks some until they are gone.

Lilies, a seed mixture of assorted hybrids, oriental- Asiatic- trumpet- Casa Blanca, Stargazer, La Reve, purple tree, yellow tree, Silk Road, more

Anise hyssop

Morning glory – common purple

Scarlet runner bean - few

Japanese hull-less popcorn

Hosta asst.of seed from numerous varieties- lots

Ligularia desmonda (daisy–like flower)

Ligularia rocket – spires of flowers

Yucca

Glad mixed

Zinnia mixed

Foxglove Dalmation peach

Calendula mixed

Baptisia blue

Jewelweed

Cleome white

Columbine mixed- small amount

Nicotiana small bedding type- mixed colors

Nicotiana sylvestris (woodland tobacco, Only the Lonely)

Daylily mixed

Kangaroo Paws orange

Hollyhock mixed

Black walnut- few hulled nuts

An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/623997204362467/?fref=nf

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

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

New -Growing Great Gardens – Saturday, March 12, 2016 - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Heinz C Prechter Performing Arts Center, 21000 Northline Rd, Taylor, MI

Are you a "plant geek"? Ready for some inspiration? Calling all gardeners for a day of learning, food, prizes and fun at the 8th annual Growing Great Gardens. Enjoy renowned horticulture gurus Scott Beuerlein, Joe Tychonievich, Ed Blondin and Susan Martin. Lunch included. Master Gardeners can earn education hours, too! (5-6 hours, depending on whether you sign up for the BONUS class at lunchtime. Costs: $45 before 1/31. Lunch & learn class $10.

More info- Phone: 888-383-4108

Seven Ponds Winter Fest Saturday, January 30, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Join us for our annual winter fun day. Included is a bonfire on the ice, ice cutting, mammal tracking, snowshoe walks, cross country skiing, and ice skating. Inside will be children’s crafts and bring a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or pillowcase to decorate with animal tracks. Programs on winter animals and ice cutting will also be offered. Includes a campfire lunch of a hot dog, chips, and hot chocolate too! Bring your own skates and cross country skis or try out the center’s snowshoes. In case of snow and/or ice shortage, alternate activities will be planned. The Stingers will hold a bake sale and a used book sale. Please sign in and get stamped upon arrival. Fee: $3.00 per non-member and free for members. Groups are welcome with advance registration (by January 24) by calling the nature center. Address: 3854 Crawford Rd, Dryden, MI 48428 Phone:(810) 796-3200

Here’s a link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/

Grand Rapids Smart Gardening Conference 2016, March 5, 2016, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Several speakers on native plants, low impact/care gardening, pollinators. More info-

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/events/grand_rapids_smart_gardening_conference_2016

Cost: Early Bird Registration by Feb. 15, 2016 - $60, Late Registration - $70 Enrollment deadline is Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 or until full. Registration at the door is not available.

Contact: Diane Brady, bradydi1@anr.msu.edu, 616-632-786

Here’s a link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North Branch.

http://campbellsgreenhouses.com/garden-center/classes-events/

Great Lakes Hosta College, March 18-19, 2016, Upper Valley Career Center in Piqua, Ohio.

Students attend 5 classes they have chosen from a program of over 70 classes taught by a faculty of approximately 50 volunteers. Mid-day each student has lunch from a delicious buffet included in the registration fee. At the end of the day students take a brief break and then return for a banquet and talk that concludes the Hosta College experience.

The vending area offers a large selection of plants (even though it may be snowing outside!), garden accessories, tools, and other garden-related merchandise for shoppers. The Bookstore features gardening books at fantastic discounts, stationery, society clothing items, and other Hosta College souvenirs. Persons who belong to one of the local societies with membership in the Great Lakes Region receive preferential registration and a reduced registration fee. $42 registration fee for members, $55 registration fee for non-members.

To register or get class list go to http://www.ihostohio.org/portal/glhc/college.asp

Here’s a link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/happening/calendar.asp?date=5/18/2015

Here’s a link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in Michigan.

http://www.englishgardens.com/events

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.

http://tellys.com/system/files/Tellys_WinterSpringGuide_Web-2015.pdf

Here’s a link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston and Brighton locations

http://www.bordines.com/events/

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

http://hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu/events

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

info@meijergardens.org

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

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

January 19, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

January 19, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

Hello Gardeners

Sambucus (elderberry)

Where is that El Nino winter? I want it back. It looks like we’ll start getting a slight warm-up after today. At least we didn’t get buried in snow, but our back roads here are a sheet of ice. It doesn’t look like we have any big snow storms coming this week and maybe some sun here and there. I can stand the cold if it’s sunny.

I have been going out each morning and seeing deer tracks on the path to the barn. This is a pretty enclosed area, and the back yard fence runs along it with my dogs able to patrol it. I was puzzled as to why deer were coming up there, since I thought I had few plants along there to attract them. This morning I finally realized what they were after. The fence was covered with both morning glory and woody nightshade this year. They were standing in the little raised bed that runs along the fence and munching off the vines- I think to get the nightshade berries. No berries were left on this side of the fence. They may have been eating morning glory seeds too- which probably gave them a nice buzz.

The deer seem unusually bold this year; I didn’t have much trouble with them coming close to the house before. It’s strange because the snow cover is light and they should be able to get plenty of browse still. Maybe not enough hunters this year. The wild birds have been very hungry also. I go through about 20 pounds of sunflower seed and several cakes of suet each week.

I hope you all have something blooming inside this winter. I have geraniums, hibiscus, kalanchoe, Christmas cacti and peace lily in bloom right now. Some cleome has come up in a pot I brought inside and its 18 inches tall. I’m debating on whether to separate it out of the pot it’s in and see if it will bloom inside or just pull it out and discard it. You can probably guess which I will do.

I am going to be starting some seeds and cuttings this weekend. I hope you also have some garden projects you can putter around with. There’s nothing like gardening to keep you sane through the winter.

Why everyone needs to get down and dirty

When you wander outside on a spring day, after the soil is thawed and the sun is warm you can smell spring in the air. That distinctive rich earthy scent is from bacteria awakening in the soil, breathing, eating and reproducing. There are thousands of types of bacteria in soil, and we are just getting to know how many species there are and what they do.

One common soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae has been studied intensively for the last decade or so. It has been used to create tuberculosis and leprosy treatments and was being studied for cancer treatment when doctors noticed something in their patients. While the M. vaccae treatment didn’t seem to alter the progression of cancer very much doctors noticed that patients getting the treatment were less anxious, happier and more content than patients not getting the treatment.

This triggered studies to see if M.vaccae did alter moods and thinking. Numerous studies in various countries have now confirmed that M.vaccae stimulates the production of neurons which produce serotonin, that wondrous substance that makes us feel happy and contented. Some studies also found that M.vaccae exposure also improved memory and learning. There are ongoing research projects to make treatments for depression and mental illness from M.vaccae that may someday replace drugs like Prozac.

Gardening makes us happy.

Gardeners have long said that they feel better and happier when they get out in the “dirt”. When you garden you inhale, ingest and absorb through your skin many helpful bacteria, such as M.vaccae. While standing on the porch and inhaling the earthy aroma of bacteria could also help your mood, getting right in there, down and dirty, is the best way to lift your spirits. Seasonal depression is triggered by lower light exposure but it’s very probable that missing those daily doses of helpful bacteria may also contribute to feeling blue and cranky in the winter.

This may explain why garden therapy for the mentally challenged, residents of nursing homes, hospices and prisons is usually so successful. And why some of us get “spring fever” in the first warm days of spring. People just feel better when they are exposed to soil. Maybe what makes some of us such avid gardeners is an increased need for the soothing, uplifting effects of helpful bacteria. Gardening can be an addiction!

A note on potting mixes

As a side note I am going to be testing some new potting mix from Gardeners Supply Company that has added mycorrhizae. Potting medium is not soil, but a mixture of peat, coir, and other substances. Mycorrhizae are fungi, not bacteria but they are extremely helpful to many species of plants in establishing a well-functioning root system. Some of the substances used in potting mixes may contain bacteria and even mycorrhizae but these products are probably still lacking some of those helpful organisms or have them in lesser quantities than soil. And many mixes are sterilized before packaging, which destroys living organisms.

The problem with including actual soil in potting mixes is that it can contain harmful organisms as well as beneficial ones. In the artificial environments of pots and seed starting trays this can be a problem. Now that we can identify and isolate some beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae we are able to include some of them in potting mixes while still removing harmful ones. This should improve plant health.

I’ll report later on whether I found that the new potting medium, Seed Starter with Super Root Booster and Transplant mix with Super Root Booster to be better than regular potting soil.

Food can’t be healthy

You may be hearing or seeing the statement- “food can’t be healthy”- in the media lately and if you haven’t – well here it is. So what does this mean? For one thing it’s reminding us that using words correctly helps keep things from getting confused. Food cannot be healthy, it can be nutritious or not nutritious but health is the state of a living being. People can be healthy if they eat nutritious food but we don’t call people nutritious-(well most of us wouldn’t – and I guess we could be for some other creatures.)

But the statement “food can’t be healthy” should also remind us of the contentious debate going on in the world of food science and nutrition today. One day a certain food is said to be nutritious and the next it’s said to be harmful. Eat this, not that. The USDA just released a new food guideline that’s generated a storm of controversy. Many researchers feel that saturated fat is not a problem at all in the diet and yet the USDA guidelines still vilify it. Many researchers take issue with the idea that red meat is “bad” - stating it’s the way meat is cooked that may cause a health problem. One researcher may think coffee has health benefits or alcohol in moderation while others condemn them.

Nutritional research is hard to conduct. Most such research relies on people to accurately remember and report what they eat. And people instinctively try to report eating more of what they feel are nutritious foods and tend to underestimate portions of foods they eat. But most people do have a sense for what foods are good for them- foods that are minimally processed and contain no added sugar. (Even so, some raw foods are not very nutritious, take head lettuce as a good example.) Yet even though we know what we should eat, habit, economics, convenience, and addictions seem to control what many of us eat.

One day I predict, diets will be tailored to individuals. Some people are better able to process carbs than others for example. Some people may need more of certain nutrients, such as iron, than others. Some may need more protein. There are some foods that are not nutritious and may even be harmful, (soy oil, high fructose corn syrup) that we need to remove from the global pantry. But a nutritious diet, one that makes you healthy may be one that you need to experiment with and determine for yourself.

Benefits and disadvantages of buying bare root plants

When you are checking out those garden catalogs and on- line garden stores this winter you may notice that some plants are sold “bare root” rather than potted. When you buy a bare root plant you will receive a dormant plant whose roots are without soil. They may be in damp moss, paper or wood shavings but won’t be in a pot. Not all plants can be shipped bare root. But strategies developed over centuries have allowed people to send plants great distances without the weight and disease and pest potential that pot soil carries.

Plants need to be in a dormant state to be shipped bare root. Growers have various ways to put plants in dormancy and keep them stored that way until they are sold. Much of this depends on cold treatment, but lighting and chemical treatments are sometimes employed. The soil is gently removed from the roots after plants are harvested. The proper humidity must be maintained in storage so that plants don’t dry out or mold and rot.

Plants that are shipped bare root are almost always deciduous, and most frequently perennial, woody type plants. Some very small evergreen seedlings can be sent bare root because enough moisture can be supplied to the roots for a short period by wrappings, but larger evergreens cannot. Herbaceous plants with fleshy, tuberous roots can sometimes be shipped bare root, hosta, iris, daylilies for example, and also a few other herbaceous plants. But some plants will only survive well if potted during shipping, even if they are dormant. Even some varieties of plants normally shipped bare root are more likely to survive if shipped potted. Plant sellers are usually pretty good at choosing the right method of shipping.

Plants often sold bare root include: fruit trees, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, ornamental and shade deciduous trees, flowering shrubs, peonies, daylilies, hosta, iris, astilbe, clematis, asclepias, hollyhocks, phlox, ferns, and roses.

Shipping plants in a dormant, bare root condition allows gardeners to get larger sized, more mature fruit trees and other woody ornamentals in a less inexpensive way than if the plants had to be shipped in pots with the weight associated with soil determining shipping costs. Even smaller perennials generally cost less than similar sized potted plants. So economy is one important advantage of bare root plants.

You have less of a chance of getting pests or diseases when you purchase bare root plants than when potted plants are bought. In some cases, dormant bare root plants will be allowed into a state but potted ones will not because of soil borne disease. But all disease or even pests are not prevented by purchasing a plant bare root.

Bare root plants often survive shipping better than potted plants especially when the weather is cold or shipments get delayed. But bare root plants can only be sold when the weather is cool, generally in the spring, because warmth may bring them out of dormancy. This is often the problem with boxed dormant plants and bagged roses that you see in retail stores. The plants are sitting in warm, bright conditions and begin to grow. The longer they grow before being planted the weaker they become and less likely they are to survive when planted in the garden.

If you are shopping in a garden store and see boxed perennials or roses don’t choose the ones with long shoots. They may seem appealingly more alive than the ones without growth but if the last frost hasn’t occurred in your area planting them outside shouldn’t be done. They will not be conditioned to the cold and the growth will be killed. This further weakens plants already compromised by sprouting without soil. You could pot them and hold them inside if you have the room. But these plants frequently do not perform as well as those that did not have much growth before they were planted.

That is another disadvantage of bare root plants. They should be planted as soon as possible after you receive them. Plant sellers try to guess when the weather is right in your area for planting bare root plants but they can be wrong. And things can happen on your end that will prevent you from immediately planting bare root stock. For a short time bare plants can be held in a cool, dark spot and kept moist. Do not store bare root plants sitting in water! But if the wait is going to be more than a week, or the plant is too large to be stored in any cool place you have inside, you should pot it in a good potting medium and keep it in a cool, bright location outside until you can put it in the ground.

Unless you are instructed otherwise by the seller, dormant plants can be planted outside as soon as you can dig in the soil. This way they emerge from dormancy slowly in the proper time for your area. Because of dormancy treatments some plants received, some bare root plants may be slower to break dormancy than established plants of the same species in the area. Be patient with them.

In short, bare root plants allow a gardener to get large, more mature plants at a reasonable cost, usually less than potted plants of the same size and maturity. But the time when they can be purchased safely is generally confined to a short spring season. Bare root plants can often survive shipping better than potted plants and have less chance of carrying disease and pests. But when they arrive they must be tended to promptly. Not all plant species can be sold as bare root plants.

Unusual plants to try this year

Jicama Pachyrhizus erosus, Yam bean, Mexican potato, Mexican turnip

Here’s something different for the vegetable garden. While the plants are in the bean family and produce blue or white pea-like flowers and then bean pods, that’s not the part of the plant you eat. In fact all above ground parts of the plant are poisonous. What is eaten is the fleshy tubers or roots of the plant.

Jicama’s round tubers are light yellow on the outside and white inside, with a crispy texture, and sweet flavor. They are used raw or in stir fried. They have few calories and lots of nutrients so they have become popular as a health food. In Central and South America street vendors sell the tubers, sliced and dipped in lime juice and sprinkled with chili powder.

Jicama requires a long growing season so in Michigan you’ll need to start seeds inside about 8 weeks before the last frost. Then transplant out when the weather warms up. The plant makes a long, heavy vine and needs a good support. The vines are left until frost kills them and then the tubers are dug.

Cathedral Bells, Cobaea scandens, Cup and Saucer Vine

Cobaea scandens. en.wikipedia.org

This pretty plant isn’t grown in gardens as much as it should be. It is a fast growing annual vine that can climb 20 feet. The flowers are cup shaped, about 2 inches wide, with a group of sepals at the base forming the “saucer”. The flowers start out pale green and mature to deep purple (and sometimes other shades of purple). The anthers are a chartreuse color and stick out of the center, and the throat of the cup is streaked in white.

If you like hummingbirds you may want to plant some of this vine as they are very attractive to hummers. Vines need full sun and need to be kept watered. They are sometimes grown in large hanging baskets, and the ends are pinched to promote fullness. Start seeds about 6 weeks before the last frost in Michigan or buy plants. Cup and Saucers will bloom from mid-summer through frost.

Genista lydia, Spanish Broom, Gorse

This plant is a member of the pea or legume family. In mid- spring- just after forsythia in most gardens, it is covered with golden yellow pea-like blooms. Blooming continues for several weeks. The plant has fine, narrow leaves and an arching, spreading habit that also looks nice out of bloom. It is excellent for spilling out of containers or over walls, making a low hedge, or in rock gardens.

Genista lydia. wikipedia .com

Proven Winners has introduced a nice variety called Bangle® which was developed in Michigan. Genista lydia needs full sun, well- drained soil, and is hardy in zones 4-9. Plants grow to about 2 feet high and can be pruned to maintain shape if needed. There are also other species of Genista, some of which are used for dye and herbal medicines.

Non Native plants that are great for bees, birds and other wildlife

Many non-native plants are grown in gardens and many people recognize that these plants are attractive to bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other songbirds that gardeners like to attract. There is a small group of people who want to restrict the use of plants to those that are native. The “official” designation of an invasive plant states that the plant does more harm than good in an environment and that was introduced from another area. But some of the non-natives that are listed as invasive species are actually quite beneficial to wildlife and pollinators.

Most people don’t even recognize how many non-native species of plants gardens, lawns, and even what is considered wild areas, actually contain. The USDA actually introduced many of the species now considered to be invasive. And the truth is some of those species are still quite useful to wildlife and pollinators. Often these plants should not be treated as dangerous invaders, but rather as useful additions to the landscape and wild areas. They are often saviors, rather than destroyers of an environment.

The idea that some plants can cause destruction and disappearance of native species by the sole act of showing up in a habitat is slowly fading as we learn more about how ecosystems actually work. Many people are actually questioning what long term harm invasive species have actually done, except for the hours of work and millions of dollars spent trying to remove them. Evidence of harm that is often cited by those “native only” proponents is usually based on decades old, small, unscientific research projects or even on assumptions.

More recent, unbiased research has found that nature is remarkably resilient and adaptable. Invasive species usually take hold in environments that have changed and that are no longer suitable for certain native species. The environment is more suitable for the new species and so it gains an advantage. And this doesn’t cause a cascade of lost species. The new ecosystem isn’t worse than the old, just different.

Pollinators of all sorts, especially the non-native honey bees, are struggling to survive in many areas today. Some songbirds and other animals are also having a hard time adjusting to many environmental changes, climate, encroachment of man, and pollution among them. Any plants that can grow in the changed ecosystem that can help them should be welcomed and encouraged.

Some non-native plant Nazi’s are actually urging gardeners to purge their gardens of plants grown for centuries as ornamentals. They are rather selective in that endeavor of course. You don’t see them telling people to destroy apple trees or lilacs, for instance, even though the trees have spread far and wide. Carrots and broccoli are still allowed in vegetable gardens among other non-native crops, and herbal gardens abound with non-natives.

So this article is going to list some plants that are quite helpful and friendly to bees, butterflies, song birds and other wildlife. If you want more of these critters on your property and you want to help maintain pollinator populations you may want to grow them. Many of these plants may be on various plant terrorist “watch lists” and you may not be able to purchase them. But if you have them already don’t let someone scare you into removing them if you like wildlife and want to help pollinators. The dirty little secret is that few places actually have laws in place that can make you remove them or punish you for having them.

Sure, native species also help sustain pollinators and other wildlife and if you can find them, and if they will still grow well in your area, it’s great to plant them. But don’t rule out or exclude non-natives if you want to help wildlife and attract more of it to your garden or property. If the plant is useful to members of an ecosystem then it should be welcomed.

Dames Rocket (Hesperis Matronalis)

Why this pretty, harmless plant is targeted by the non-native haters is puzzling. Yes this short lived perennial spreads quickly but it usually takes over in less than ideal places like along roads, at the edges of parking lots and in disturbed areas with less than ideal soil, and in gardens, where it is often encouraged. And in those areas where useful native plants are often lacking it provides a bounty of early season nectar for bees and butterflies. Beekeepers love it.

Dames Rocket grows to about 3 feet tall. It’s usually lavender, but sometimes pink or white, clusters of flowers are phlox like, but the plants aren’t related. It has a sweet honey scent and is as pretty in the garden as in a vase. Butterflies flock to it and early hummingbirds will also visit it. Some people gather the early shoots for spring greens so it’s useful to humans too. It dies back by mid-summer, which allows other plants to take its space. It reproduces by seed, contained in long narrow pods. Make sure to let some seed dry and fall each year to keep it in the garden. You can still buy seed for this plant in some garden catalogs. Another way to get the plant is to find where it’s growing along the roadside and collect seed.

Buddleia species

Once widely touted as a garden plant that attracted butterflies and even given the common name of Butterfly Bush, buddleia is now being frowned on by the plant purists because of the possibility it might spread to wilderness areas. In the south it has occasionally escaped and proliferated- with no obvious harm- but in colder zones 5-6 it rarely goes beyond the garden. In fact some of the numerous cultivars of buddleia won’t even survive one winter in northern gardens.

Buddleia attracts butterflies, such as red admirals, red spotted purples, skippers, and tiger swallowtails, the hummingbird moth, as well as a lot of different native bees, honey bees and even hummingbirds. The long flower spikes offer color in the garden as well as a nectar source in late summer when it’s often needed. Hummingbirds often feed on the plants late into the evening.

Don’t worry about planting buddleia. There are dozens of species, colors and many mature sizes among the plants and buying the plants is rarely restricted. They are found in most garden catalogs and shops.

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

Yes this one got a lot of negative press in the last century. It supposedly choked waterways and displaced native plants. It was a bit of a bully early in its colonization of American marshlands, but in most places it has settled in to being part of, not the entire ecosystem. Some of this has come from pest insects adapting or being imported to control it but some researchers also think that pollution control efforts in the last few decades may have also given it less of an advantage. It grew better in polluted waters than some native plants.

What isn’t often told that not only is the plant pretty with its bright purple spires of flowers, it also provides pollen and nectar for a wide range of species. Honey bees, bumble bees, all kinds of native bees and many butterflies such as the common sulfur and wood nymph all flock to the plants when they bloom. In fact purple loosestrife produces more and better quality pollen and nectar than the native Lythrum salicaria. That’s often cited as a reason we should destroy the plant, because the native plant will produce fewer seeds. But the two don’t often grow in the same areas anyway, and if we are thinking about the protecting all the species in an environment purple loosestrife would seem to be a winner.

You’ll probably need to collect seeds or dig up wild plants if you want the plant in your landscape. It prefers moist areas but can grow in other areas if kept irrigated.

Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellate)

Now here is a plant that our own USDA once sold as a wildlife food and cover resource. This small tree or large shrub can spread rapidly, and soon the non-native plant people were alarmed and began to preach against the plant. You may notice that it will take over abandoned pastures and cropland quite quickly. But here’s the thing. The places where it rapidly proliferates are usually low in fertility, damaged and compacted soil areas. Since autumn olive takes nitrogen from the air and puts it in the soil it actually improves soil. Other trees growing near it actually show a boost in growth. It provides cover and browse for deer and other wildlife and begins the transition from bare land to forest.

The flowers of autumn olive are inconspicuous but the sweet smell of them will drift for long distances. The shrubs will be buzzing with bees in no time, it is an excellent nectar source and a nice honey is made from it. Butterflies and even hummingbirds also visit the flowers. The flowers turn into red berries which are food for many species of songbirds, who often visit the patches of autumn olive on migration flights. All kinds of wildlife from mice to bears enjoy the fruits. Even humans like the berries; they can be made into jams and jellies and are very high in lycopene, an important human nutrient.

You can still buy autumn olive plants in some states. It’s usually easy to spot the plants in some abandoned field to collect berries or small plants.

Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)

Teasel is another foreign invader that grows along roadsides and in waste areas. It is tall with a blue thistle-like flower that turns into a spiny pod that is attractive in dried flower arrangements and was once used to comb out wool. It does spread by seed but once again where it grows is seldom a place that other plants thrive in.

Teasel is an excellent winter food source for small birds who relish the seeds.

White clover, sweet clover, red clover

Most clovers are non-native species and many of them are now being discouraged as food sources for wildlife or even livestock because they are non-native. But clovers are one of the favored bee plants and make great honey. They are also excellent feed for deer or elk. Leaving clover in the lawn will help keep rabbits from damaging other plants because clover is one of their favorite foods.

Clovers are another plant that improves poor soil. Some like Crimson clover are very ornamental. Don’t be afraid to plant clovers of any kind in your landscape.

Crown vetch (Securigera varia)

This is another plant introduced by the USDA for erosion control and as a possible forage plant for cattle. It is now called an invasive species. It will spread rapidly in sunny areas, even in poor soils and really isn’t suitable for a garden. But if you have a patch of unused land or a steep bank you need to cover this plant is extremely useful. And crown vetch is very helpful to a wide range of wildlife. Like most plants considered to be invasive this plant generally thrives where other native plants are struggling.

Crown vetch is a sprawling, thick plant that in summer is covered with pink and white pea-like flowers arranged in a circular clusters or crown pattern. It will also be covered with bees and butterflies when it is bloom, to the extent the whole patch will be buzzing and may be dangerous to wade through. Bees and butterflies love this plant for its nectar. It is also a larval food source for some butterflies, including the Melissa blue, Orange Sulfur, and Wild Indigo Duskywing. The flowers make seed which is eaten by a number of birds and small animals.

The thick cover the plant makes is home to ground nesting birds and rabbits. Deer, elk, moose and other wildlife graze it. It’s good grazing for cattle and sheep but non-ruminants like horses shouldn’t be allowed to eat it because it is toxic to them. The seed of this plant can still be purchased in some catalogs or you can dig up small plants.

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica formerly Polygonum cuspidatum)

Here is another plant portrayed as a terrible villain. It is very fast spreading and like wisteria and trumpet vines, can damage pavement, homes or buildings. But it is also pretty, smells good in bloom and loved by pollinators. The plants can grow as high as 8 feet and it will grow in any soil, sun or shade. It has hollow, bamboo like stems. It blooms in late summer, pretty white foamy clusters when nectar flowers are in short supply. Bees love this plant and a special honey, called bamboo honey, is sold by some bee keepers. It would make an excellent hedge or screen that is also helpful to pollinators.

Japanese knotweed dies to the ground each fall. Its stems can be collected and dried, cut into small pieces and bundled together for homes for mason bees and other tunnel dwellers. Some people eat the shoots of Japanese knotweed in the spring as a green. You’ll have to start pieces of the root- which is very easy to do, to get a start for this plant. You will probably never find it being sold. And it is one of the few plants that the government in your area may come and destroy. In Michigan it is illegal to grow the plant. But a USDA official said there is no way to force you to destroy the plants on your property and no punishment for having the plants.

Non-native honeysuckles: Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Lonicera tartarica, L. morrowii, L. x bella, Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)

Once again these non-native honeysuckles are much abused by non-native plant Nazi’s despite many of them once being USDA introductions for the purpose of supporting wildlife. Many of these are widespread already in “wild” areas and could be considered naturalized citizens. Japanese honeysuckle is found almost everywhere in the Eastern US.

Some honeysuckles are vines, others bush forms. Most green up early in spring. Flowers vary from white and yellow, small tubular flowers to long red trumpets. Some are highly fragrant like the Japanese honeysuckle. But one thing is true; the honeysuckle flowers are loved by bees and hummingbirds which flock to the plants. And when the flowers turn to berries they become a magnet for bluebirds, robins, tufted titmouse, northern bobwhite, American goldfinch, northern mockingbird, and others. Birds also nest in honeysuckle bushes and vines.

Bush type honeysuckles can make a hedge or screen that’s also good for wildlife. Some honeysuckles can be added to gardens. Many types of honeysuckles are still sold. There are also native honeysuckles, but many of them aren’t as attractive to pollinators and birds as some of the non-natives. Don’t be afraid to plant honeysuckles to attract wildlife and help pollinators.

Other non-native plants to consider

All types of fruit trees are attractive to pollinators and most are not native. Even if an apple tree doesn’t provide good fruit it’s excellent as a source for spring pollen and nectar and fall fruit crops for deer and other animals.

Weeds in the lawn, many of which are non-natives, should be left for pollinators. These include dandelions, purple dead nettle, and ajuga. Kentucky bluegrass, the most common lawn grass, despite the name, is a non-native plant anyway and virtually useless for wildlife. If the weeds spread so much the better for wildlife.

Bee on comfrey flower

Herbs are for the most part non-native but many of them are great for pollinators. Catnip, lavender, thyme, oregano, marjoram, dill, comfrey, Lemon balm, fennel, and rosemary all attract bees and butterflies. Some also spread rapidly, like comfrey and lemon balm, even to “wild’ areas but are seldom labeled invasive. And they can be quite pleasing and useful to humans too.

Some common garden flowers other than buddleia are now being discouraged because they are non- native. These include Russian sage, day lilies, various salvias, calendula, scabiosa, hollyhocks, petunias, and many other things. This is silly. Plant the flowers you like in your garden. Many of them, including tropicals will attract and feed bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. They will take nothing away from native plants. They don’t cause extinctions and almost all are harmless. Sometimes native plants will fare better in a spot, other times something non-native will grow better there. As long as there is any plant there you’re good.

There are no restrictions on immigrants in nature. Nature welcomes all that can come and contribute to the environment. It’s only humans that label and discriminate.

Sniff some soil and get happy.