June 7,
2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis
Hi Gardeners
 |
| Ornamental sweet potato flower |
It’s a cool and misty day here, I am hoping it doesn’t get too cold here
tonight when it clears off as it is supposed to do. I have even moved my houseplants
outside. It’s supposed to go down to 40
degrees tonight, but I am more worried about tomorrow night, which is supposed
to be clearer than tonight. Everyone pay
attention to the weather forecast tomorrow, especially north of I69, for a
frost warning, which would be just ridiculous, but anything’s possible.
We had about 7/10 inch of much needed rain this weekend. The plants look
refreshed today. It’s nice not to have
to water twice a day, leaves more time for weeding. The hostas are huge this year, heat and
moisture early I guess did the trick.
They suffered some hail damage last week when we had nickel sized
hail. I had just put out some of my
houseplants only an hour or so earlier and I was really worried about them but
only the brugmansia suffered damage and it will recover.
I am finally feeling like I have caught up a little in gardening
chores. I was sick for several days and
it seemed like I was falling farther and farther behind. It made me very
anxious. If you are a gardener, you’ll understand. Things have a time that they need to be done
in or by. But the vegetable garden is planted
(well maybe I’ll still plant popcorn), and I have planted most of the stuff I
had in flats and pots. Maybe soon I can
relax and just enjoy the gardens.
When the wisteria leaved out the little greenhouse I have got shady and I
had to move all the things inside out to a little table in the sun. I started
way too many things this spring. But
most of it is now planted except for the woodland tobacco. The seed for that is dust like and each
little pot had 30 or more little plants come up. I find it hard to discard baby plants or thin
them enough. I still have these pots
filled with dozens of plants to find a home for. The adult plants take up a
huge amount of space so you don’t really need many. I look at the table and just shake my head.
I was at a family event this Sunday and my mom was cleaning out her old
shed and putting things in a new, smaller shed.
There was a lot of old gardening items that had been around for years
and years she was throwing out and I was making the rest of the family laugh as
I picked through them and carried things to the car. I found an interesting
plant stand that just needs re-painting and a big, beautiful ceramic pot among
other things. That means I will need to
go to the greenhouse for things to fill them with so it looks like I am not
done planting yet.
Whats in
bloom?
Ninebark, weigela, spirea, mock orange,
black and bristly locust, peonies, bearded iris, Siberian iris,
cranesbill geraniums, poppies, baptisia, roses, clematis, ox eye daisy, wisteria, chives, sage and the first day lilies are among things blooming now at my house.
I also have something unusual – at least for me- an ornamental sweet
potato plant in bloom. As many times as
I have had these plants I have never had one bloom. It’s pretty, like a little morning glory
flower.
A daylily I have in bloom right now is a winner I’d like to
recommend. It’s called ‘Gold Dust’, it’s
an heirloom variety that’s not big and flashy but its cheerful butterscotch
yellow flowers are quite pretty. It’s
doing well in partial shade competing for space with a huge hosta. It’s just a nice daylily for a more naturalized
look.
 |
| The daylily Gold Dust, sharing space with a hosta |
My strawberries are ripening and I have a tomato turning red. It’s from my cheater plant, an Early Girl I
bought in early April and kept in the greenhouse until mid-May. My son has a big harvest already of salad
greens and spinach. I have had awful
luck with lettuce germination this year.
I just made a third planting- the first two had terrible germination
rates. I tried some lettuce seed tapes and those failed miserably. But so did the seed I spread like I usually
do. I think it may have been the hot
weather so early. Maybe this last batch
will like this cool weather and come up well.
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 20th), is called the Full Strawberry moon in North
America and Full Rose moon in European countries. The moon perigee was Friday, June 3 and the
new moon the 4th. I have
found that over the last few years my weather records indicate we are more
likely to get rain around the perigee than any random day and we certainly got
some this weekend. Combined with the new moon chances are increased even more. Apogee is June 15th, and there
seems to be a slightly increased rate of precipitation around apogee too. Perigee is the closest the moon gets from
earth, apogee the farthest.
Summer solstice is Monday, June 20, 2016 at 6:34 p.m. EDT. 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.
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. The
month of June is named after the Roman goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage,
family and childbirth. To marry in June
was said to make a couple fertile and blessed with prosperity.
June is a good month for planting.
If you plant by the moon good days to plant above ground crops are June
15th-17th. The 25th-26th
are good days to plant root crops.
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 19th this year. The 17th is Eat your Vegetables
day. The 26th is Forgiveness
Day.
What’s at the
farmers market?
Strawberries
are beginning to come to market. Southern areas
of Michigan will see local strawberries at the farmers market. Next week even more areas should be seeing
them.
You’ll also find this fresh produce from local growers at the farm
markets in Michigan: kale, collards, lettuce, spinach, radishes, small beets, green
onions, and snow peas. Small salad and cherry tomatoes are coming from hoop
houses in southern areas but the supply is limited still. Be a wise consumer and buy locally grown
produce in season, beware of farmers market merchants who offer produce not in
season locally. If they fool you once,
what else are they hiding from you?
Growing Cranesbill geraniums
 |
| Cranesbill geranium |
What many gardeners call a geranium is actually a pelargonium, a
non-hardy plant commonly planted for summer color. True geraniums are also found in the garden,
they are mostly hardy perennial or biannual plants and are commonly known as
cranesbill geraniums, wood geraniums, or wild geraniums. There are cranesbill geraniums that will grow
in sun or shade, in woodland gardens, rock gardens or formal garden beds. These refined and pretty plants deserve a
spot in every garden.
Species of true geraniums are found throughout temperate areas of the
world. One species, Geranium maculatum, commonly known as wood geranium is native to
North America and provides several cultivars for gardeners. Herb Robert, geranium robertianum and Geranium richardsonii are also North
American species.
Other species found in gardens include Geranium phaeum, sometimes called black widow or dusky cranesbill,
which is from Europe and has spawned several garden cultivars. Geranium
sanguineum is native to Europe and temperate Asia. Geranium cantabrigiense, Geranium cinereum, and Geranium pretense have
also contributed to the scores of geranium varieties. The geranium species hybridize fairly easily and
provide us with many interesting garden subjects.
The cranesbill geraniums have leaves with 5-7 lobes or parts, each of
which are also divided and usually have a wavy or toothed margin. There are
some varieties with purple or maroon foliage. Plants range from a few inches high to 2 feet,
depending on species.
The flowers of cranesbill geraniums may vary a bit depending on species
but most have 5 petals and are ½ inch to two inches wide. They are held above the foliage Some species have petals that are swept back
in a more “shooting star” shape. Colors
range from white through shades of pink, lavender, violet, blue, and even a deep
purple, almost black color. There are
spotted and streaked flowers also.
Most native species bloom for a few weeks in spring or summer but some
cultivated varieties have a longer bloom time, blooming on and off through
summer. The plants are generally used as
fillers, their dainty flowers and sometimes pretty foliage weaving among other
plants for a touch of color. They are
particularly useful for a touch of color in semi-shade. Some cranesbill geraniums make good
groundcovers and the ones with a compact form and colorful foliage are great
container plants. The newer compact plants are also used as specimen plants and
even as border edging.
The cranesbill geraniums get their name from their seedpods, which have a
long, pointed extension said to look like the bill of a crane or stork pointing
upward. (In some species the “bill” isn’t very long.) This seedpod is divided into 5 sections, the “beak”
is like the handles of 5 tiny spoons fused together and the bowl of each spoon
holds one seed. When the pod is dried
enough the seed pod violently contracts and each seed is hurled away from the
plant with the spoon catapults.
The cranesbill geraniums spread both by seed and in some species by
producing runners. They are not
considered aggressive spreaders in most locations. When plants have developed into large clumps
they may be divided for new plants.
Cranesbill geraniums have long been recognized as great garden
plants. The 2008 Perennial Plant of the
Year was Geranium ‘Rozanne’, a pretty blue flowered selection and the 2015 Perennial
Plant of the Year was Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’, which is a 6-10 inch
high groundcover that has white flowers lightly flushed with pink and pink
stamens.
Other common garden cultivars include ‘Johnson’s Blue’, ‘Wargrave Pink’, ‘Purple
Pillow’, Geranium pratense ‘Black Beauty™’ which has dark purple foliage and
lavender flowers, ‘Espresso’ which has coffee colored foliage and pink flowers,
and Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’ which
has a compact rounded form with magenta flowers.
 |
| Geranium Biokovo |
Caring for cranesbill
geraniums
Choose the type of cranesbill geranium that best fits your needs by
reading plant descriptions carefully. Most cranesbill geraniums are hardy to
zone 4 or even 3 but some are less hardy so check the hardiness rating. Newer varieties are more compact and offer
longer bloom time but some old varieties are so charming you may want to
include them in the garden.
Most species of cranesbill geraniums prefer partial shade and rich organic
soil but are tolerant of other conditions.
If kept moist most perform well in full sun. They will tolerate some drought but may go
dormant in hot dry conditions and disappear for a while. In early spring fertilize with a general purpose,
granular fertilizer.
Cranesbill geraniums have few pests and problems in the garden. If you are growing the plant in a container
or as a specimen you may want to deadhead (remove dying flowers) to make the
plant look nicer. The plants do not need regular dividing, although you can
take divisions of large plants if you want to propagate it. This is best done in early spring.
Some varieties of cranesbill geraniums get lanky and floppy after
blooming and can be trimmed back to 3-4 inches from the ground. If hot weather yellows the foliage it can also
be trimmed back. This will produce
better looking, more compact foliage and sometimes a second flush of bloom. You can trim cranesbill geraniums to the
ground after several hard frosts.
Herbal uses
Cranesbill geraniums have astringent properties and dried powdered roots
were used to stop bleeding. The cooked, mashed roots were used for hemorrhoids. A tea of leaves was made for toothache and
mouth sores by some Native Americans.
Cranesbill geraniums deserve a spot in your garden because they are
versatile, pretty and low maintenance. There
are so many varieties one is sure to suit your needs. Why not
give this garden staple a try?
Cutworms in the garden
Cutworms can be a major problem of vegetable gardeners and sometimes
flower gardeners in early summer. The
gardener will look at his or her garden in the morning and find plants lying on
the ground, cut off cleanly at the base. The plants are not eaten, just left
wilting in the morning sun. This is a sign that the garden has cutworms. Occasionally wilting plants will show cutworm damage to the stems if they are closely
observed. The cutworms may have only
partially severed the stem.
 |
| Cutworm. Credit: Neil Philipps, en.wikipedia.org |
Cutworms are the larvae stage (caterpillar) of several species of night
feeding moths in the family Noctuidae and they can vary in color and markings
depending on what species they are.
Cutworms are caterpillars about an inch long, and tan, gray, yellowish
or green. Some have rows of dots or
lines on their bodies. They are most
often seen in a curled, “C” position.
Cutworms like to eat the stems of tender seedlings and favor crops like
cabbage, tomatoes, corn, beans, and sunflowers but almost any plant can fall
victim to the hungry caterpillars when it is young. Like their parents cutworms feed at
night. (Adult moths don’t harm plants.)
They curl around the plant and cut a narrow band of tissue straight across the
stem to eat. Gardeners rarely see them
in action, but you may find them when you move debris or mulch around or dig in
the garden soil. During the day cutworms remain hidden to avoid being eaten by
predators or having the eggs of parasitic wasps laid on them.
In the home garden cutworms are fairly easy to control without using
pesticides. First leave a bare,
un-mulched strip of ground about three feet wide between grassy areas and the
garden. Cutworms also feed on the stems
of weeds and grasses and can move easily into the garden from lawn areas. Bare
ground deters them. Lightly cultivate this area several times a week to expose
any cutworms hiding in the soil. If you
see any squish them. Raised beds also
help deter cutworms. Keep weeds and
grass away from the bed walls.
Second, remove mulch and debris from around garden plants until they are
older and have tougher stems. Mulch and
debris provide moist hiding places for cutworms during the day. Lightly cultivate the soil around the plants
frequently, removing and killing any cutworms you uncover.
Third- there is an old, very effective trick to deter cutworms when you
are putting out transplants like cabbage and tomatoes. Simply wrap the stem of each transplant with
a narrow strip of newspaper at soil level.
The strip need only be 2 inches above the soil line. You could also cut toilet paper or paper
towel cardboard tubes into little round sections and put these collars around
each plant. Or use paper cups with the
bottom removed placed over the plant and pushed into the soil. Anything that stops the cutworm from curling
around the plant stem will work. They won’t eat paper.
You can leave paper and cardboard items in place; they will disintegrate
in the weather as the plant grows.
Remove any foil or plastic items you placed around plants though as soon
as they have grown a bit- usually just 2 weeks or so after transplanting will
do. These may damage plant stems as the plant grows. A month or so after plants have sprouted or
were transplanted it’s usually fine to mulch around the plants.
Diatomaceous earth and things liked crushed eggshells are not effective cutworm deterrents. Several garden pesticides will work including
carbaryl, cyfluthrin, and permethrin but are rarely necessary. They are best applied in the evening. Read and follow label directions.
Not every gardener will have cutworm problems. Cutworm damage varies from year to year and
garden to garden. But if you notice
plants cut off and lying on the ground protect the remaining plants. Gardeners
who use cover crops that are tilled under in the spring may have more cutworm
problems than other gardeners.
 |
| Bristly Locust |
Bristly locust
If you want a shrub or small tree that will turn heads when it’s in bloom
and that’s very easy to grow why not try a Bristly Locust, (Robinia hispida)? This lovely plant is unusual, pretty in bloom
and not very utilized in American gardens, which is a shame. It’s native to the southern Appalachian
Mountains of the U.S. but is hardy to at least zone 4.
Bristly Locust can be a spreader if it’s happy where it’s planted but
that shouldn’t stop anyone from planting this useful native. It will grow almost anywhere, on poor soil
and on steep banks and the USDA recommends it as erosion control for steep slopes.
It will grow on very acidic or polluted soils and has been used to reclaim old
mining and industrial sites. Bristly locust also tolerates alkaline soil. It will
grow in wet or dry spots, sun or semi-shade.
It takes nitrogen from the air and brings it into the soil, making
conditions better for other plants too.
Bristly Locust is a small tree or shrub. Its natural tendency is to
sucker and produce thickets but in a garden setting it can be trained into a small
tree 8-10 feet high or a multi-stemmed bush. It has compound leaves of up to 13
rounded leaflets. It gets its name from
the tiny, purple red hairs that rise from sticky glands all up and down the stems,
on the flower buds and seed pods. These
hairs are not prickly, although they do serve to discourage animal browsing and
insect feeding. Older limbs may also
develop a few thorns that are prickly.
It’s the flowers of the prickly locust that are its most endearing feature. They are rosy pink and shaped like large
sweet pea flowers. They appear in
drooping clusters at the end of branches and the trees are covered in bloom in
late spring or early summer. The blooms
are very attractive both to humans and to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. They have a light scent.
The flowers turn into flat, brown pea like pods about 4 inches long with
several flat, hard black seeds inside. These eventually split to release the
seeds. If you collect seeds to start plants plant them as soon as possible for
best results.
The Bristly Locust makes an attractive screening hedge, or it can be
trained into a small specimen tree as mentioned above by keeping suckers pruned
and allowing only one stem. If you don’t
want the plant to spread plant it so that it can be regularly mowed
around. Prickly locust will spread and
take up a lot of room if it gets a chance so beware of that if bringing it into
a small yard.
Bristly locust has few diseases or pests to worry about, isn’t fussy at
all about soil and seems to resist deer browsing.
Finding a
Bristly Locust
 |
| Bristly Locust flowers |
One of the hardest parts of growing a Bristly locust would be finding one
to buy. Few nurseries carry the plants,
you may want to look at nurseries that carry native plants. Some soil conservation districts may still
offer the plants. If you can find
someone who has a large stand of them and they give you permission to dig a
sucker – (new plant coming from rhizomous roots) dig it in early spring, get as
much of the long horizontal root as possible and re-plant it as soon as you get
home. Smaller plants transplant better.
If you find seeds for sale plant them as soon as you can after receiving
them. Soak the seed in warm water for
several hours, and then use a nail clipper to clip a tiny hole in one end of
the seed. Plant the seed in pots of moist
soil and put them in the refrigerator for 6 weeks or leave the pots outside
over winter. Better yet plant them out
where you want them to grow in late summer or fall. Mark the spot so you’ll know what’s coming up
in the spring.
Other uses for
Bristly Locust
The native range of the Bristly locust is the original homeland of the
Cherokee people and they had several uses for the plant. They used the wood for
making bows and for building. The roots were
used to cure toothache. When the Cherokee
obtained cattle they fed Bristly Locust to them for good health.
Modern herbalists do not list remedies using Bristly Locust and some
references consider the plant poisonous.
Shut the windows
tonight. Brrr
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. You can also
ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
Invitation
If you are a gardener
in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural
Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various
places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow
gardeners. No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are
welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a
meeting for free. Contact
susanmklaffer@yahoo.com Phone
810-664-8912
New- 17th
Annual Rochester Garden Walk, June 16th - 10am-6pm Rochester, MI.
The
Rochester Hills Museum and Rochester Garden Club are sponsoring a garden walk
at the Museum & Van Hoosen Farm. Cost is $16. There will be a garden market
and herbal program. Call 248-656-4663, or go to www.rochestergardenclub.org for
more info.
New- 25th
Annual Grosse Pointe Garden Tour Fri, June 24th, and Sat. 25th
10am-4pm, Grosse Pointe Area.
The Grosse
Pointe Garden Center, Inc. is sponsoring
tour of 8 beautiful private gardens, cost $20. Enjoy a garden shoppe. Tickets:
313-881-7511, ext. 206.
New-
Genesee County Garden Tour 2016, Sun,
June 26, 10am-5pm,
Master Gardener
A association, Genesee County is sponsoring a tour through private gardens in Clio
and Vienna Twp. www.GCgardentour.weebly.com.
“The Wow
Garden Tour" certainly has some wow gardens. We have gardens to match
everyone's taste. We have shade gardens, native gardens, country gardens,
whimsically decorated gardens, simply pretty gardens. You will enjoy the
relaxing country drive. For only $10, you can enjoy this self-guided garden
tour. Tickets will be sold at each site and many local businesses. Information
and driving directions printed on your ticket.
Buy tickets
in advance or day of tour at:
Walker
Farms & Greenhouse, 5253 Atherton Road, Burton (East of Center Rd).
Bordine
Nursery, 9100 Torrey Road, Grand Blanc (North of Grand Blanc Rd., west of
Fenton Rd.)
Willow
Cottage Flower and Gift, 202 S Mill St, Clio, MI 48420 (Open Monday- Saturday)
Piechnik
Greenhouse,13172 McCumsey Road, Clio
Bridge Park
the day of tour (Corner of Linden/ Vienna Rd.)
New -MSU
Extension Grand Ideas Garden Plant Sale June 17, 6 - 8 p.m. and June 18, 9 a.m. - noon MSU Extension - Kent County, 775 Ball NE,
Grand Rapids, MI
Master
Gardener Volunteers will be on hand to help you select plants that solve your
gardening problems! Contact: Rebecca
Finneran, finneran@msu.edu
New-2016
Bee Palooza June 19, 2016 1-4 p.m. MSU Horticulture Gardens, 1066 Bogue St,
East Lansing, MI
On Sunday,
June 19, 2016 from 1-4 p.m., the MSU Horticulture Gardens will be buzzing with
activity, as the Department of Entomology hosts the fifth annual Bee Palooza.
For people of all ages, this is a free, fun and educational event organized by
volunteers to provide an afternoon of interactive activities centered on
understanding the wonderful world of pollinators.
The
beautiful gardens will be dotted with displays to demonstrate and explain honey
bee colonies, bumble bees, the wild bees of Michigan, plants to support
pollinators, and how important bees and other pollinators are for the food
supply. Hands-on workshops will show you how to create a native bee hotel, how
to make native plant seed “bombs,” and how to identify different pollinators in
your garden. Get information for starting your own pollinator garden.
Pollinator-themed face painting will be back by popular demand too!
Designed
for kids and adults, this event would make a great Father’s Day activity. The
MSU Horticulture Gardens are located on the southwest corner of Bogue Street
and Wilson Road in East Lansing. For updates and more information visit MSU
Bee-Palooza http://www.beepalooza.org/contact.html
Half Million Ladybug Giveaway, Sat, June 11,
Organic
pest control for the garden! Gardeners can get 1 bag of 1500 ladybugs free with
any purchase at any English gardens location. www.englishgardens.com.
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area. This link
has a lot of events listed on it.
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch.
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 events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
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
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete