Hi Gardeners
Unlike some of you in the north country we didn’t get
snow last weekend. But it did get down to freezing Sunday morning early, then
it turned into a beautiful, sunny spring day.
That was nice because yesterday and today its been cloudy, chilly and
rainy and it’s looking like rain is forecast every day for the rest of the
week. There better be some pretty spectacular May flowers after all this April rain.
Flowers are beginning to bloom despite of the rain
and chill. I have hyacinths, grape
hyacinths, windflowers, daffodils, early tulips, pansies, corydalis, and creeping
phlox in bloom. Violets and ground ivy are blooming. The trilliums are about
ready to bloom. The apricot tree and the honeyberry are in bloom. The clove
current will be blooming in just a few days.
Rhubarb is almost ready to harvest.
The roses are leafing out as are the maples, willows,
poplars, honeysuckle and barberry. A green glow is spreading through the landscape.
I have seen butterflies and a few bumble bees but still no hummingbirds or
orioles. There are baby kittens in the
barn, though so I know its spring now.
The spring rush is beginning, so much work to do in
the gardens. Good bye housework. I got my two little water features up and the
pumps running, those little solar pumps are amazing. Still too cold to plant anything in the water
though. I’ve been pruning roses and transplanting some daylilies and we have
had to mow some areas between the rain showers.
Instead of starting my dahlias in pots this year I am
going to plant them directly in the ground, hopefully next weekend. I plan to
cover each tuber planted with a plastic dome. I’ve been saving various deli-type
containers for this project. I’m putting
a few holes in them for heat to escape.
I am still working out how to anchor the domes. Maybe I will slide them over the stake I put
in by each tuber.
I’ll also be seeding some annual flowers next weekend,
weather permitting. I see some have
reseeded themselves in my butterfly/cutting bed, but I wanted to add some
different colors and types of flowers. They’ll be covered with my inverted v’s
of fencing to keep the cats and chickens away.
And weeding- there’s always weeding, just like there are
always dishes to wash. And just like
having dishes to wash means you have something to eat, weeding means you are
lucky enough to have a garden.
Saturday,
May 4th is World Naked Gardening day.
It’s celebrated on the first Saturday in
May, although some people are advocating for it to be changed to the last
weekend in October. I’m sorry but it’s
just too darned cold here in early May to go out naked and late October isn’t
much better. If I am to partake of this special
day it better be moved to the first Saturday in August, when I might just be
tempted to go out naked to the garden- after dark of course.
May
Day and a special drink recipe
Tomorrow is May day.
The dance around the Maypole was once a pagan courtship ritual, and a celebration
of fertility. Nature is deep in the cycle of courtship, nesting, birth and
growth in early May. Renewal is everywhere. May day is when it was traditional
in many European cultures for young men and women to choose dating partners. It’s
warm enough to sneak away to the woods for a bit of afternoon delight.
Many marriages were also performed on the May first. Wreaths
of flowers and baskets of goodies were once left on the door step of people you
loved or admired. Wine was flavored with sweet woodruff flowers or in some
places mugwort as a special drink to celebrate May.
Here’s the recipe for May Wine. It uses strawberries and sweet woodruff flowers.
Sweet woodruff has a vanilla like taste. In my area neither of these are
available locally yet but they may be available by you. If not save the recipe. A children’s or non-alcoholic version can be
made using sparkling water and white grape juice. Go light on the sweet woodruff for kids.
Ingredients-
adult version
1 bottle Riesling wine (or any white wine)
1 bottle champagne
1 pint of sweet woodruff leaves and flowers, washed
1 pint of strawberries, washed and sliced
Directions
Remove the sweet woodruff flowers and set aside. With a rolling pin or other heavy object
crush the sweet woodruff leaves and then place them in a large bowl.
Pour the wine over the leaves and let it sit for 1-2
hours. The longer it sits the stronger
the sweet woodruff taste gets. You may
want to start with an hour and see how you like the taste.
Strain the wine mixture to remove the herb pieces.
Pour strained wine into a punch bowl.
Next add the champagne, then the sliced strawberries.
Garnish with the sweet woodruff flowers.
A
caution- Go easy with the sweet woodruff. In large quantities it can cause vomiting and
headaches. (So does just drinking too much wine and
champagne.) People on blood thinners should not consume
sweet woodruff, as it contains coumadin.
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| Sweet woodruff in bloom |
Weeding
as therapy
New gardeners are constantly asking “what can I put
on my garden to kill weeds that won’t harm my plants”. They are always disappointed to learn there’s
nothing magical you can spray on a garden that will selectively remove plants
you don’t like while leaving those you do.
While some pesticides do target either monocots or dicots it’s a rare
garden that doesn’t have some of both.
The best answer to the weed problem is to simply pull
the unwanted plants. Before you sigh and complain about all that work try to change
your thinking about weeding to make the time you spend on it become valuable
therapy. Yes therapy, something all of us need from time to time. Yes, you may be a very busy person, torn
between work, parenting, and household chores but what better way to carve out
some personal time than to get outside in the garden and do some weeding?
While weeding you can justify being alone outside,
listening to nature and your own thoughts. (Parents of small children may need
to make them nap or go to bed.) Pulling and digging weeds is mild exercise,
enough to get those endorphins working and relaxing you. The smell of the earth and flowers calms and
refreshes you. Weeding is an escape from
real life.
If you are frustrated and angry take it out on the
weeds, ripping and chopping them from the garden will quickly dispel some of
the anger. Think of that dandelion as your boss as you pull and toss it. You are in control here, deciding what goes
and stays.
If you need to cry, take it to the garden. Let the rhythm of weeding and the sounds of
nature sooth you. Plants don’t judge and
they don’t gossip. Pour your heart out to them, they’ll listen without comment.
If you need to think clearly and do some planning, go
to the garden and do some weeding. Weeding keeps your hands busy but lets your
brain do its own work. Weeding
stimulates creativity and encourages deep thinking. All the clutter of conflicting thoughts
begins to sort itself into what’s important and what’s not.
If you are bored and lonely, go do some weeding. Weeding will give you a sense of
accomplishment and pride. You may be
alone, except for the birds and bunnies, but soon you won’t feel lonely. And
having that neat, weeded garden may encourage you to invite others into it.
If you are tired and depressed and feeling
overwhelmed, get yourself to the garden and do some weeding. Weeding can let you decompress from a busy
day, taking you from frenetic activity to a slower calmer pace. Being in nature lifts the spirits and makes
you feel less pain, it’s a proven fact.
And fresh air and exercise will make you sleep better, and sleep cures
many things.
Don’t look at weeding as work, look at it as garden
yoga or nature therapy. Put on
comfortable clothes, take off your bra if that is applicable. Put on mosquito
spray so you won’t feel assaulted. Turn off the phone, no one leaves their
phone on during therapy. Forget housework,
housework will always be there. Put the
needs of your kids and significant other on hold for just an hour or two. Weeding is therapy time for you and therapy
time is vital. You’ll be a better person when you return from weeding the
garden.
Is
Organic fertilizer better?
When you have a headache do you go out to find some
willow bark and brew a tea from it or do you open a bottle of aspirin and take
some? If the doctor tells you that you
are iron deficient do you blend up some liver and drink it raw or do you buy an
iron supplement? Do you take a daily vitamin?
Some of you may opt for willow bark and raw liver but
the majority of us will trust the aspirin and iron supplement to help supply
our needs. That’s why it’s hard to understand why gardeners are so distrustful of
commercial fertilizers and insist on only organic fertilizers.
Commercial “chemical” fertilizers are simply plant
nutrients created in a factory by combining chemicals just as aspirin is a
synthetic version of willow bark. The
nutrients are exactly the same when they are taken up by the plant roots and
help the plant in the same way whether they come from a “natural” source or a “chemical”
source. Plants cannot tell the difference
between organic and synthetic sources of nutrients, just people.
Natural or organic is defined in a number of ways. Organic
technically means there is carbon in the product, but in general use it is
meant to signify a product that came from something once living. Manure, blood
meal, bone meal, and seaweed are generally things people consider organic
fertilizers. Bone meal and blood meal
aren’t complete fertilizers. Blood meal furnishes mostly nitrogen and bone meal
furnishes phosphorus and calcium. Compost is not fertilizer, although it can
add some nutrients to soil.
Other things like coffee grounds, Epsom salt, banana
peels, wood ashes and egg shells are also considered to be organic fertilizers
although they aren’t very good sources of plant nutrients and usually supply
only one nutrient. In the case of Epsom
salts that nutrient (magnesium) usually isn’t needed and can be harmful if too
much is used. The calcium in eggshells
is released very slowly, over years and won’t quickly fix a calcium deficiency,
if one even exists. These things are
best added to the compost pile, except for Epsom salt, which just shouldn’t be
used, period.
There are both good and bad things about both
chemical and organic fertilizers. Both are equally bad for the environment if
they are applied when they aren’t needed and/or allowed to run off into surface
waters or seep down into ground water.
Organic fertilizers can be even more dangerous than chemical fertilizers
as a pollution source because they can harbor organisms that cause illness such
as E.coli and salmonellosis. In fact,
organic fertilizers such as manure are generally the cause of food borne
illness outbreaks caused by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables.
Chemical fertilizers are less bulky than organic fertilizers. It will take several inches of manure to
equal the nutrient value of a sprinkle of commercial fertilizer. It’s hard to store organic fertilizers
correctly but relatively easy to store commercial fertilizers, and they take up
far less space in storage.
All fertilizers have some odor, but organic
fertilizers can make your neighbors very unhappy. Manure is of course, the
worse offender, but rotting seaweed and bloodmeal or bone meal that get wet are
also smelly. Organic fertilizers may
have restricted times when they can/should be applied, most should not be
placed on soil growing food crops after the crops are planted. No fertilizers should
be placed on frozen ground.
But the biggest drawback to organic sources of plant
nutrients such as manure or sea weed is that you don’t know what you are
getting. Commercial fertilizer products let you know exactly what plant
nutrients you are getting and in what ratio.
You can calculate exactly how much to use to get the most benefit,
especially if you have had a soil test to work with. Using natural products is
always a guessing game, unless you have expensive testing of the matter done.
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| Manure is a lot of work |
Organic materials can also be contaminated with
undesirable things like arsenic, lead or pesticides. Banana peels are often
loaded with pesticides. Some manure is contaminated with herbicides that
animals have consumed with pasture or hay and which remain active in their
manure. Weed seeds are often brought into gardens with organic fertilizers.
Natural products like manure vary wildly in actual
nutrient content right from the beginning. One batch of cow manure does not
have the same nutrient content of the next. Most manure cannot be applied fresh
as it will burn plants but how long it needs to be aged is a guess. These products lose nutrients rapidly and if they
are aged too long their only worth is as soil organic matter. Chemical
fertilizers and blood meal can also burn plants if too much is applied.
The one benefit of bulky organic fertilizers like
manure and seaweed is that they do add organic matter to the soil, which feeds
soil microbes, improves soil structure and aids in retaining soil
moisture. Compost is almost always good to
add to soil even though it doesn’t furnish a lot of nutrients and its nutrient
content also varies. Compost can and
should be added to gardens if you use commercial fertilizers to help improve
the soil.
Organic fertilizers may add micro-nutrients that
commercial fertilizers are missing.
However, some commercial fertilizers are now adding micro-nutrients and
like the major nutrients the amount and type of minor nutrients are on the bag
and you know what you are getting. And with “raw” organic fertilizers you never
know what micronutrients are actually in it.
A drawback of commercial fertilizers is that they are
almost always somewhat acidic. Over time
that can lead to acidic soil that may not allow plants to take up some
nutrients, especially if the soil tended to be on the acidic side naturally. It
is not usually a major problem in home gardens though. If a soil test indicates
the soil is too acidic, lime can usually correct the pH.
Many manufacturers now make fertilizers labeled
organic that are in bags and which have been tested and labeled as to their
nutrient contents. They are generally a
bit more expensive than chemical derived fertilizers but they are a good
alternative for those who like organic products but who also like to know what
nutrients they are adding and prefer products with convenient storage and
handling features.
Remember all plants don’t need fertilizer if they are
in good soil, just like we may not need a daily vitamin if we eat a healthy
diet. Fertilizer isn’t plant food,
because plants manufacture their own food.
Fertilizer replaces some soil nutrients plants need to make food and
stay healthy that may get used up over time. What nutrients get depleted depends on the
soil type and how the plants in question use those nutrients. A soil test is always wise before adding
fertilizer.
So, are organic fertilizers or chemical fertilizers
better for plants? Plants don’t care how
they get their nutrients. It’s you, the human caretaker that must weigh the
pros and cons and decide what form of fertilizer to use. Hopefully you will base your decisions on
science and not myths. It’s my firm opinion
that neither type of fertilizer is better, just use what the plant needs and
what you can easily obtain and get it
done.
Leave
the babies alone
It’s the time of year when gardeners may come upon
baby animals and birds as they go about their work. There may be a fawn in the
shrubbery or a nest where you want to prune. There may be a nest in the pumpkin
patch or planter. You may find a nest when mowing, hopefully before it’s mown
over. What you do when you encounter these babies can make a difference as to
whether they live or die. Although it
may go against our instincts to help the helpless, leaving these babies alone
is usually the best thing you can do for them.
Many animals such as deer, rabbits and most birds do
not remain with their babies constantly, so not seeing parents around is not a
sign the babies are abandoned. Deer
leave young fawns in a protected spot except for a few times a day when they
come to nurse them. Rabbits also leave their bunnies alone in the nest for most
of the day. Other animals may generally
stay with their young but may leave them alone from time to time to hunt for
food. Some animals leave their young
when humans approach hoping to draw attention away from them.
Many species of birds need to be on the go constantly
looking for feed for their nestlings and won’t be present when you find a nest. Other birds will leave a nest or babies on
the ground to try and draw you away from them.
Birds encourage fledglings to disperse, so that animals are less likely
to find all of them. That’s why you may find one that appears to be separated
from its siblings and parents. Leave it alone unless it is in danger.
When you find babies, or a nest do not handle them if
possible. It’s a myth that human scent
will make parents abandon their babies but handling babies may hurt them or
draw attention to them from other hungry animals. Most of these babies have very
little natural scent and nests are designed to blend with the surroundings.
Human scent may draw predators or disturbing the location may make it more
visible to predators. Don’t leave food
or try to feed the babies. The scent may
attract predators.
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| Baby groundhogs wikimedia |
Don’t pet babies because they are cute or pick them
up to get pictures with them. This can be harmful to both you and the baby and
could be illegal in some cases. That
selfie with the baby fawn might get you a big fine but if a fawn bleats when
you handle it, its mom may rush out of hiding to defend it and she can do some
damage. The selfie with the bear cub might get you killed. Taking pictures without touching is fine, if
it’s done quickly and then the babies are left alone.
Children should be taught not to pick up baby animals
or birds they find but to notify an adult if they think the creature needs
help. Children can be harmed by baby
animals or their parents and they can also get diseases or fleas and ticks from
some animals. They may harm babies
unintentionally and may not remember where the baby was found if they move it.
If pets were with you when the babies were found,
make sure they cannot get back to the nest or babies when you are not there. If
your kids are with you don’t let them hold the babies, no matter how cute they
think they are and tell them they are not to show or tell friends where the
baby is.
Sometimes a baby or babies must be moved to save them
from the mower, traffic, pets, or other harm.
In this case don’t worry about your scent on them. Even a baby taken from a dog is not likely to
be abandoned by its parents if it isn’t harmed.
Cats almost always harm babies if they find them so in this case other
things must be done, and I’ll discuss that later.
A fawn can be moved if a dog or kids have found it or
it’s in some other danger, to a safe place for a few hours and then returned to
the spot it was found or close by it when the danger is over. Make sure it’s there by early evening. Leave
it alone in that safe spot while waiting to return it and don’t handle it any
more than necessary. This is not the
time for the kids to bring their friends over and everyone get a selfie with
the fawn. A young fawn will usually
settle down quickly where you put it if it is healthy and not an orphan.
When babies must be moved move them only to the
closest spot that they will be safe. If
you were going to mow or prune where a nest or baby is, consider just leaving a
patch of vegetation around the nest or baby.
It/they will probably be gone in a few days and you can mow or prune. If
you did mow over the nest and the babies or eggs aren’t harmed just leave
it. You may want to lightly cover the
nest with some pulled weeds or branches for shade and camouflage.
Mothers can usually find their babies/eggs if they
are near where they left them. Animals may move the babies if they are
disturbed and I have even seen birds roll eggs to a better spot. Babies are
rarely abandoned if disturbed but eggs may be.
Baby birds can be returned to a nest if they fell
out, or a whole nest returned to a spot near where it came from. Fledglings, baby birds just starting to fly,
should be put in a tree or other high spot away from pets and children, but
near where you found them. The parents
will return and care for them.
Baby birds that are like chicks (called precocious)
and running around on the ground should be placed on the ground near where they
were found if you know the parent is somewhere nearby. They will call and the parent will answer if
they are nearby. Leave if this happens
so they can reunite. If no parent answers the calls after fifteen minutes or
so, you may want to take the babies to a wildlife rescue.
Baby ducks and geese should not be returned to water
unless you see the parent there with other ducklings. Some ducks and geese will accept babies from
other parents if they are about the size of their own but try to reunite these
babies with their own parent. If a
parent or potential foster parent can’t be seen, you may want to bring the
babies to a wildlife rescue. Baby ducks and goslings can’t survive well in
water on their own.
When a cat gets a bird or animal and the skin is
punctured either from a tooth or nail, the animal or bird will almost always
die of infection without treatment, even if the damage is minor. These babies require a decision, taking them
to a rescue or vet for treatment or destroying them humanely. Do not place them back in nests or release
them if you care about them living.
Injured babies and babies you are certain are orphans
should always be brought to a wildlife rescue.
How can you be sure they are an orphan?
Experts estimate about two-thirds of baby animals thought to be orphans
and brought to rescues weren’t orphans.
When babies are moved far from where they were found it may be
impossible to return them to their poor mom.
If you find babies leave them alone. Careful observation from a distance may
reveal parents or it may not, even if they are there. If the babies do not appear to be in distress
check on them the next day. If they still seem fine leave them alone, if they
are gone, problem solved. A fawn is
usually moved to a new resting spot every day or two by its mom but may stay in
the general area for days. Twin or
triplet fawns are usually hidden in several different places, so if you find
one there may be others nearby.
Baby animals that are true orphans may cry and make food
seeking movements when found. Baby animals that remain still or try to escape
are usually not abandoned. Baby birds may do this too, but it usually just
means they are responding automatically to stimuli resembling a parent’s return
to the nest and doesn’t mean they are abandoned.
Baby animals may feel cold and shiver if abandoned,
but trembling can also be from fear. They may be found wandering aimlessly and
crying and be less afraid of humans than normal. If they are too young to be
out of a nest or den naturally it’s a good sign the parent is missing, but this
can also be a sign of disease. Fawns that are really orphans may cry and follow
pets, farm animals or humans. Ones that
stay still when you find them are rarely orphans.
Do not try to raise baby wildlife unless you are
trained and licensed. Baby animals and birds can carry disease and parasites. They may have exacting needs you don’t know
about or can’t provide. It’s not as simple as pushing worms down a baby birds
throat or giving a bottle of milk to a baby bunny. You have to know the right formula to feed
and how often, and what assistance the baby needs for elimination for example. Babies must also be raised so that they are
not too dependent on and attached to people so they can be returned to the
wild.
Baby animals like raccoons can make adorable pets
when young but can turn aggressive and dangerous as they become mature. In fact, baby coons are notorious for
this. Even fawns have been known to turn
on people who raised them. Hand raised
babies have no fear of humans which can put their lives in danger when they
can’t be kept as pets any longer and are released into the wild.
It is also illegal to keep most types of wildlife and
native birds as pets, even if you are just trying to save a baby. Wildlife
belongs to the state, even if it was found on your property, that is the law. No
one may care if you keep a baby starling, but if you keep a baby owl you may be
in for a big fine.
Call your local animal welfare shelter or animal
control if you cannot find a wildlife rehab/rescue. The DNR office may also be able to refer you
to one. Some rescues specialize in
certain animal’s, but they generally know where to refer you with a species
they don’t accept. Most vet offices won’t take abandoned wildlife although some
may treat injured babies. Zoos and pet
stores also rarely accept baby wildlife.
Wild babies are cute, but they are the safest when
observed and not touched. Babies are
always best raised by mom, as she teaches them what they need to know to
survive in the wild. Leave those babies alone.
Shoots and sprouts ID continued
If you are trying to identify what’s coming up in
your yard take a look at these pictures.
You may want to look at the last 2 blog posts also for additional
pictures. Click on pictures to enlarge them.
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| Jacobs ladder in center, some Jacobs Ladders have purple or solid green foliage |
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| Astilbe, some astilbe have more green to the leaves |
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| Lamium can be golden variegated too or purplish |
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| These are red violets, most violet flowers are blue or purple |
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| Garden phlox |
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| Canadian or wild ginger |
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| Asiatic lilies center |
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| windflowers |
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| Trillium |
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
— Margaret Atwood
— Margaret Atwood
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.
And So On….
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I write this because I
love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my
research each week (or things I want to talk about). It keeps me engaged with
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