After a few nice days in a row, which was nice, we
had rain again last night. Today is
partly sunny, with a chance of rain tonight and it looks like every day this
week. It’s supposed to be warmer this week though, with temps in the 80’s. it’s
hard to believe this is the last week of June, it just doesn’t seem like we had
any June weather.
Some plants like the cool wet weather though. The pansies are still blooming like crazy.
The hosta are huge. Tuberous begonias
are lushly blooming. Some of the geraniums (pelargoniums), have huge leaves, I
have never seen geranium leaves this large and I think it’s the weather.
In the garden this week the evening primrose is
blooming, I was hoping for a spectacular color show of it against the deep
purple of the clustered bellflower. The rain and wind last night, however, has
tipped the bellflowers over. They’ll need to be staked a bit. The goat’s beard is blooming, wild geraniums and
the martagon lilies. The annuals are
settling in and beginning to bloom well.
The rose I have near the front porch is in full,
spectacular bloom. It was here when we
moved here 25 years ago, and I think it’s some kind of cultivar of the common, non-native
multiflora rose. It looks like the multiflora rose with slightly bigger
flowers, and it has the stipules with tiny hairs in the leaf axils. But it has very few thorns, unlike most multiflora
roses which are covered in prickles. And
it has a strong delightful rose scent, that wafts in the front door. Maybe mine
just has changes from domestication.
I do have to prune this rose back hard a couple times
a year to keep it in bounds, but I don’t want to get rid of it because of this
brief but beautiful show each summer. People
afraid of non-native plants may think I’m crazy, but if a multi-flora rose can
look and smell this good it does have a place in my garden. Did you know multiflora rose was once planted
in our highway mediums to reduce headlight glare and form a crash barrier?
 |
| Multiflora rose by my porch |
I am still battling the deer here. I went out one
morning and found they had eaten every open rose on my pretty pink rose in my
front bed. They did leave most of the
tight buds so that’s something. This is
a rose called ‘Sunblazer Pink’, it is loaded all summer with small but
perfectly formed roses on a bush about 2 feet tall, perfect for blending into a
perennial bed.
I now have stakes and wire around the rose, which
doesn’t look that nice and I placed a glow in the dark flamingo someone bought
me right next to it. I have some
“chasing” lights coming today and a motion activated alarm device which I will
use to replace the wire and stakes. My
electric wire set up is protecting the sweet corn right now.
Speaking of which my corn is growing well although I
doubt its knee high by the 4th of July this year. The deer did try once again to eat it, they
hit the hot wire, and then spooked and ran through it, dragging it right to
where they jumped the perimeter fence. I
ran some more wire across the area they jumped over and tied long pieces of
white plastic bag (they are good for something) on the wire to dangle and flap.
The field corn is finally coming up in the area and I
am hoping the deer start transferring their attention to the farm fields. Sorry farmers, but it’s the farms that
attract the deer and feed the herds. Hopefully the farmers will encourage
people to hunt them this fall. Harvest
will be late, if there is one, and crops may still be standing in deer season
which won’t be great.
I moved Mary Helen and Marcella, my “special” plants
outside yesterday. Mary Helen was easily
7 feet tall and Marcella at least 5 feet.
They aren’t very bushy however; I am hoping the outside sun will pump
them up. The experts said not to move
them out until the end of June, that’s when the days start to shorten and that
supposedly will trigger budding in a few weeks.
We’ll see.
I moved them outside on a cloudy day and tomorrow I
will put an umbrella over them if it’s sunny, to let them acclimate a bit. They are in a totally enclosed area that’s
nicely disguised. No deer will be able
to get to them.
Cottonwood fluff isn’t causing allergies,
so what is?
The cottonwood fluff is flying. It can be quite
annoying, for example I was yelling at my husband (because he’s hard of
hearing, not because we were fighting) and a piece drifted right into my mouth
and I swallowed it. That was not a
pleasant experience. It tickled my
throat and first I gagged, then started coughing and choking. I coughed so hard
I hurt my back. (I have to learn to keep my mouth shut.)
People are telling me the cottonwood fluff is causing
their allergy symptoms. That’s not true. While annoying the fluff does not
contain any pollen, cottonwoods released their pollen weeks ago. You may have had an allergy to it then,
although it wasn’t very visible. But the
fluff is a seed, with soft fibers attached to carry it in the wind. It can’t
cause allergies (just choking).
Your allergy symptoms are happening because grasses
and sometimes birch trees, are pollinating now.
The same breezes that blow the cottonwood fluff around are blowing their
pollen to you. Gardeners who have
seasonal allergies may want to avoid ornamental grasses, some of which can
cause allergies. Keep weedy grasses pulled out of flower beds before they go to
seed. Timothy and orchard grass are two prime allergy causing grasses. These
are often used for hay, which may be where the name hay fever, comes from.
Pigweeds, of which there are several types, began
flowering in late June and bloom on and off until a hard frost. They can cause allergy symptoms when
pollinating. Pigweeds belong to the
amaranth family. This diverse family has
some edible seeded varieties and some ornamental varieties such as ‘love lies bleeding’,
which allergy prone gardeners may want to avoid.
Don’t blame the cottonwood for your allergy
miseries. Do blame it for coating your
pools and ponds with a nasty layer of slimy white stuff. It can clog pool filters and pumps. It sometimes clogs air conditioner
filters. But it will be gone soon.
Campanulas in the garden
There are about 500 species of campanulas and several species are used in gardens, with numerous cultivars and hybrids. Campanulas
often have bell shaped showy flowers, leading to the common name of bellflower,
which is used for several species. Some
species don’t have tubular bell-shaped flowers, like Campanula Americana, which
has a star shaped flower more reminiscent of a clematis.
Campanulas are usually spring and early summer
bloomers and the most common colors are blues and purples, although some
species have white and pink flowers. There are campanulas native to most of the
northern hemisphere, from arctic to subtropical areas so most gardeners can
probably find a campanula species to suit their garden conditions. There are perennial, annual and biennial
species. Most campanulas are easy to
grow if in the right conditions and sometimes can even become invasive.
Here is a little about some of the common garden
campanulas.
Campanula glomerata,
is also known by the common names clustered bellflower or Dane's
blood. It is a perennial native to
Northern Europe and Japan, and there are numerous cultivars. I was given this
plant by a friend and I love it, most people admire the plant when its in
bloom. Bloom time is generally early summer.
Dead heading will extend bloom for many weeks. It also makes a great long-lasting cut flower.
The deep purple blooms of this bellflower look great
next to gold foliage or yellow flowers.
In my garden I have it near Japanese aralia, which has gold foliage and
evening primrose which has yellow flowers There are white and pink varieties. Some cultivars you may run across are 'Superba', ‘Freya’
and ‘Crown of Snow' which is white flowered.
 |
| Clustered bellflower |
Clustered bellflower can grow up to 30” high. It likes well drained, humus rich soil and
grows best in full sun in the north although it tolerates partial shade. In the south partial shade is a good fit for
it. The leaves at the base of the plant are larger and wider, further up the
stem the leaves are lance shaped and toothed.
This plant can spread aggressively by rhizomatous
roots when in the right conditions. It
should be divided every 3-5 years to maintain vigor and you will probably find
plenty of people eager to take the plants you don’t want.
|
Canterbury Bells likes moist soil in full sun or
partial shade. It likes cooler weather
and where summer gets hot and dry quickly it may not perform well.
 |
| Canterbury bells |
Campanula rotundifolia,
the native harebell, is a perennial plant that begins blooming in
its second year. The lower base leaves
are round or heart shaped and the leaves along the flower stalks are narrow and
blade shaped. It produces dainty bell
shaped, lavender blue flowers on long stalks in mid-summer.
This wildflower likes sandy, well drained soil and is
often found in Michigan’s sand dunes, but it will adjust to garden
conditions. It does best in the front of
borders in full sun or partial shade.
Creeping bellflower,
Campanula rapunculoides, is often confused with the native
harebell and is often called harebell too.
It is native to Europe but widely naturalized in the US. It has larger flowers and broader leaves but
is otherwise quite like the native harebell.
Bloom time is early summer. This harebell like partial shade and will
grow in dry to moist conditions. It is a perennial.
Creeping bellflower can be invasive, it has both
rhizomes and tubers, and can spread rapidly in moist conditions. However, the flowers are quite pretty, and
the roots are said to be edible so it’s probably a judgement call by the
gardener as to whether it’s a friend or foe. Personally, I like the plant and it is not
invasive in my garden.
 |
| Creeping bellflower |
Campanula persicifolia,
the peach-leaved bellflower, is a perennial bellflower that has several
cultivars and is often sold to gardeners. It can have blue or white, large bell-shaped
flowers on a long stem. There may be one
or several flowers on each stem. Stems can reach 3 feet high. 'Grandiflora Alba' is a popular
white flowering cultivar. ‘Takion
Series’-Blue is a hybrid bellflower with outward facing flowers and sturdy
growth habit.
This bellflower is native to Eurasia but has escaped
gardens in many places around the world and naturalized. It likes full sun to partial shade in well
drained soil. It can spread by seeds and also produces new plants around the
original. It needs to be divided every
3-5 years and the flowers should cut off as they begin to fade to prolong bloom. In warmer climates the plants may be
evergreen. It’s hardy in zones 3-7.
 |
| Peach leaf bellflower |
Campanula portenschlagiana or Dalmatian
bellflower, is a bellflower for rock gardens or it
can be used as a ground cover. It forms a neat mounded shape of evergreen
foliage 4-6 inches high. In summer it is
covered in tiny deep purple bell-shaped flowers.
This bellflower is a moderately aggressive spreader. It
should be divided every 3-5 years and it can be trimmed lightly to maintain its
shape if needed.
Dalmatian bellflower likes a moist but gravely or
sandy soil in full sun. It is perennial
and hardy in zones 4-8. A variety called ‘Aurea’ has lovely golden foliage in
spring that slowly deepens to green in summer. ‘Miss Melanie’ is a new
variety of Dalmatian bellflower with an extended bloom time.
The campanulas have few disease or insect
problems. Slugs sometimes eat them. They are said to be deer and rabbit
resistant.
Wash those fruits and vegetables
It doesn’t matter if you grew it yourself organically,
in your own back yard, bought them at the farmers market or a conventional
store. Remember to wash all fruits and vegetables before you eat them. Fruits and vegetables can carry several bacteria
that can cause very serious illness in humans, including E. coli and salmonellosis. I know we all ate from the garden as kids- (if
you are a certain age) and some of you think nothing of popping a strawberry or
pea pod in your mouth as you pick it, but you are taking a risk.
Growing organically means there isn’t likely to be
pesticide residue on the produce but the chances of organically grown produce
harboring unfriendly bacteria is as likely, if not more likely, as produce
grown conventionally. That’s because
manure is often used in organic growing. In smaller home gardens and small farm
stand gardens there is more likelihood of pets, livestock and wildlife roaming
in the gardens too. Birds and other wildlife
can get into just about any garden or field.
Animals and humans carry disease organisms and can spread them through
fecal contamination of food, which can happen even when someone with unclean
hands handles food.
So, no matter where or how it was grown, wash it
before eating it. Because fruits and
vegetables can spoil faster after washing, it’s a good idea to wash produce
right before you prepare it. Washing
with clean running water is recommended.
Don’t dump produce into the kitchen sink to wash it
unless the sink has been scrubbed with soap and hot water first. Sinks often have as many bacteria in them as
a toilet does. Use a clean bowl or colander
for washing produce and either hold the produce under running water or swish it
gently in clean water that is dumped between each batch of produce. The USDA says you do not need to use soap or
special produce cleaning sprays to effectively clean produce, just clean
running water.
You may need to scrub rough surfaces of root
vegetables and melons with a clean cloth or small brush. Try to get all visible soil off. Even if you don’t eat the skin or rind wash
it before eating the fruit or vegetable. Its almost impossible to slice an
unwashed melon without contaminating the part you eat.
Wash produce you buy even if the seller says it has
been washed and it looks clean. The only
exception is things like salad greens which have been washed and sealed in a bag. The USDA says they don’t need to be washed
again before eating. Things can be
contaminated by handling and transporting them after washing. Think of how many times you have seen people
picking up fruits and vegetables in stores or at farm markets and then putting
them back down.
An occasional unwashed snack from the garden or a few
berries popped in the mouth while picking them probably won’t harm you. But food borne illnesses can be serious, even
deadly, especially to the immune compromised, the very young and older
people. So limit your risk and keep
those unwashed snacks to a minimum.
Starting an Herb Garden
Herbs bring exciting tastes to our meals and can also
bring comfort and healing to our bodies. Fresh herbs are the best tasting and
most nutritious. Anyone with a small patch
of sun can have an herb garden. I firmly
believe herbs should be grown outdoors, it’s where they develop the best taste
and where it is easiest to provide for their needs. In this article I will discuss getting started
with an outdoor herb garden of your own.
Choosing a site
Most herbs require a sunny spot to do well. Even a small sunny spot on a deck or porch
can be a spot for herbs in containers.
In general herbs are not fussy about soil type. In fact, many prefer soil that is not too
rich. The majority of herbs do require
soil that drains well. If you have heavy clay soil you may want to grow herbs
in raised beds of amended soil.
Just like a vegetable garden, you will be more likely
to use your herbs if you can dash out the door and pick some as you cook. A spot close to the house will tend to keep
the herb bed better cared for and harvested more frequently. If space is limited, herbs can be tucked into
flower beds. Some are quite ornamental. Just
make sure they are in locations where they will not be sprayed with pesticides.
Herbs can also be planted in the vegetable
garden. Many herbs attract beneficial
insects. Perennial herbs should be
planted where they will not need to be disturbed each year as you prepare the
garden.
If you live in zone five or lower, you may want to
place your herb garden where it is protected from the wind and in a spot that
collects heat, such as near a stone patio or wall. This will give you a better chance for
success with some of the heat loving, slightly tender herbs.
Some herbs can become invasive in a favorable
site. Mints, lemon balm, comfrey, and
oregano are examples. You may want to
place these herbs where they are surrounded by a paved area or an area that is
frequently mowed rather than in the flower or vegetable garden.
Choosing varieties
When getting started with an herb garden you should
learn something about the herb plants you would like to grow. Do you want familiar culinary herbs,
medicinal herbs, or herbs for crafts and dye making? Plant catalogs and good reference books will
help you learn about the requirements of each herb.
If space is limited grow only the herbs you will use
the most. If you like rosemary and use
it frequently in cooking, then you will want rosemary. If space is not a problem, you can experiment
with other herbs. One herb plant is
usually enough for most households. Plants used for tea, such as chamomile, may
require a few plants. If you use them a
lot, you can add more plants later.
Some herbs are annual plants and must be planted each
year. Others are perennials or
bi-annual. Not all perennial and
bi-annual herbs will grow in all areas. There
may be some varieties of an herb that will survive better in your area than
others. Check with other gardeners or
the county Extension service for recommendations.
Most annual herbs can be planted after the danger of
frost has passed. Some perennial herbs
that won’t survive winter in your area might survive if you plant them in a pot
and bring them inside for the winter. Check
the zone hardiness of each variety of the herb.
Some thymes will survive zone five for example, and some won’t.
Many of our common herbs are of Mediterranean origin
and don’t like wet soil or to be too wet in winter. If you have clay soil you
may have to build a raised bed where the soil is amended with gravel for
drainage. These herbs may not appreciate
daily soakings from irrigation sprinklers either. You may want to leave herbs
without mulch in rainy areas, so they dry out faster. Mediterranean herbs include lavender and
rosemary.
There are some herbs that have varieties that have
been selected to be more ornamental than edible. Some sages with variegated leaves are quite
attractive in the garden but do not have that true sage flavor in cooking. Some basils have been bred to have frilly,
colorful leaves but do not have much flavor when used in cooking. There are basils, sages, oregano, thymes and
mints that have different flavors, some good for cooking and others just for
potpourri or scenting the garden. Choose
varieties suitable for your needs.
If you are interested in medicinal herbs be aware
that there are some varieties and species that have more of an active ingredient
than others. Medicinal herbs should be
purchased from a nursery that specializes in them, rather than the local garden
store. The herbs will be more likely to be identified correctly and varieties
that are high in medicinal qualities will be offered.
If you go to this link, you’ll find a lot of articles
on individual herbs and on how to use and preserve herbs;
Caring for and harvesting herbs
Herbs usually are fairly pest and disease free if
grown in suitable conditions. Most herbs
where the foliage is used for cooking benefit if any flowers produced are
removed. Regular pruning and pinching
will keep herb plants from getting lanky and will encourage new fresh growth.
In plants where the flowers are used or appreciated,
you must be careful about what time plants are pruned. Lavender needs to be pruned in early spring;
if you trim later you may lose all the flowers.
For some herbs you want flowers to develop. If you want dill seed or caraway or coriander
you must let flowers develop.
To prevent powdery mildew and other fungal disease,
don’t crowd your herb garden. Leave
space between plants for good airflow.
Water herbs at the base of the plants and don’t work among them or
harvest when the foliage is wet from rain or dew.
Herbs generally don’t require much
fertilization. Check your references
for recommendations for each type of herb before applying fertilizer. Too much fertilizer may actually harm them.
An herb garden isn’t hard to achieve if you have a
little space. Summer can be a good time
to pick up herb plants and begin an herb garden of your own.
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a
summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds
float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
― John Lubbock, The Use Of Life
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without
permission.
And So On….
Find Michigan garden events/classes
here:
(This
is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page but all gardeners anywhere are
welcome)
Newsletter/blog information
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
people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you
are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails
just let me know. If you or anyone you know who would like to receive a
notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to
me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment