Hi Gardeners
After a winter that was drier than normal, we’ve only had
about a half inch of rain this month, which is normally a wet month. When I dig into my soil, which is sandy loam,
it’s dry and powder like and that dryness extends at least 8 inches down. With
temperatures warmer than normal and dry air plus many windy days it’s a
struggle to keep things watered. I have to spend time watering before I can
even get to planting and weeding.
All the new plants I have put in this spring require almost
daily watering and so do the containers I have managed to get planted. Later in
the summer this would be normal, but not in May and June. Plants already
established are shorter this year and growing slowly. The grass is already
browning in some areas. At least I am not
having to mow as frequently as most springs.
I feel sorry for the farmers. The crops have been planted
but nothings coming up. They need a couple inches of rain to get the crops up
and growing. Ponds everywhere are drying up. The dust is rolling off the roads
here and off the plowed fields in big clouds. All the plants get dust settled
on them.
I am waiting to see if we get rain late today. A cold front
is supposed to be coming in tonight.
After temperatures near 90 today we are supposed to drop to highs in the
60’s on Thursday and Friday. Night temperatures are going to flirt with that
frost line, but right now it looks like we will be spared.
We are now at least 2 weeks ahead in bloom times in the garden. The lilacs are in bloom and my yellow “graduation” rose (Harrison’s Yellow) is also blooming. It normally blooms about the second week in June- the one at my mom’s house is where all of my siblings and I had our pictures taken in front of when we graduated high school.
Yes, it's me in the dorky glasses, in front of the yellow graduation rose, 1970 |
The little late tulip ‘Lilac Wonder’, is still in bloom, bearded
iris, bleeding hearts, alliums, dames rocket, Spanish bluebells, honeysuckle,
lilacs, wild geranium, chives, (lot’s of purple blooms), star of Bethlehem,
sweet woodruff, valerian, wild viburnum and the snowball bush, violets are all
in bloom here.
My little magnolia surprised me by putting out a fresh crop
of flowers after the first flowers were badly damaged by frost. They are
smaller than the first flowers but the little tree is loaded with them.
My vegetable garden is all planted, the tomatoes and pepper
like the heat. I have put some plants from the house outside, the geraniums,
canna’s, and some other pots of bulbs, but most of the houseplants are still
inside. I have gotten a lot of annuals planted but there is still a flat of wax
begonias that I need to get planted.
My biggest project now is getting the area where I plant my
butterfly/cutting garden all cleaned of weeds – particularly Jerusalem
artichoke that is trying to overtake the bed. I have all those seedlings I
started under grow lights to get planted out there- they are getting too big
for their tiny pots. After that is done,
I can get to weeding the rest of the garden.
Pine Pollen
season
If you are wondering what that yellow dust is all over your
car and lawn furniture, it’s probably pine pollen. Most of the US is having a
very high pollen count season. Those of you who had a mild winter followed by
hot dry spring weather, like me, are seeing an unusually high amount of pollen
settling out of the sky.
Pine pollen is obvious because its grains are so large and
golden, but when the pines are pollinating several other trees, like oaks,
birch and black walnut are also releasing pollen. Pine pollen actually causes
few allergies because of the large size of the grains, but those other trees
with not so obvious pollen grains can make you miserable if you are allergic to
them.
Rain and humidity work to keep pollen out of the air but if
it’s dry enough dust is flying, so is pollen. In my area we are at the peak of
pine pollen season, your area may be ahead or behind us. Pine pollen season can
least several weeks, and tree pollens in general 2-3 months in spring.
This year grass is beginning to pollinate a bit early
because of the hot dry conditions in many places, so that will add to the
misery. Many people are allergic to grass pollen. Gardeners may want to work
outside in the evenings and just after rain events as those times will have less
pollen in the air. When you come inside take a shower, wash your hair and put
on clean clothes. If you are into neti pots you may want to flush your nostrils
to get rid of pollen.
It’s no secret that allergy seasons are getting longer, and
pollen counts higher due to climate change. 2021 is predicted to be a brutal
year for pollen allergies by scientists. For people with seasonal allergies
this is bad news. You may want to get tested by an allergy specialist to see
exactly what you are allergic to, as this can help you avoid the allergen. You
may also be able to get shots to help your body build up an immunity to that
allergen.
What is not causing allergy symptoms is the white fluff from
cottonwoods and dandelions floating in the air. These are seeds, not pollen and
don’t cause allergies. But since they are visible in the air people sometimes
mistake them for the cause of their allergy symptoms.
By the way pine pollen is used in several folk remedies. It’s
believed to ease fatigue, and act as an anti-aging agent. But if you see some
guy out there licking the yellow pollen off his car it’s because pine pollen is
believed to boost testosterone and act as an aphrodisiac.
Lilacs
Lilacs are
originally from colder areas of Asia and Europe. They do well in zones 3-7. Some heat tolerant varieties have been
developed for zone 8, but not all lilacs grow well in warm winter areas. Most
lilacs grow as large shrubs. Some
varieties of lilacs, however, grow as small trees, with a single trunk, and
there are dwarf varieties on the market for those who have small yards.
The large bush
lilacs make good privacy screens and hedges. Tree lilacs make excellent
specimen trees as they have interesting bark and fall color as well as flowers.
Dwarf and compact varieties of lilacs can be used in foundation plantings and
in perennial beds.
Lilacs have dark green, heart shaped leaves. Lilac flowers range from pale lilac to deep wine- red, white, and light yellow. The flowers are born in large clusters in late spring. As they age the flowers may become lighter in color. Most lilacs have that wonderful lilac scent, but beware; some varieties have little or no fragrance. Lilacs bloom for only a short time, so to prolong the heavenly scent; you can plant several varieties that bloom at different times.
Growing Lilacs
Choose the site for
your lilac carefully as they resent being transplanted. Although they root easily, they may not bloom
for several years after being moved.
Lilacs need full sun for the best bloom and disease resistance. They prefer light sandy soil that is slightly
alkaline and well drained. They may not bloom well if the soil is too acidic
and may fail to grow in heavy, wet soil.
Lilacs can get 15
feet high and wide, so make sure the spot where you plant them will be big
enough for their adult size. If you are
using lilacs as a hedge or screen, plant lilacs 6-10 foot apart.
Transplant lilacs in
a cool period of the year; early spring before they leaf out is ideal. Keep
them watered while they get established. Too much nitrogen will cause lilacs to
have lots of leaves and few flowers, use a little 5-10-10 fertilizer in the
early spring if the plant seems to need a boost.
Lilacs sometimes get
powdery mildew, a fungal disease that makes the lilac leaves look like they
were dusted with white powder. While it
looks bad, it doesn’t affect the lilac plant too much. You can use a garden fungicide
as a preventative spray once the weather starts getting warm.
Another problem of
lilacs is lilac borer. If lilac stems seem to be wilting, check them for tiny
holes. This usually affects older, woody
stems. If you find holes, trim that stem
off as close to the ground as you can and destroy it. Pruning the oldest,
thickest stems out of lilacs helps prevent lilac borers from being attracted to
your bush. You can also treat the lilac with a systemic insecticide to kill
borers.
Pruning Lilacs
Lilacs bloom on old wood, the blooms form on
stems that grew the year before. Too
much pruning at the wrong time will leave you with no flowers. Prune lilacs immediately after they flower. If the bush is too large and overgrown, take
out the largest and oldest stems first, the ones with woody bark.
Unless you need a
drastic pruning to restore order, don’t remove more than 1/3 of the plant at a
time. You can trim the tops back to a more manageable height, but you may not
have many blooms the next year. Most shrub lilacs sucker from their root system,
remove suckers that are spreading too far into other areas. They can be dug and
transplanted to start new lilacs. All
lilacs benefit from removing the dead blooms, so they don’t form seeds.
Some Varieties
There are hundreds
of varieties of lilac. If you like the look of old-fashioned lilacs, choose
common lilac, Syringa vulgaris. Some popular
varieties include; ‘Lilac Sunday’- typical lilac color but many more flowers, ‘Charles
Joly’- double flowers of dark purple-red, ‘Rochester’ - white, ‘President
Lincoln’- blue, ‘Krasavitsa Mosky’- double flowers of pearl pink, ‘Primrose’-
pale yellow, ‘James McFarlane’- a late blooming pink, and ‘Sensation’- a violet
red with white edge.
Dwarf and compact
varieties include ‘Miss Kim’-lilac color and late blooming, ‘Tinkerbelle’- deep
pink, and ‘Red Pixie’- wine red.
Tree lilacs are
often sold as “Chinese” or “Korean” tree lilacs. Most tree lilacs have creamy white flowers
but ‘Syringa meyeri’ has red-purple blooms.
Blueberries
prefer wild bees
A new study found that bigger berries and more abundant
crops occur when blueberries are pollinated by wild bees, particularly bumble
bees, rather than honeybees. Blueberry flowers need the vibrations of
bumblebees and other wild bees for the best pollination. Honeybees don’t
vibrate when they seek pollen and nectar.
Instead of introducing a beehive, planting a strip of
wildflowers that bloom at the same time as blueberries close to the blueberry
plants is helpful in ensuring the best pollination.
The study also found an electric toothbrush could also pollinate
blueberries very efficiently for home gardeners, ensuring a large crop.
More reading
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190617125140.htm
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181128114820.htm
Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because
too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized. – Allan Armitage
Kim Willis
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And So On….
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