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| Yellow Swallowtail on Korean Lilac |
It’s June already, can you believe it? And what a wild weather ride we’ve been
having. I’m hearing it’s like this all
over the country- unusual weather. We
had 90-degree temps last Tuesday and then a few days later highs were in the
low 50’s. And then Saturday night- frost and it was 29 degrees here overnight.
I was outside after dark covering plants in my
nightgown. Not fun at all. Originally there was no frost/freeze warning
and I thought we would squeeze by. But in the evening a frost advisory was
posted, and we got socked. Actually,
some had it worse than me. My cannas
look the worse from the cold and they were covered. A few other things here and
there were wilty but they look like they will recover.
Looking ahead it looks like we will be in a seasonally warm
pattern, so I took the jump Monday and moved the houseplants outside. What a
job. I filled the wagon on the porch and my husband pulled it around under the
cedar tree, this was repeated many times as I have about 100 plants I move
outside. I sit them under the tree for a few days to acclimate, then I’ll start
moving them to their summer homes.
This year I decided not to move my Norfolk pine outside.
It’s just getting too big to move easily.
These trees are so lovely but when they get large, they are so hard to
deal with. And they don’t take pruning
well like the hibiscus and other things.
So, moving my plants outside leads me to another little
story. It’s not about plants, it’s about
cats and fate. Last year in late May someone dropped a kitten off at our house.
We have barn cats, and it was no problem letting this friendly little kitten
hang around. Except he didn’t want to be
a barn cat, he was determined to be a house cat.
Early last summer we still had a very old Jack Russell
terrier who did not like cats and would kill them if she could. So, we hadn’t
had an inside cat in a long time. But Ringo worked on making friends with the
other two dogs and soon he and my little dog Gizzie were good friends. When the
old terrier died in early fall, Ringo saw his opening. He started coming in the
dog door with the other two dogs and making himself at home.
Over the winter he became the best behaved, most unusual cat
we ever had. He went out with the dogs to potty. Although he loved to hunt
outside, he left my cage birds inside alone, never bothering them. He never bothered any houseplants, never got
on counters or the table. He knew
commands like the dogs. And then this
spring he got sick.
To shorten the story, we spent a lot of money trying to get
him better. He had a cat disease FIP, that is incurable. I spoon fed him and
dragged him to the vet numerous times for fluids but last Friday night he died,
and we buried him Saturday. I said no more house cats. No cat could be like
Ringo.
Fast forward to Tuesday morning and the plant connection. I
was getting dressed and looked out the window to check on the houseplants that
were on that side of the house, I wanted to see where the morning sun was
hitting. There in the big cedar tree was a cat and my heart almost stopped, it
looked just like Ringo.
I realized quickly that it was just a kitten but marked
somewhat like Ringo. I hurried outside and coaxed him down. He was friendly and came right into my arms.
I carried him into the house and my husband said- “OMG- I buried that cat.”
It is so odd that another kitten, almost like Ringo shows up
here almost exactly a year after Ringo showed up. And just a couple days after
he died. Spooky. We are pretty sure
Ringo was dropped off because another neighbor had a similar kitten show up at
her house. I think this one was dropped off too.
Our female barn cats are spayed, the closest neighbors don’t
have or want cats and we are in a rural area where houses aren’t that close.
(Last year the one neighbor did have cats, but she has moved, and all her cats
were spayed too.) It’s unlikely the kitten wandered here and it’s not feral,
it’s obvious it has spent time in a house.
So, I have posted the kitten in the lost and found sites,
just in case, but I think we have a new house cat. (I’ll post pictures after a
few days.) He has already made friends with the dogs. He’s going to stay inside
until he’s vaccinated. He’s a very busy little kitty, very playful and very
demanding of attention.
My hunch is the same people who dumped Ringo last year
dumped this one, so the genetics may be close. He has different markings on his
body and his hair is a bit longer but there are many similarities. We are going
to name him Casper.
Now back to plants.
At my house peonies and clematis are beginning to bloom. Bearded iris
are in bloom here and there. Dames rocket and my yellow rose are still putting
on a show and the multiflora rose I allow to grow near the porch is blooming.
But there is still a bit of a lull in bloom right now. The spring bulbs are all
done and the summer perennials at just at the edge of bloom.
While we had some rain last week it’s still very dry. Plants
are shorter this year than in others. I do some supplemental watering, so
things aren’t too bad. But we are still in a moderate drought and could use
more rain. At least the corn is coming
up in the fields across the way so farmers may get a crop.
My tomatoes loved the heat last week and are in bloom. The
cucumbers, melons and pumpkins are all vining.
So far, the grow bag garden is doing well.
Two plants
butterflies and bees love
In the last few days my Korean lilac ‘Miss Kim’ has been putting on quite the show. It is loaded this year with fat panicles of pale lavender flowers and those panicles are loaded with bees, butterflies and the occasional hummingbird. It must have very desirable nectar.
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| Korean lilac 'Miss Kim' |
Yesterday I saw 4 species of butterflies, the tiny
hummingbird moth and at least 3 species of bees buzzing around the bush. The
large yellow Tiger Swallowtail butterflies were the most numerous, I saw 8 on
the bush at one time. Another visitor is Red Spotted Purple butterflies. Researchers take note: here is another plant
they visit for nectar besides staghorn sumac.
Far more pollinators are around the Korean lilac then are
around the common lilac when it blooms. I could sit and watch the insect show
for hours, in fact yesterday I was there at least an hour getting pictures.
I don’t think the smell of Miss Kim is as nice as that of
common lilacs, but the scent is pleasant enough. I did think the bush would be
smaller at maturity when I planted it, they advertise it as knee high. Mine is
easily six feet high, but unlike common lilacs, the flowers pop out all over
the bush instead of just at the top. I bought it because of the name, and I
sure haven’t regretted the decision.
The color of the flowers is pale lavender, and the
individual flowers are small but whatever nectar they produce must be like
sweet cherry wine to the insects because they actually fight over the flowers.
It’s almost if they are intoxicated by it. If you want to see butterflies and
bees, plant one in your garden.
Syringa pubescens subspecies patula, the Korean lilac
or Manchurian lilac is a low growing lilac- about 7 feet maximum- which blooms
about 2 weeks after regular lilacs bloom.
They are also mildew resistant and have a good bronzy burgundy fall
color. Because they are smaller than regular lilacs, they can be planted in the
back of flower beds and close to the house.
There may be other cultivars other than ‘Miss Kim’, I didn’t check.
Pruning should only be done right after Korean lilacs finish blooming. Remove any seed heads and you’ll have larger and more numerous flower clusters the next year. Korean lilacs are hardy in zones 3-8. They do not like acidic soil. Full sun is required.
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| Red Spotted Purple on Korean Lilac |
Comfrey
It may be coarse looking and aggressively spreading but if
you want to please pollinators plant some comfrey. Years ago I read some backwoods
type article about growing comfrey to feed your livestock and to make a home
remedy to cure flu and decided to plant some. I’ve been battling it ever since.
I don’t mind leaving some comfrey for the bees and
butterflies though. Comfrey plants are always buzzing when in flower and they
flower a lot. The flowers are tiny “bells” of pink, purple or white and they
have nectar the bees love. Hummingbirds
are also fond of the flowers. I’ve seen them going from flower to flower for
long periods of time.
Flower color seems to be variable on the same plant. I think
they lighten as they age but I have also seen some flowers open in white or
very pale lavender. I have also seen darker purple and pink flowers. If you
plant it, you’ll end up with a variety of colors. They spread by seed and by
the clumps increasing in size.
The most common of the 35 comfrey species that are found in
gardens is actually a hybrid of two species, rough comfrey Symphytum asperum
and Symphytum officinale or medicinal comfrey. It’s often sold as Russian comfrey.
Warning- comfrey contains several toxic chemicals and it
is banned by the FDA for human consumption.
That said some people still use it in herbal remedies. I wouldn’t
recommend it. Comfrey is listed as a
plant that damages the liver and is a carcinogen. The damage isn’t immediately
evident when the plant is consumed, so herbalists still think it’s safe.
It can be safely eaten by livestock and poultry, at least they don’t die from it immediately. But I never found livestock to be fond of it although I do see my hens and turkeys eating it from time to time. They never eat a lot of it. I wish something would eat it. Deer don’t touch it. I don’t think you need to worry about pets and children eating it as those rough leaves would gag them long before they ate a harmful amount.
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| Comfrey flowers |
Comfrey is often described as a shrub, although it’s not
woody and dies to the ground each year.
It’s probably because the plants can get as large as shrubs. I have seen
them get 5 feet tall and wide. The
leaves are huge, up to 3 feet long ovals with a rough surface on a thick hairy
stem. The plants are covered with tiny prickly hairs which makes dealing with
them quite unpleasant.
If you have an area where you want something very hardy to
grow but it’s not a flower bed or near your veggie garden plant some comfrey
for the bees. Keep in mind they will spread to distant places. If aggressive non-native
spreaders are not your thing you may want to avoid it. If you do decide to
plant it for the bees as soon as you see one coming up where it’s not wanted,
quickly dig it out because it will put down a long tough root as it ages which
is hard to remove.
Comfrey will grow in sun or partial shade. It begins
flowering in late spring and will flower on and off through the summer. Be
careful working around them because bees swarm over them. Also wear gloves to pull them because the
hairs can get in your skin and cause a rash.
Comfrey leaves are an excellent addition to the compost pile,
and you can cut and come again for that purpose. They are full of minerals. They are “juicy” and add moisture to dry
compost materials.
So, if you like seeing bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
sacrifice some land to comfrey.
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 24th), is called the Full Strawberry moon in North
America and Full Rose moon in European countries. Moon apogee is the 8th.
Moon perigee is the 23rd. With the perigee close to full moon the
gravitational pull will be stronger. Expect wet weather in many places.
There will be an eclipse of the sun June 10th. It will be visible in northern Canada,
Greenland and Russia around sunrise as an annular or ring of fire eclipse. But
many northeastern Americans and some Europeans and Asians may see a partial
solar eclipse at daybreak if weather permits. A partial eclipse looks like
someone took a chunks out of the sun. Remember
not to look at the sun without protection for your eyes.
Meteorically summer begins June 1st. The
astrological start of summer is summer solstice on June 20, 2021, 11:31 pm 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 start getting longer after the solstice.
In ancient times this event, the solstice, was always
celebrated. Many people are celebrating summer solstice once again. It’s a good
day to have a campfire, gaze at stars and wonder at the immensity of the
universe and our place in it. After a year like last year a little reflection
on the state of humanity is very worthwhile.
June’s birth flower is, of course, the rose. There are 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 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, and the 5th
is World Environment Day. Flag Day is June 14th and Father’s Day is
June 20th this year. The 17th
is Eat your Vegetables Day. The 26th is Forgiveness Day, what a
wonderful day to celebrate.
On this June day the buds in my garden are almost as
enchanting as the open flowers. Things in bud bring, in the heat of a June
noontide, the recollection of the loveliest days of the year, those days of May
when all is suggested, nothing yet fulfilled.
-Francis King
Kim Willis
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