Hi gardeners
Did you know that no other month in the same year starts
with the same day of the week as June?
This year June started on Wednesday. June in every year always ends on
the same day of the week that March does. That is Thursday this year. June only
has 10 days of “calendar summer” but September has 21.
I don’t know about where you live, but this spring has had
some of the most erratic weather I’ve ever seen. Chilly, then hot as blazes, then chilly, then
hot again. We’ve had quite a bit of rain but some places, even fairly close to
us, have not. I don’t know how this will affect the plants, right now they seem
to be growing just fine. At first bloom times were behind last year, now we are
ahead a bit.
In my garden the roses are blooming, as is evening primrose,
clustered bellflower, clematis, shasta daisies, and Maltese cross. Echinacea is
starting to bloom and daylilies will bloom in a day or two. I even have big
buds on hostas. The annuals are hitting their stride and looking good. All of
my new fuchsias are blooming. I am still transplanting cleome and woodland
nicotiana that are popping up everywhere into better spots for them.
In the veggie garden I have baby tomatoes and peppers and
the cukes and melons are starting to vine. Garlic has scapes now. The mulberry
tree is ripening fruit and the birds are all over it- let the fun begin. The
apple trees have a lot of little fruit started.
Birds are very numerous here this year. Has anyone noticed that purple house finches,
rose breasted grosbeaks and various woodpeckers are eating grape jelly put out
for orioles? They are at my house. I’m going through 2-3 big jars of jelly each
week. I’m starting to limit how much I put out.
The birds also consume about 6 suet cakes a week.
June bugs are flying at night. It’s time to watch for rose
chafer beetles. The name rose chafer is misleading. While they are very
attracted to rose flowers, they’ll eat the leaves and flowers on many kinds of
plants, grape leaves and flowers are a favorite.
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| Rose chafer Photo credit MSU Extension |
Scarlet lily beetles have larvae that hide in piles of their own poop along lily stems and leaves. You may notice the poop first. The larvae and adults love members of the lily family, often consuming all the leaves and buds. (They do not feed on day lilies.) Sometimes however, they will also feed on lilies of the valley, hosta, hollyhocks, nicotiana, and potatoes.
_mating%20wikipedia.jpg) |
| Scarlet lily beetle Photo credit wikipedia |
To get rid of these pests you’ll have to decide whether to
do the pick and crush or use pesticides.
You might try a hand vacuum.
Don’t
stop mowing your lawn in July for fireflies
Another insect you may notice right now is the firefly. This
brings me to the current social media memes spreading around the garden
pages. You remember the nonsense of no
mow May? Well now certain people are trying to get you to not mow in July, because
they wrongly assume that will protect fireflies. It’s nonsense and you should
not promote or share these memes. Let’s talk about fireflies.
There are about 128 species of fireflies in North America,
but we don’t know much about half of those species. Of the species we do know about 14 species
are threatened. Most species are not in danger, although antidotally they are
thought to be declining. But a great many species of insects are declining so
that would be expected. Pesticides- especially those targeting slugs and
snails, light pollution and drought are much more damaging to firefly populations
than mowing your lawn.
Fireflies, of course, appear at night, as tiny flashing lights zipping around the garden. So, what do adult fireflies look like in the daytime when they aren’t flashing? That can vary by species. They are winged beetles with soft bodies up to about an inch long. Many are tan or brownish, some have heads of a contrasting color, some are striped. Some have large mandibles for catching prey. In the US most species have both male and female flyers. But in some places the females of a firefly species never become winged, they remain larvae-like except for large compound eyes. They can twinkle however and are called glowworms.
The fireflies that can get “lit” have in their abdomens a
chemical called luciferin. This chemical gives them a very nasty taste, so
birds and frogs don’t like to eat them, but it also allows them to do something
else. When a firefly feels sexy, he or
she can combine that luciferin with calcium, adenosine triphosphate, and oxygen
to produce a glow or light. They use the light to attract mates. The light can
be yellow, orange, green or even appear blue, depending on species. Firefly
light is a cold light, it doesn’t heat the bug up. And it’s probably the most
efficient light produced on earth, almost 100% of the energy produced by the
chemical reaction creates light.
Besides performing light shows, fireflies are helpful to gardeners in another way. The larvae of most firefly species are carnivorous. Some of their favorite prey is the slugs and snails that cause gardeners so much grief. They also eat the larvae of other plant eating insect species. None of the larvae or adult fireflies are harmful to you or your plants. Seeing fireflies in the garden is a good thing!
So, what habitat do fireflies like? You can find them in the city but most often you’ll find them in the countryside, near areas of wetlands or water. So, living near one of these wet areas or building water features makes it more likely you’ll see fireflies.
You don’t need to stop mowing your lawn to help fireflies.
In fact, since the females lay their eggs in the soil shorter vegetation is
probably better, especially a well-watered lawn. Firefly larvae feed on slugs
and snails and where do you find a lot of these? In a garden among your hosta
and other plants not in a tall weedy lawn.
Of course, fireflies benefit from some native vegetation
that attracts the insects and slugs they like to eat, and that might be native
plants in your garden. But they don’t eat
plants and don’t really care about what plant species are there as long as they
can find snails and slugs and certain other insects. Any type of garden is fine
except desert conditions.
If your lawn isn’t treated with pesticides and you allow
things like clover and dandelions to mix with grass, then mowing it to 3-4
inches in height will not harm fireflies. If this lawn is ringed or dotted with
gardens then it’s probably perfect habitat, especially if it’s watered when
dry. I don’t usually encourage watering lawns but if you are concerned about
fireflies it will help.
Another thing that will really help fireflies is turning off
lights at night. Those big pole lights are especially bad. Research has found that lights at night
disrupt firefly mating behavior. Light from windows, and solar lights that come
on at night should also be eliminated where possible.
Using mulch and allowing leaf litter to remain in gardens also helps fireflies because it encourages slugs and snails. And of course, you will never put out slug and snail bait if you are concerned about fireflies. Rain gardens, ponds and water features are garden features that help fireflies. By the way you can use a Bt product in water to control mosquitoes without harming fireflies. They do not use water for reproductive purposes.
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| Firefly |
I’ve explained before that having a mowed area around homes
is usually more beneficial than bad if it isn’t sprayed with pesticides or
confined exclusively to grass. Mowed areas reduce pest problems like mice,
rats, ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. They may be firebreaks in some areas. They
are a place for kids to play and adults to relax. And you may get tickets in some places if you
don’t mow.
People who have a lot of property may mow too much area. Let some distant areas go wild. There’s nothing wrong with reducing your lawn with more flower beds or veggie gardens either. If you don’t want lawn, fine, but manage the area around your home, just don’t stop mowing.
The idea you are virtuous or a wildlife savior just because
you stop mowing around your home for a month is a corny idea that should be
popped. Mow in July without feeling a bit guilty. Let’s see what is proposed as
a reason for not mowing in August and September.
How summer solstice can help you
Want to feel younger and more beautiful? Wreaths of flowers and herbs are included in
many summer solstice celebrations. Rue, fennel, roses, rosemary, foxglove,
lemon verbena, calendula, mallow, elderberry, St. John's Wort, vervain and
trefoil are plants associated with these wreaths and summer solstice. The wreaths are worn on the head and hung on
doors and are said to bring good luck. The
flowers or wreaths were left outside to gather the dew on the night of the
solstice. Washing your face with the dew collected on the night of the solstice
was supposed to make you beautiful and delay aging.
Want to have a baby? Most women in the northern hemisphere are at their most fertile time in June. A baby is born in March from such a conception and would have optimal survival chances in most areas, so nature favors this fertile time. Food supplies would be more plentiful as the baby began to require more milk, the weather more moderate, and the wife would be recovered enough to help with spring planting.
Common summer solstice traditions include a couple jumping
over a bonfire together to make it known they were committed to each other. (Make sure you are not drinking if you try
this.) Even today June is the month most favored for marriage.
And of course, summer solstice can give you a good excuse to
gather around a bonfire after a day at the beach to celebrate your holiday.
“What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young
summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet
no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.” –
Gertrude Jekyll
Kim Willis
No part of this blog may be reproduced without
permission.
Contact Kim at kimwillis151@gmail.com