May 10, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

May 10, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter    © Kim Willis

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

Hi Gardeners

It’s a cool and breezy day here although we haven’t had rain yet.  It looks like a wet week ahead though.  But its spring- my tulips are beautiful right now.  I have made one trip this month to the greenhouse ( so far) and came home with a few things.  I keep telling myself to wait – there will still be frost- but it’s hard.   It’s nice having that small greenhouse even if it’s unheated, to store things I couldn’t resist buying.  I even bought a huge Early Girl tomato plant with little tomatoes on it to put in there.  Maybe this year I will get tomatoes with the lettuce!

I found some new plants to try.  One is Lemon Cypress ‘Goldcrest’, a small lemony colored dwarf evergreen in a pyramidal shape.  It’s not winter hardy here but can be overwintered inside I am told.  The leaves smell lemony when bruised although it’s not edible.  I am going to use it in a large pot with a new hardy cranesbill geranium ‘Dark Reiter’ which has purple foliage and a rose colored double flowered calibrachoa.

I also bought variegated St. Johns wort, Hypericum calycinum ‘Fiesta” , which has a sprawling habit and leaves of pink, white, lemon and green.  Some of these plants and others are going in around a water feature I am working on.  I took my stock tank I used last year and surrounded it with the gnarled, curvy pieces of wisteria wood that Edison trimmed off our large wisteria earlier this spring.  I am filling crevices with potting soil and planting it.  It’s still a work in progress.  I’ll post pictures as it starts looking more finished.

I like hosta and have quite a few of them although I don’t have any special interest in them.  I know that when I worked retail hosta collectors would come and go through our shipments of hosta looking for unusual “sports” or mutations.  I guess that’s how a lot of new varieties are found.   Well in my greenhouse trip last week I spotted what I think could be a sport of the hosta Praying Hands so I snatched it up.  It could be two plants in the same pot though.  Praying Hands is a small dark green hosta with narrow upright leaves with a small lemon edge.  This pot has that and a part of the plant, or maybe another plant, that has lighter, lemon variegated leaves, some with a darker green center streak.  It has the same narrow wavy leaves but isn’t as tall as Praying Hands.    I am going to post a picture- and if any of you are hosta knowledgeable tell me what you think.  Did I make a great find?

 

Do I have something special here?

The flowering quince and redbud are blooming this week and my trillium bloomed – at least one did.  Another is showing foliage.  Many years ago in another yard I had a good patch of trillium and as a child I planted some in my mom’s yards, which are still there.  The perennial Forget -me -nots are blooming, the clove viburnum, and creeping phlox.    I got onion plants planted this week.  Peas and lettuce are up.

I saw the hummingbirds this week- get your feeders out there.  The orioles have been quite busy at the jelly feeder too.

Flowering Quince

The lovely flowering quince we grow in our gardens is a member of the Chaenomeles genus.    These spring bloomers are grown for their pretty flowers.  They sometimes make fruit but are primarily ornamental.  There are other types of quince which have better fruit for consumption.  Horticultural Flowering Quinces are generally hybrids of 2 quince species; the most common one offered for sale is labeled Chaenomeles × superba.   Chaenomeles is native to Asia.

The flowering quince is a shrub about 3-4 feet in height and width when mature.  It has oval leaves with serrated edges that are alternately arranged.  The leaves are reddish in the spring and turn dark green later.   The stems of the plant are covered in spines, which makes the flowering quince excellent for a barrier hedge and keeps deer from totally destroying them.  They are good specimen plants for spring color and can be mixed into large borders for spring color. Hummingbirds visit flowering quince flowers in early spring and birds like to nest in its thick thorny center.

Flowering Quince

In zone 5-6 flowering quince has pretty rose-red flowers in May. They are hardy from zones 5-9.  The flowers are shaped like apple blossoms, although a bit larger, and cover the stems for a beautiful floral show.  After flowering some of the shrubs may produce some fruit, tiny, very hard, greenish yellow apple shaped fruit.  After a frost the fruit softens a bit and can be used in jams and jellies.  It’s very tart and high in pectin.  Most flowering quinces don’t produce very much fruit however and yours may never have fruit.  Fruit is more likely if there are several flowering quince shrubs in close proximity to each other.

There are numerous named cultivars in the nursery trade with flowers of red, orange and pink. Once in awhile white flowered varieties are offered.  There are also double flowered varieties and thorn-less varieties.  Varieties include ‘Texas Scarlet’,  the ‘Double Take’ series ( Red Storm, Orange Storm  or Pink Storm ) with doubled flowers, ‘Cameo’ double peach pink  and ‘Dragons Blood’, deep red and thorn-less.  Usually however the gardener will find flowering quince listed in catalogs as an unnamed variety.

The flowering quince prefers full sun and fertile, moist but well drained soil.  It prefers a neutral to slightly acidic pH.  In alkaline soils the plant may look chlorotic (pale green) but some acidic fertilizer will generally correct that.  The plant will tolerate dry conditions for moderate amounts of time after it’s established.  For good bloom fertilize with a slow release general purpose fertilizer in early spring. 

Flowering Quince is related to apples and shares many apple diseases and pests such as rust, scab, and fireblight.  They can be treated for those problems in the same manner as apples, with either preventative sprays or spot treatments of pesticides.  Usually however there are few problems when they are grown in the landscape.  Deer avoid the plants (they may eat thorn-less varieties) but rabbits will eat them, and the base of the plant should be protected in winter with a wire guard. 

Flowering quince can be pruned to maintain shape and size any time after they flower to mid-winter.  Avoid pruning from mid-winter through flowering or you will lose the blooms.  In zone 5 severe winters may kill the blooms but the plants usually survive. 

The flowering quince was a favorite of earlier gardeners and still deserves a place in home landscapes if you have a sunny place for it.  Your neighbors will want one after they see yours in bloom.

Trilliums

Trilliums are beginning to bloom in some of our woodlands and gardens in May.   This lovely native was once common on the edges of woodlands but is no longer found in many places.   Trilliums are a favorite deer food and they have a complicated life cycle which leaves them vulnerable in many places.  They are sold by nurseries however and a gardener can add them to the partly shaded garden.

Trilliums come in several species, the Large White Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum, sometimes called Wake Robin, which turns pink as the flower ages,  Trillium erectum, a reddish marron flowered  (sometimes yellowish) with a bad odor to justify the name  Stinking Benjamin, Trillium sessile, or Toadshade, with mottled leaves and a reddish flower that never opens fully, Trillium undulatum, Painted Trillium which has small white flowers with purple centers,  and  Trillium  cernuum,  Nodding Trillium, whose tiny white flowers dangle beneath the leaves.  All of these are Eastern North American species which can be found from Florida to Canada.  There are a few other species in North America and in Asia.

Trilliums are named that because everything about them comes in three’s, 3 leaves, 3 petals, 3 sepals, 6 stamens (3 pairs), 3 stigmas.  Occasionally a trillium will have double flowers.   The trillium puts up a single stalk with 3 dark green, long oval shaped leaves with prominent veins arranged in a whorl at the top of the stem.   In most species the single flower appears in the center of the leaves.  The flowers are glossy and also have prominent veins.  The Large White Trillium has flowers 3-5 inches across, other species have smaller flowers.  Flowers are pollinated by flies and small native bees.  Trilliums are not self-fertile so 2 or more trilliums must be close together to get seeds.  The flowers, if pollinated, turn into 3 chambered seed pods.  Each trillium only produces a few seeds.

Large White Trillium

Trilliums also reproduce by slowly spreading from rhizomatous roots.  They will, after many years left undisturbed, produce large colonies of plants.  However if a plant loses its leaves early, by deer grazing or people plucking them with the flower, the plant may die.  Since the plant is endangered or scarce in many places it’s not ethical to pick the flowers or disturb the plants.  Trilliums are not easy to transplant, with many plants dying in the process so don’t dig them from the wild either.

Trillium seed has an oily coating called the elaiosome, which is attractive to ants and yellow jackets.  They carry the seeds to underground nests and eat off the coating.  The hard seeds are then in a protected place for the 2 years required for them to germinate.   Deer also move trillium seeds when they eat the plants and seed pods.  The elaiosome is removed by the deer’s digestive system and the seed passes out in deer poop, which will hopefully land in deep forest litter to shelter it for two years.

After two years the trillium seed germinates and produces a leaf stalk.  They will not bloom for several years; about 5 years in gardens and 7-10 years in the wild.  Once they begin blooming they will bloom for many years, (its believed plants can live for at least 20 years), one bloom per year, if they are undisturbed.  This slow rate of reproduction is what causes many colonies of trilliums subject to deer grazing and human mishandling to disappear.

Trilliums in the garden

Despite what some nurseries claim, most trilliums offered for sale are not grown by the nursery, rather they are collected from wild colonies, maybe on the nurseries property or property where they purchase the rights to harvest them.  In a few cases, double flowered or other unusual trilliums may be grown in nurseries, but due to the slow reproduction of the plants these varieties will be scarce and expensive.  If the species is not listed as endangered in that state trilliums are legal to collect and sell.  And if you purchase them legally you do not have to worry about planting them in your garden.

Before you purchase trilliums make sure you have the right conditions for them.  Trilliums like deciduous wooded areas.  That means they like areas where they will get full sun early in the spring before the trees leaf out and then shaded conditions in the heat of summer.  They like moist but well drained soil with a high amount of organic matter and good fertility.  The soil pH should be neutral to slightly acidic for most species. Preferably the leaves the trees shed each fall will be left in the bed to make a “duff” or organic mulch.  The area they are planted in should not be disturbed often, certainly not mowed.  Trillium leaves need to remain on the plant until they die of their own accord, in late summer.

A woodland type garden with plants that have similar needs such as May apples, bloodroot, trout lilies, anemones, lily of the valley, Jack in the Pulpit, toad lilies,  and so on would be the best fit for them.  They would not do well in containers, rock gardens, and heavily cultivated garden beds. 

Trilliums should be sold and planted in the fall.  You will generally receive bare root pieces to plant.  Plant them as soon as you receive them in moist soil with the rhizomes about an inch deep in the soil and about 6 inches apart.  Cover with a light mulch of leaves.  If fall is dry water the trilliums occasionally.   Make sure to mark the location well.   You don’t want to plant on top of them or cut through their roots.

In mid to late spring foliage should emerge.  Sometimes trilliums will not emerge the first season after you plant them so don’t be too quick to think they are dead.  Keep the spot marked and undisturbed until the second spring.  Some trilliums will bloom the spring after you plant them but some will just make foliage for a year or two.  Be patient and they will flower eventually.

You may have to protect the trilliums from deer.   Deer love the taste of trilliums and will bypass other plants to eat them.  One or two years of the foliage being eaten will kill the plants.  They often eat them just as they start to bloom.  A fenced woodland garden may be needed.

As mentioned above, do not remove the trilliums foliage until it dies down of its own accord.   They have few leaves and each one is needed to produce food for the plant as long as possible.  If you want the trilliums to spread by the roots don’t cultivate the ground close by the plants.  The only other care they may need is to water them if it gets very dry.  A light application of slow release  garden fertilizer in early spring  may help blooming. 

Native Americans had herbal uses for the plant but it’s not recommended that trilliums be used for herbal concoctions.  They are mildly toxic, but the main reason to just leave them alone is that the plants just don’t compete well with humans and deer and are becoming rare in many places.  There are no herbal uses for them that other more common plants can’t be used for.  Please just enjoy them where they are.  Beauty is as good a purpose for trilliums being there as any other reason.

Planting tips and tricks

May is planting time in Michigan. Whether you are plant planting the vegetable garden or flower beds here are some tips to make planting easier.  None of these tips involve Epsom salt or dish detergent.

Redneck seed tapes.  Roll out some cheap 1 or 2 ply toilet paper.  Put a thin smear of paper glue- just cheap school paste glue- around a seed in spots along the middle of the toilet paper, spaced as seed packet directs for that kind of seed. ( Don’t cover the seed with paste.) Cover with another section of toilet paper and press down to glue layers together.  Let it dry, roll up and take to the garden.   Roll out in the garden row.  Lightly cover with soil and water well.

Pre- sprouting seed- Seeds with hard coats like morning glory and moonflower seeds may not sprout well outside, especially if it’s dry.  Speed up germination by finding a plastic container like a clean deli container, plastic serving saver or even a glass jar.  Soak a section of paper towel in water and wring out. Place in the container and lay seeds on it, spaced so they aren’t touching.  Cover with a similar damp towel.  You can make several layers in one container. 

Place the container, lid on, in a sunny window.  The seeds should show roots peeking out in just a few days.  Carefully lift each paper towel sheet, and plant the sprouted seeds. Plant as soon as you see a swollen seed with a root emerging.  If root hairs cling to the towel tear off a piece of it around the seed and plant it with the seed, instead of pulling it off. After planting make sure to keep the planting site moist, at least until the seed leaves pop above the surface.

All seeds can be pre-sprouted before planting.  It works best with larger seeds like melons, pumpkins, squash and beans.  Don’t let the seeds sit long after they begin to sprout, plant them quickly into soil and keep the planting site moist.

Seed/plant spacer- Do you like evenly spaced plants in the garden and hate thinning?    Get a piece of board a few inches wide and 3-4 feet long.  Measure the board and mark it at 1 inch intervals.  Drill holes in the center of the board at your inch marks.  Holes should be about  a ½ inch wide for seeds and if you want to use it for transplants make the holes an inch or more wide.  Holes should be in a straight line.  Place your board on a prepared bed and simply place a seed or plant in each hole.  Skip a hole for 2 inch spacing and so on.   You could use heavy cardboard for a spacer too, but a board will last for years.

Seeds can be pushed into a soft prepared seed bed through the hole.  You may want to poke a hole in the soil with a stick or piece of dowel through the drilled holes for transplants.  For transplants you’ll want to carry some soil to fill in around the plant and some water to water each transplant.  With practice and maybe using the no-stoop planter below you can quickly and neatly plant a long row or bed.

No stoop seed planter.  Use a piece of pipe- plastic PVC pipe is fine, just the right height for you to drop seeds in from a standing position as you hold it over the row.  You can use this with the seed spacer above by putting the piece of pipe into or right over your hole in the spacer.

Bird protection- Are birds eating seed as fast as it’s planted?  Keep limbs pruned from roses and other shrubbery and lay them over planted rows.  Remove them soon after plants emerge so that seedlings don’t tangle in them. This also discourages chickens scratching in the beds.

Better bird protection -  Spun row cover can protect the seeds while allowing air, water and light through.  It looks rather like the spun fabric softener sheets you put in the dryer. You can also use black or green plastic netting sold in rolls. You can purchase these in most garden centers. 

To hold netting or row cover off the soil or plants you’ll need supports.  Ideas are paper towel or other cardboard rolls, paint stirring sticks, Styrofoam blocks used in shipping boxes, small pop bottles, plastic cups, or pieces of PVC pipe.  Drape the row cover or netting over them and hold edges of the row cover down with soil or small rocks.  The supports should lift the cover just a little to keep it off emerging plants. You could also use sticks. If you use sticks with netting you’ll need to slip something on top of them like a plastic cup, lid, or small can to keep the netting from sliding down on them.  Row cover also provides a bit of added warmth and frost protection.  Remove when plants are up and growing well.  An alternative would be to staple row cover or netting strips onto two boards placed on either side of the row.  

For longer term bird protection, like for strawberries, netting is the best.  It needs to be supported well above the top of the plants.  It also needs to be easy to move so you can harvest the berries.   You can make hoops of stiff wire to hold the netting off the plants.  Or put together a frame of light PVC pipe.  Attach the netting to it with plastic slip ties.  This lifts off easily if you don’t make it too long - make several shorter lengths if you have to.  For single plant protection you could save netting from fruit or vegetable purchases and re-cycle it.

Keeping the cats out-  Cats can dig up newly planted seed beds and even transplants.   They can get in flower pots and containers and dig up plants or smash them by laying on them.  To protect your seeds and plants use plastic forks handle down into the soil and tines up, spaced among your plants or around seed beds.  You can also use sturdy sticks you have collected, just space them every few inches through your bed or around a row to make it hard for a cat to walk there or find a spot to dig.

After the plants are larger and the soil settled you can usually remove the forks or sticks.  If cats continue to lay in pots and containers you may have to leave them.  Painting the forks black or green, (or buying that color) helps disguise them.

Another trick is to lay a piece of unpainted lattice in your bed and plant through the holes in it.  You can use a knife to cut out additional space if needed.   You can cover this lightly with mulch to hide it.  This works well to keep fall planted bulbs from being dug up too.

2 liter frost protection – remove the labels and fill two liter pop bottles with water and place around tender plants like tomatoes to help protect and warm them.  The water heats up in the sun and releases heat at night.  Put some stakes around the plants or tie the bottles together with twine to prevent them from falling over and squishing plants.  Since red reflected light is said to enhance tomato plant growth you could add red food dye to the water to bottles placed around tomato plants.

More 2 liter frost protection -  Cut the tops of two liter plastic bottles and place the bottom part over tender plants in the evening to protect them from frost.  Or cut the bottom out and leave the cap off.  Remove when the sun comes up or you will cook the plants.  Plastic milk jugs are also good for this.

Better plant stakes- For supporting heavy plants metal fence posts would be fine and generally cheaper than plant stakes.   However if you are just marking rows or plant positions, use the fiberglass electric fence rods found at farm stores that are very cheap and never rot like wood stakes.  You can paint the tip for better visibility or to designate certain plants.  You can spray paint them black or green and use them for sturdy plant supports for smaller perennials.  Wear gloves when handling fiberglass rods as they leave splinters.  Plastic  fence rods are a little more expensive but don’t splinter.

Quick trellis or support system- Farm stores sell feedlot panels, ( sometimes called hog panels), - heavy wire panels 16 feet long and 34-48 inches high.  Usually these are about $20 per panel.  You can cut them into smaller pieces with bolt cutters or a saw.  Supported by a post or two they are great for trellising tomatoes, or they can be placed vertically to trellis cucumbers or other vines.   They can be bowed and secured at the bottom to form an arched trellis.  

Join two 8 feet pieces on one side and set them up like an inverted v for an excellent support for any vine crop.  They can be bowed and covered with plastic to make temporary greenhouses or high tunnels.  They make nice large gates.  The uses for these sturdy panels are endless.

Quick water feature-  If you want a small pond or water feature consider another farm store find, stock tanks.  These come in galvanized metal or heavy duty plastic.    Look for used ones at yard and farm sales.  They come in various depths and sizes and generally have a built in drain.  You can paint the outside of these tanks and if you don’t like the looks of a galvanized tank inside or if you have a leaky one you can line it.   You can buy pond liners or for an economical solution buy vinyl shower curtains  to line some sizes of stock tanks.

Growing Lemon Balm- A Light and Lively Herb

Lemon Balm is an herb so easy to grow that  anyone can grow it  in the garden.  With its lovely lemony flavor it complements many dishes.  It has many medicinal uses and is currently being studied for use in suppressing tumors, and in HIV, Herpes, and Alzheimer’s treatment.  Lemon Balm is so easy to grow that many people consider it invasive.

Lemon Balm, (Melissa officinalis), is a member of the mint family. Several species are native to Europe.  It will happily grow anywhere in zone 3-9.   It is commercially grown in many areas.  

The plant has square stems like most mints; the leaves are dark green, broadly oval with toothed edges.  Lemon balm grows to about 2 foot tall when it is in a spot it likes.   In midsummer Lemon Balm begins blooming, with small spikes of pale yellow flowers arising from where the leaf joins the stem.  The flowers are tiny but are loved by bees which flock to the plants.

The Lemon Balm plant is not very attractive as garden plants go, but it does have that delightful aroma of lemon when the leaves are handled.  It spreads quickly through the garden by seed and by runners and you will soon have many plants to share with friends.

Growing and Harvesting Lemon Balm

Most gardeners will start with Lemon Balm plants; anyone who has the plant should be able to give you a seedling in the spring.  Seeds are easy to sow if you find them for sale.  You can start them inside or simply sow them where you want the plants to go. They are perennial, dying back to the ground each winter.  Large clumps of Lemon Balm can also be divided.

Lemon Balm prefers full sun although it will tolerate partial shade.  It will grow in almost any soil.   For the best plants a well- draining, moderately rich soil in full sun, and watering when conditions are very dry is preferred.  After frost has killed the foliage cut off the stems to the ground.

The leaves of Lemon Balm can be harvested at any time.   Most of the active ingredients are found in the leaves, although flowers are also good as a dried herb.  The flowers are edible.   Simply remove the leaves needed from the plant or if you have an abundance of plants you can pull whole plants. Leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried.

Using Lemon Balm

The active ingredients in Lemon Balm include terpenes, tannins and eugenol.  In traditional herbal medicine Lemon Balm was usually a complementary addition to other herbs.  The lemony flavor helped make other herbal medications easy to take.  Lemon Balm is mildly sedative and helps decrease anxiety and aid sleep.  It is used to aid in gas and colic relief.   Lemon Balm leaves were also crushed and warmed to use as a poultice on wounds.

A current popular use is a lotion or cream containing Lemon Balm that is used on cold sores and other Herpes sores.   Cooled Lemon Balm tea can also be used on sores.  It does not control pain but speeds healing.  Much research is being focused on the anti-viral properties of Lemon Balm in Herpes and HIV treatment.  Other research is focusing on Lemon Balms ability to aid memory and restore some cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.  Some research suggests that Lemon Balm may destroy certain tumors.  Lemon Balm is a mild mosquito repellant when rubbed on the skin.  Lemon Balm is also used in potpourri. 

Lemon Balm has many culinary uses, wherever lemon flavor is required in cooking it can be substituted for lemon.  The essential oils from the plant are used in a wide variety of things from perfume and cosmetics to furniture polish.

To make a tea with Lemon Balm use about a cup of fresh, crushed leaves to a pint of boiling water and steep.  Use about a teaspoon of dried herb to a cup of boiling water.  Strain and sweeten if desired.  Adult dosage of tea should be limited to about 4 cups per day, children about a cup. Lemon Balm is available in the market place as dried herb, extract, essential oil, capsules and lotions.  Follow dosage directions on the labels.

An old recipe for using Lemon Balm as a cooling drink includes a bottle of claret wine, a couple cups of crushed lemon balm leaves, a sliced orange, a half of a sliced, peeled  cucumber, and a half cup of sugar.   All ingredients are mixed together and allowed to steep for a day in a cool place, then the liquid is strained and poured over ice.

 Some Cautions

Before using Lemon Balm preparations on the skin test a small area of skin for allergies.  Pregnant and nursing women should consult with a doctor before using Lemon Balm.  Some medications may interact with Lemon Balm, in particular thyroid medications, and if you are on any prescription  medications you should consult with your doctor before using Lemon Balm.

Garden myth busting- eggs in the garden

Have you heard the folk remedy of burying an egg – some say raw, some say hardboiled- by each tomato plant  to keep them from getting blossom end rot?  Or planting eggs in other places for their superior fertilizing capabilities?  Unfortunately eggs do little for the garden.  Eggs break down very, very slowly in soil.  I can tell you from experience that a whole egg buried in the soil will still be there years later unless someone cracks it.  Egg shells leach out their minerals, even calcium at a very slow rate also, even if broken up.  You would need many pounds of cracked eggshells to release any significant amount of minerals into the soil.

My new St. John's Wort- 'Fiesta'

Eggshells, even crushed, do not prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes.  We now know that blossom end rot comes from watering fluctuations in susceptible tomato varieties, not a calcium deficiency.  Even  if the shells could release significant calcium it wouldn’t  help the tomatoes.

Plants do not need protein or fats, the other ingredients in eggs nor could they use them from buried eggs.  Plants make their own proteins and fats.  While it is fine to add eggs or eggshells to the compost heap there is no fertilizer value to burying them around plants. 

Buried eggs will rot and smell- and you will really, really regret it if you bury a raw egg and it spoils, then bursts if you so much as nudge it, spraying you with a smell that will send you puking your way out of the garden.    Animals will be attracted to the garden if you bury eggs there, and can do a lot of damage digging the eggs up.  Egg shells that haven’t been boiled or baked may also contain salmonella, which could transfer to your hands or your garden produce and cause you much grief, even death.

Crushed egg shells do not deter slugs and snails.  They may attract birds- yes birds love eggshells- and while they are eating eggshells the birds might eat some snails and slugs.  But then again they may fill up with eggshells.  But crawling over eggshells doesn’t kill slugs or snails.  They may even hide under your mess of shells.

What about mixing up a bunch of cracked eggs, letting the mixture ferment and spoil and spraying it on plants to keep away pests?  If the pests are human it will sure enough keep them away.   Other animals, not so much.  Many animals like nasty things.  Deer or other herbivores might be temporarily repelled but the first rain will wash the smell away.  And they get used to the smell and ignore it.   And you certainly won’t want that smell- or taste- on food crops- it could even be hazardous to your health- and I don’t think most would want it on ornamental plants near the house either. 

Starting seeds in half an egg shell is also a silly idea.  Not only is it difficult to crack and remove the eggs contents in such a way as to leave a nice shell, the shells are too small to keep a plant growing for very long.  And when you plant the seedling still in the shell into the ground the shell does not break down fast enough to prevent root damage and restriction to the seedling.  Your seedlings might grow in spite of your egg binding them but it has nothing to do with the “helpful” qualities of the eggs.

If you have eggs or eggshells to dispose of break them up into small pieces and add them to a compost pile.   They’ll eventually break down.  If you don’t believe me that eggs don’t break down quickly try an experiment.  Bury an egg in soil, in some way to prevent animals eating them, maybe in a covered pot, let it sit for a year and then carefully dig it up.  Re-bury it and dig it up each year until it’s gone.  Good luck.

 Hang those hummer feeders, the poor things are cold and hungry!

Kim Willis

 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

Events, classes and other offerings

Please let me know if there is any event or class that you would like to share with other gardeners.  These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.

Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share?  Post them here by emailing me. You can also ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com

An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/623997204362467/?fref=nf

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/

Invitation

If you are a gardener in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow gardeners. No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a meeting for free. Contact susanmklaffer@yahoo.com  Phone 810-664-8912

New- Native Plant Sale, Sat, May 21, 9-11:30am, St Clair Shores Library, 22500 E 11 Mile Rd, St Clair Shores, MI

Sponsored by Yardeners at St Clair Shores Library. Attract birds, butterflies & bees with natives.  More information: scsyardeners@gmail.com.

New- MSU Annual Plant Sale, Sat, May 21, 7am-2pm, MSU Horticulture Gardens, 1066 Bogue St, East Lansing, MI

Annuals, perennials, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, houseplants, hanging baskets, & combo pots.  For more info:  www.hrt.msu.edu.

New- Annual Perennial Plant Sale Sat, May 28, 10am-1pm, 1535 N Hickory Rd, Owosso, MI

         

Sponsored by Shaiwassee Co. Master Gardeners. Plants for both shade & sun with expert gardeners to answer questions.   More info: joannemkenyon@yahoo.com.

New- Novi Spring Perennial Exchange Sat, May 28, 9am-Noon, Fuerst Park, 45175 10 Mile Rd, Novi, MI

Sponsored by Novi Beautification Commission at Fuerst Park. FREE. Perennial exchange. Bring plants to share and make new gardening friends. 248-735-5621.

New- Mushroom Cultivation Sat, May 21, 10am, 132 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit, MI.

Sponsored by The Greening of Detroit at Lafayette Greens. Take this 2 hour class to learn how to cultivate mushrooms.   More info: education@greeningofdetroit.com.

44th Annual Spring Plant Sale Tue, May 10, 10am-7pm, and 10am-2pm, Wed. May 11,  Cranbrook House and Gardens, 380 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Herbs, tropicals, perennials, native plants/wildflowers & more.  For more information www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu.

Kitchen Favorites Herb Sale Sat, Sun., May 14,-15,  10am-4:30pm,  Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor.

Herbs, containers & heirlooms. Herb study group on hand to answer questions. More information- www.mbgna.umich.edu.

Harnessing Mother Nature’s Workforce—Beneficial Insects Fri, May 20, 9:15 am, Meadow Brook Hall, 480 S Adams Rd, Rochester, MI

Learn to recognize & maximize Mother Nature’s natural pest control. Sponsored by MBGC at Meadow Brook Hall. Cost $5. For more info call  248‑364‑6210, or MBHGCMembers@gmail.com.

Here’s a facebook page link for gardeners in the Lapeer area.  This link has a lot of events listed on it.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

Here’s a link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/

Here’s a link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North Branch. 

http://campbellsgreenhouses.com/garden-center/classes-events/

Here’s a link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor

 http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/happening/calendar.asp?date=5/18/2015

Here’s a link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in Michigan.

http://www.englishgardens.com/events

Here’s a link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.

http://tellys.com/system/files/Tellys_WinterSpringGuide_Web-2015.pdf

Here’s a link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston and Brighton locations

http://www.bordines.com/events/

Here’s a link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann Arbor, Michigan  | Phone 734-997-1553 |

http://www.lesliesnc.org/

Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI

http://hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu/events

Here’s a link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi

http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580

info@meijergardens.org

Newsletter information

If you would like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes. You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do reserve the right to publish what I want.

I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com

May 3, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

May 3, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter    © Kim Willis

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

Hi Gardeners

Tulip "Orca"

I am so glad to see the sun today. We can have the windows open instead of the furnace on.  I sure hope May is sunnier than April.  We have had plenty of rain for the flowers.  It looks like tomorrow will be another rainy day though- today is typical Tuesday transition day.  We had a good frost last night and even though it’s going to be quite warm this Mother’s Day weekend frost can still happen in mid to southern Michigan all the way through May.  Remember that when you are picking up those hanging baskets and planters this week for Mother’s Day, which is quite early this year. 

My tulips are starting to bloom nicely, the Spanish bluebells, anemone, daffodils and hyacinths are still in bloom.  My clove currant is blooming and it smells wonderful.  I’m really excited because I have a bud on a trillium in my shaded border.  I planted trilliums two years ago and they didn’t show above ground last spring, which I understand isn’t unusual.  This year 2 of the 3 did come up.  I also have native ginger coming up.

I saw orioles at my jelly feeder Saturday.  No hummingbirds yet but last year I saw them for the first time on May 3, so maybe later today.  The birds and frogs are singing like crazy.

I got down to our bit of woods yesterday and found that we lost a lot of trees this winter- they came down in storms and have really smashed the old pasture fence.  Some were dead ash trees, and they took others with them when they fell.  On the other hand the red pines and scotch pines which came up as volunteers in the pasture are as tall as me now. 

We are pretty much letting the pasture revert to whatever nature wants it to be although we are mowing a path around the pond and an area up close to the house.  I look at all that good grass growing and think about what it could feed- a cow or some goats and sheep or horses, all things that grazed there in the past.  I can’t help it; grass makes me think of good uses for it.  Then I think about maintaining fences and all the other work animals like that require and decide to let nature do its thing.  Restoring the back fence alone would take a lot of time and money.

I received a plant shipment this week from what I will call a bargain garden catalog.  I haven’t ordered from this company (Burgess) for many years because I know you get what you pay for.  There was something I wanted that I saw they had a good price on so I took a chance and ordered a few things.  I was hoping all the instant feedback on social media would have improved this company’s offerings and shipping methods.  It may have improved them somewhat but improvement is still needed.

The plants arrived in a large green plastic bag instead of a box.  Part of the condition of the plants inside was undoubtedly due to handling at the post office but it’s hard to protect something in a plastic bag.  The bag was stuffed into our large rural mailbox. Inside some of my purchases were in other little plastic bags.  A few small potted things were in thin plastic protective containers- which all look liked like they had been run over by the mail truck. 

I sorted out the mess and potted up the bare root plants promptly.  I had a hard time determining which end of the little twig of a sassafras tree I bought was the root end.  The pink canna I ordered was about the size of a nickel and the piece felt soft so I have grave doubts it will grow. Definitely not worth $5.50.   The yellow flowered Christmas cactus was actually a cutting- which really hadn’t rooted, but I think I can grow that.  The other things I ordered are probably fine if on the small size.  Once again you get what you pay for.  Shipping cost $10- and instead of the bag they could have purchased a postal box that would have held all those little plants for about the same price.

Speaking of good prices on plants I hope all of you mid-Michigan readers will attend the Lapeer Horticulture Society’s plant sale Saturday the 7^th.  It’s being held at Siciliano's, the little Italian restaurant on the north edge of Lapeer right on M24 (1900 North Lapeer Road).  Time is 8 am to 4 pm.  There will be hanging baskets and other planters for Mother’s Day as well as perennial plants from member’s gardens.  Garden related items and books will also be for sale.  Stop in and find some great deals.

May Almanac

May is a wonderful month, almost as good as June. The full moon is May 21^st  and appropriately enough it’s called the flower moon. Perigee is the 6^th and apogee of the moon is on the 18^th.  Mother’s Day and Memorial Day in May are some of the biggest sales days that greenhouses have and May is almost synonymous with a trip to buy flowers.  Other names for May’s full moon are mother’s moon and milk moon- because new mothers and their milk are everywhere. The month name of May is derived from the name of the Greek goddess Maia, associated with fertility. 

There are two sets of notable days in May folklore. The first is Chilly Saints days, named for the Saints Mameritus, Pancras, and Gervais.  The days are the 11th, 12th, and 13th and it is said that these days will be cold and frosty. (In 2015 these days were cool and rainy and we had frost on the 14^th .)  The second set of folklore days is the Ember days.  May Ember days are the 22nd, 24th and 25th.  On the 22nd the weather predicts the weather for June, the 24th predicts July weather and the 25th predicts the August weather.  Example: if it’s cold and wet on the 22nd the month of June is supposed to be cold and wet. 

In 2015 May 22^nd  was sunny and cooler than  average in temperature.  June 2015 was pretty average in sun and temperature.   May 24^th  2015 was partly sunny, warm and humid.  July 2015 was sunny and warm.  May 25^th  was also partly sunny, hot and humid.  August 2015 was cooler than average.  So much for Ember Day predictions.

May is planting month around here.  Plant something every day!  According to the Farmer’s Almanac the best days to plant above ground crops are May 19-21, below ground crops May 29-30 but don’t let that stop you from getting things planted.  I plant when me, the soil and weather are ready.  May’s full moon is said to be a great time to harvest any medicinal herbs that are growing for their maximum potency.

May’s birth flower is the Lily of the Valley.  It signifies sweetness and humility. ( But remember its poisonous)  It also means a return to happiness and you are supposed to give them to people you find complete happiness with.  The birthstone is the emerald which is a symbol of re-birth.

May Day, May 1, has passed, Cinco de Mayo is May 5^th, May 6^th is No Diet Day which is great.  It’s also National Teachers day so hug a teacher.  May 8^th  is World Red Cross day and Iris day.  Mother’s Day is May 8^th . The 16^th  is Love a Tree day.   The 29^th  is Learn about Composting day.  The 30^th is that springboard to summer day- Memorial Day and the 30^th is also Water Your Flowers Day.  It’s good that Memorial Day is late this year because it’s a date many people use to signify it’s  safe to plant everything.  But beware- frost can still happen, although it isn’t likely.

May is National Barb-b-Que month, National Salad Month, National Egg month, National Hamburger month and National Date your Mate month. May is also Older Americans month, Bike Month, National Skin Cancer Awareness month and Blood Pressure Awareness month.

What to plant in May

May is definitely planting time in Michigan and other zone 5-6 areas but from week to week in the month there will be a big difference in what can be planted.  Early May is fine for peas, lettuce and other greens, cabbage, beets, radishes, set onions, strawberries, grapes, blueberries and raspberries,  all hardy perennials, trees and shrubs.    Annuals such as pansies, violas, calendula and diascia can be planted early.  Phenological indicators are dandelions in bloom, pink color on apple blossoms, color showing on lilacs or lilacs just beginning to bloom, redbuds beginning to bloom.

Phenological indicators are common landscape plants, native plants or insects that have reached a certain stage which generally corresponds to soil warmth and the number of days that have remained above 40 degrees.  They are nature’s indicators of where we stand in season progression and they are tuned to your microclimate as well as the larger area.  They can help us make decisions on whether it’s warm enough to plant certain things or do other garden chores.  Make sure to use plants that are as close to your garden areas as possible if you want to use phenological indicators to time planting.

By mid- month, and checking the weather to see if any freezes are in the forecast, you can plant carrots, onions from plants, broccoli and cauliflower, and potatoes.  If the soil seems warm you can plant an early batch of sweet corn.  Snapdragons and zonal geraniums can go outside and you can plant all types of annual and perennial flower seeds.  You can still plant all hardy perennials, trees and shrubs. Phenological indicators would be lilacs blooming, apples in bloom, oak trees with small leaves.

By late May most other garden crops like tomatoes, peppers, melons, beans and so on can be planted.  All kinds of annuals can be planted.  Perennials, trees and shrubs can still be planted.  Phenological indicators are lilacs past full bloom, bearded iris and dames rocket  in bloom.  Keep an eye out for frost warnings though and be prepared  to cover plants or move them inside if frost is predicted.  We can still get frost until the first week of June in some areas.  If the weather seems warm and settled houseplants and tropicals can be moved outside at the end of May.

Knowing how not to get fooled at the Farmers Market

If you go to the Farmers Market to get fresh local produce or organic produce, you often pay a premium price for that produce.  You want to make sure you get what you pay for.  Unfortunately there are many people out there who buy their produce at wholesalers- in Michigan the Eastern Market is a big source- and that produce is the same produce sold in grocery stores, often at a cheaper price, and it can come from thousands of miles away. 

A few years ago the story broke about a well- known Master Gardener who supposedly sold heirloom organic tomatoes in several local markets that he said he grew on his farm.  Reporters visited the farm and found fields barren and overgrown with weeds and empty greenhouses with plastic flapping in the wind.  They followed him secretly to the Eastern market in the wee hours of the morning and taped him purchasing tomatoes and other produce from several sources.   The produce from his “organic” farmers market booth was tested and it was discovered that most of the produce was not grown organically.

Now this produce was safe to eat but it wasn’t grown locally, wasn’t  organic, and for the most part wasn’t even heirloom varieties.  He was a fraud and unfortunately he’s not the only farmer at the various farmers markets who follows those practices.  It may not matter to you where the produce you buy comes from or whether it’s organic, it may be the experience of going to the farmers market that’s important to you.  But many people do want to support local growers and buy organic food.  And when some sellers cheat, it hurts the honest folks who are growing locally and organically.

The best way to know if you have found an honest, local grower is to know what fruits and vegetables are in season in your area.  In Michigan, for example, it’s highly unlikely you will find locally grown strawberries in early May, but maybe by late May in the southern part of the state.  There are no locally grown tomatoes or peppers in May.  If a seller has those products in his or her booth they purchased them wholesale and they were likely grown in another part of the country.  They may acknowledge this if asked but tell you that other produce such as salad greens was grown by them.  That could be true but it’s hard to determine just what the seller is telling the truth about when this happens.

If a grower has a hoop house or greenhouse his produce may come to harvest  a few weeks before the same crop grown in the ground.  You can find that out by asking the seller if the produce was grown in a hoophouse or greenhouse.  They could lie of course, but produce grown this way is usually in small quantities and higher priced than produce bought from wholesalers.  The hoophouse or greenhouse  grower usually specializes in one or two crops, and doesn’t sell things like oranges and bananas at his or her stand.

What is likely to be locally grown at the Farmers Market this week in May?  Rhubarb, salad greens, kale, and asparagus could be local in early May in mid- Michigan to the south.   In southern parts of the state green onions, radishes, leeks, and tiny beets may also be available.  Some stored over winter potatoes might still be available.  Potatoes won’t be new, little ones, but rather older, looking a little soft and starting to sprout. 

Other ways to tell if your farmer/ seller is local is to strike up a conversation, ask where the produce is grown and to observe what others in the market are selling.  Look around the market.  If many vendors, small and large are selling similar produce it’s probably in season locally.  If a vendor is selling lots of out of season produce, or produce that doesn’t grow in Michigan like oranges, chances are good all of their produce is from wholesalers and not grown locally.

Ask the seller the name of his farm and where it’s located.  Ask when the crop was harvested and what varieties of the crop are being offered.  If the seller is rushing around helping other customers  you may get short answers but most sellers like to talk about their farm if you are courteous and patient.  Some growers may send kids or other hired help to actually sell the produce and these people may not know as much as the grower but they should be able to tell you where the crop was grown.  However they could be coached as to how to answer questions or be lied to by the seller so use your observation and gut hunches too.

Buying at a smaller Farmer’s Market instead of the huge ones located in big urban areas increases your chances of getting locally grown produce and a lower price.  Often the huge markets will have smaller vendors too, and buying from them helps the small struggling growers get established as well as increasing your odds of getting locally grown food. 

It would be great- and here’s a suggestion to sellers and market managers-if all sellers posted the name of their farm and where it’s located at their booth.  If they are selling obviously out of season, non-local produce that produce should be labeled as to where it came from.  And if they are certified organic or use organic methods they should state that too.  But don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

Ask if the crop was organically grown if that’s important to you.  It’s difficult to judge whether produce is organically grown, although organic produce may not look as perfect as non-organic.  Many small growers don’t get organic certification and hesitate to say they are organic but will tell you that they don’t use pesticides.   You basically have to trust the seller on this. 

In short knowledge of what is in season in your area and asking the right questions can help you determine if you are getting the locally grown produce you want.  Locally grown produce usually tastes better because it’s freshly harvested.  And buying locally does the economy and the environment a solid favor.

Growing Lilies of the Valley- May’s birth flower

Lily of the Valley, Convallaria majalis, is the old fashioned, sweetly scented but deadly flower often romanticized in song and prose.  There are 3 species native to cooler areas of Europe, Asia and the Appalachian Mountains of the United States.  Other names for the plant are Mary’s Tears and Our Lady’s Tears although this plant cannot be the lilies of the valley mentioned in the bible.

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley has one or two upright, broad oval shaped leaves that rise from the base of the plant on a sturdy stem.  The leaves are dark green, thick, and parallel veins run from top to bottom.  The roots have small bulb like structures that are called pips.  The plant sends out runners just below the ground that produce new plantlets, all a clone of the original. 

In late spring stems of tiny, nodding white bells arise from the plants base. Each bell has 6 slightly upturned scallops on the bottom edge.  Bees are attracted to the flowers.  The flowers are very fragrant and a stand of Lily of the Valley can perfume the air for a considerable distance. 

In earlier times Lily of the Valley was grown for cut flowers and they still make long lasting, wonderfully fragrant bouquets in small vases.  Lily of the Valley is popular as a wedding flower but quite expensive when out of season. (They can be produced in climate controlled greenhouses.)

If there are two different Lilies of the Valley close to each other and not just clones of one plant the flowers will produce tiny red berries.  Lily of the Valley is self-infertile- clones cannot pollinate with each other and the original parent.  That doesn’t stop them from completely filling an area that they like and the plant can be considered invasive in some spots.

Lily of the Valley Care

These lovely and fragrant flowers are surprisingly sturdy and make a great groundcover in shaded or semi-shaded areas.   They are hardy to zone 3 at least and like cold winters with hot summers.  Lily of the Valley likes shaded or semi-shaded locations with sandy, loose, organic soil that is slightly acidic, but they will grow in a wide variety of soil types.  The plant dies to the ground after frost and returns each spring from the roots.

Lily of the Valley may be purchased as potted plants or as pips, which look like root joints or tiny bulbs.  Plant them as soon as they arrive if they are not potted.  It can take 2 years before some plants or pips flower but some will flower the first season.  Fall is considered the best time to plant Lily of the Valley.  You will sometimes see seeds offered but these tend to have a low germination and high failure rate.  Plants and pips are the best way to start the plant in your garden.

There are light pink and double flowered varieties of Lily of the Valley and a variety with variegated leaves.  These are hard to find and don’t seem to be as long lived as the common variety.  Some people have found that after a while these varieties seem to revert to plain white Lily of the Valley.

If summer is dry and hot the Lily of the Valley may die back or look ragged and limp and not be the prettiest groundcover.  Therefore the occasional watering during dry spells is recommended.  A light application of slow release flower fertilizer in early spring will make the flowers more abundant and larger.  Lily of the Valley has few insect pests or disease problems and deer and rabbits rarely bother them.

Some cautions

Be aware that Lily of the Valley can spread rapidly through a flower bed and can be difficult to totally remove once they get a start.  They are best used as a ground cover in shaded areas or kept in small patches restricted by mowing or pavement.  They will naturalize in wooded areas.

Also be aware that all parts of the Lily of the Valley are poisonous.  Care should be used if they are planted around children’s play areas or pet areas.   Pets should not be allowed to drink water from vases that Lily of the Valley is displayed in.  Berries should be removed if any form because they can attract children.  Don’t use the flowers as decorations on food.

The plant affects the heart rate and may cause vomiting, blurred vision, dizziness and collapse.  It can cause death.  If any parts of the plant are eaten it is important to call poison control immediately and seek medical attention.

Other Uses of Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley does have herbal uses but its use should only be practiced under the care of a skilled, knowledgeable herbalist.  It is used as a diuretic and a heart regulator similar to digitalis.

Perfume is made from the flowers of Lily of the valley.  The flowers are steeped in light oil such as almond oil or in alcohol such as vodka.  This should only be applied externally.

An unusual attribute of Lily of the Valley has recently been discovered.  The sperm of mammals will swim rapidly toward a component of Lily of the Valley.  Sperm can’t smell, as early research thought, rather the Lily of the Valley alters the calcium content of the fluid around sperm and imitates progesterone’s effect on sperm.   It is being used in research and fertility studies.

The sweet smell of Lily of the Valley signifies spring to many people and the plant has good uses as a ground cover for shade.  If care is taken with its invasive and poisonous qualities it can be an excellent landscape perennial.

Myth free Mole control

In order to know something about mole control you need to know a little about mole biology. We’ll get to controlling moles later in the article.  Once you know more about moles you’ll see why some popular control strategies frequently mentioned just can’t work and you’ll avoid frustration when dealing with moles.  The mole is the source of many misconceptions and much folklore, probably because of its underground habits which keep many people from observing it.  There are still gaps in our knowledge of moles.  But there is enough science based information on mole biology and behavior to dispel many of the myths that float around about moles and their control.

 

Eastern Mole.  Credit en.wikimedia.org

Identifying moles

The first thing anyone trying to control moles should know is whether or not they actually have moles.  At least half of the damage reported and attributed to moles is actually caused by another animal.   Moles may be present in the landscape but not be responsible for the damage to plants that people think they do.  Sometimes moles aid other critters by providing tunnels for them to use, but aren’t doing the actual damage that people believe they do.

Moles are rarely seen above ground.  When people see them they are usually dead or the person has dug them out of the ground.  Flooding may wash some moles out of their tunnels, dogs, cats and wild animals dig them out, and when juvenile moles are dispersing from their birth place they may travel on top of the ground, usually at night.  Sometimes males may travel on the surface when looking for females in the early spring mating season and females gather nesting materials above the ground before they give birth in late spring.  These excursions to the surface are brief and seldom witnessed by people.  Moles don’t pop up from holes to observe the world nor do they scurry around the yard looking for food.

Voles, gophers, shrews, and even muskrats are often mistaken for moles.  There are two species of moles in the upper Midwest, both found in Michigan.  They are the Eastern Mole ( Scalopus aquaticus) and the Star-nosed mole ( Condylura cristata).  If you are a reader from another area of the country you may have other types of moles but most mole species in North American are very similar and have similar habits.  If you are examining an animal you think might be a mole here’s what to look for.

Moles have short, plush coats of light gray to dark brown. There are no visible ears, the eyes are very small and hard to find.  Moles eyes are only able to distinguish light from dark.  The nose is long and pointed and bare at the tip.  The Star-nosed mole has a distinguishing feature of 22 fleshy tentacles around the nose that give the mole its name.  Moles have tiny, very sharp teeth with no big flat incisors in the front like rodents.  The moles front feet are broad and paddle like, with webbed, thick toes.  The soles are generally visible. The hind legs and feet are small and less developed.  The moles tail is shorter than the body.   The Star-nosed mole has a fat, lightly haired tail.  The Eastern mole has a thinner, bare tail.  An adult mole is about 4-6 inches long.

Voles have brownish coarse hair.  They look like a stocky mouse with a short tail.  Ears and eyes are plainly visible.   Gophers are brown, have large front teeth, small front feet, visible eyes and ears, and a short tail. They aren’t common in Michigan.  The Thirteen Lined ground squirrel is often referred to as a gopher in Michigan but they are brown with stripes and look more like a chipmunk than a mole.   Shrews are small animals, rarely more than 4 inches long, their coats are smoother than a gopher or vole but not plush like a mole, their nose is pointed, eyes are small but visible, and the tail is short.  They are the animal most likely to be confused with moles but the front feet are an important identifier.  Shrew’s feet look like the feet of mice, not the paddles of a mole.  Muskrats have a plush dark coat but they are much larger than moles, have prominent front incisors and a long, bare tail.

The Star-nosed mole prefers to live where the water table is high, and next to marshes and ponds.  It is partly aquatic and along with earthworms eats thing like water beetles, snails, small crustaceans and even small fish.  It is sometimes seen swimming in shallow water.   The Eastern mole is an insectivore/ carnivore and prefers drier locations.   Contrary to popular belief its diet is not primarily grubs but earthworms and a wide variety of other critters that live in the ground.  If you have grubs in your soil a mole will gladly eat them, but grubs do not have to be present for moles to be present.   Moles have been found with very small amounts of plant matter in their stomachs but it’s not certain why, it could be accidental ingestion or an odd habit of some moles.  Their diet is at least 98% animal based.

Moles dig tunnels to look for food and to live in.  The home tunnels are usually straight, deeper in the soil and along a natural or human boundary such as a line of shrubs or trees, or a foundation or pavement. The home tunnels are used daily.  The mole retreats there to sleep or care for young.  Nests of dried grasses and leaves can be found in these tunnels.

Food hunting tunnels can be deep or at the surface of the soil, where they bring the attention and wrath of humans.  On the surface of the soil these tunnels appear as raised mounds that may zig and zag through the garden or lawn.  These are dug to hunt for prey, which falls into the tunnel as the moles dig and is gobbled up.  Most hunting tunnels are used only once, at least by the mole itself.  There are connecting tunnels between hunting tunnels and home tunnels that may or may not be used more than once. 

There are also mounds of soil made in gardens and lawns where excess soil is pushed up out of the tunnels.  These are more common with Star-nosed moles but Eastern moles also make them.  The mole mounds do not have open holes, when the mole is finished pushing up the soil it plugs the hole.  When other animals take over mole tunnels these holes may be re-opened and a visible opening is seen in the mound.

Moles don’t hibernate and continue hunting all winter.  In winter the hunting tunnels are beneath the frost line.  Moles are active at any time of the day or night and since they need to eat their body weight in worms or other prey each day to keep their bodies functioning they spend many hours burrowing and looking for food. 

Moles are fiercely territorial and solitary animals except at breeding time.  It is believed that Star-nosed moles may pair up through winter but go solitary after breeding in the spring.  There are never hundreds of moles in your yard, or even dozens even though it may seem that way.  At the most a suburban lot will have space for 2 moles, except for a short time when babies are with the mother.  An acre might support  6-10 moles.  But if you kill one mole another may quickly take over that territory, which makes it seem like there are a lot of moles.

Moles are not very prolific compared to other small mammals.  There is one litter born every year of 2-6 young in mid to late spring, depending on weather.   Most scientific studies where moles were tracked by some means found that young moles have a 50% survival rate.  Many are killed when they disperse from the mother’s territory about 6 weeks after birth.   Dispersing juveniles often travel on the surface of the ground, probably to avoid other adult moles, and are picked off by cats, snakes and birds of prey.

The damage moles do and don’t do

Moles do make a lawn look bad with mounds and tunnels.  It can be hard to mow, although most tunnels are soft and collapse easily. The damage is most apparent in spring when moles feed close to the surface and vegetation hasn’t grown enough to hide the raised tunnels and mounds.  The damage is mostly cosmetic.  Some grass roots may be killed by the ground being raised or plants smothered by mounds of dirt, but most plant life recovers.  Moles do not undermine pavement or foundations.  If you have that kind of damage you may have groundhogs or rats.  Star-nosed moles may contribute to erosion of banks by water edges with their tunnels.

As heating and drying out of the topsoil takes place in summer the insects and worms moles feed on move deeper into the soil and the moles follow them.  There are no more raised tunnels and the existing ones collapse.  And moles frequently move on to other yards after having hunted in one place for a while.  Many people have moles and are unaware they are beneath their feet.

Moles do not eat the roots or bulbs of plants nor do they eat fruits or plant parts above ground.  Their teeth are not made for eating roots and other tough vegetation.  Some roots may be damaged by tunneling but in general plants can repair this damage.  If you have bulbs and things like potatoes being eaten you probably have voles, mice, rats, chipmunks or ground squirrels.  Sometimes these critters follow mole tunnels but sometimes they make their own. 

Controlling moles

Controlling moles is not impossible once you learn the correct way to do it, even though it may not be the  easy job some folk remedies promise.  There are hundreds of folk remedies for controlling moles and sometimes they seem to work.   That’s because the moles moved on to better hunting grounds or went deeper into the ground on their own, not because of the folk remedy.  When you learn about mole biology and behavior it’s easy to understand why some remedies are useless.

Castor oil is often said to kill or repel moles.  Moles, like most creatures, do not like the taste or smell of this very toxic product.  At least one company makes a commercial mole “remover” using castor oil.  However a study done by Michigan State University , which is often used as proof that castor oil works to get rid of moles, was very small, criticized by peer review for not being very well constructed or controlled and has never been replicated by any other study.  There is no reliable scientific proof castor oil products repel or kill moles.

Even with a popular dish detergent added the castor oil mix doesn’t  penetrate the ground very far and worms and other insects will move away from it if they can. The smell will shortly disappear.  Spraying it on the surface won’t do anything; it would have to be applied in large quantities in a strong, undiluted concentration and allowed to soak in. Folk remedy concoctions don’t have the amount or concentration of castor oil to do anything.  Moles will go deeper into the ground, and then reappear when the product dissipates.

Just because you took or were given castor oil as a child does not make it a safe product. You were being given a sub-lethal dose of a poison. Castor oil can kill non-target species  and if you have pets or kids these product could be picked up on feet or hands and make them very sick.  New granular castor oil products should be avoided because of this.  Moles would not eat anything that smelled like castor oil, and they don’t eat anything that doesn’t smell and feel like their normal prey.

The planting of castor bean plants in areas where there are moles could possibly deter them, if the whole area was planted to castor beans, which are extremely poisonous.  But that means no more lawn or garden anyway.  But a border of the plants doesn’t work because moles can tunnel deeply under those plants without a problem.  The same thing is true of mole plant (Euphorbia latharis), you would have to plant the whole area, not just a border, if it had any effect at all, which there is no proof that it does.

What if you treat the lawn for grubs?  Grubs aren’t the only food that moles eat; in fact the basic food for moles in most places is earthworms.  Grub control usually doesn’t kill worms, although it depends on what pesticide you use.  Grub control is expensive, and can harm beneficial insects, birds and pets.  If your lawn has no grubs it can still have moles.  Check for grubs before you apply grub control products.  Treating lawns and gardens with broad spectrum pesticides that kill everything is a really unsafe and environmentally destructive practice. 

Putting gum into mole tunnels won’t work, whether it’s chewed or not and regardless of brand or flavor.  Moles won’t eat gum.  They only eat worms and insects.  They just tunnel right over it. And if gum doesn’t kill you why would it kill a mole if it did eat it?

Moles also won’t eat cornmeal, grits or anything else with the idea that it will expand in their gut and kill them.  They won’t eat mouse or rat poisons, even if put into their tunnels.  These things are not attractive to moles.

What about poison gas?  People have all sorts of stories about hooking up car exhaust to tunnels and gas canisters are sold with elaborate instructions.  But these things don’t work well because the mole tunnel systems are usually extensive and disperse the gas, and soil also absorbs much of the gas.  Moles are adapted to surviving in high carbon dioxide/low oxygen atmospheres underground.   Flooding a tunnel with water might work to kill babies in a home tunnel, but mole tunnels are built to handle draining away water, soil absorbs a lot of water, and moles can move away from water or even swim away without a problem.

Putting broken glass or razor blades in mole tunnels won’t hurt them – at least it won’t kill them and is more likely to hurt you or someone else who digs in that area in the future.  Think about it- they would just cover these materials or go around them. Used kitty litter, various urine concoctions, essential oils, fabric softener sheets all have the same failing.  They don’t last long and moles can simply avoid them.  Moles don’t even go back to most of their tunnels a second time.

Then there are the windmills, and wine bottles and such sunk into the soil that are supposed to vibrate and scare away moles.  Moles are exposed to vibrations all the time around humans.  Cars, farm machinery, people and animals walking by, loud music, vibrations abound.  Moles detect large predators from vibrations but they get used to constant vibrations and can differentiate harmful from harmless vibrations .  And ultrasonic devices do not work on any pests, there’s no scientific research that has supported that, and ultrasound wouldn’t penetrate the soil very far anyway.

What really works to get rid of moles

So what does work?  There really aren’t any good repellents, despite many claims based on anecdotes.  If you want to get rid of moles you need to kill them.   A good cat or dog will kill many moles, although they rarely eat them.  Dogs will do a lot of damage following a mole tunnel and digging it up.  Since moles mark the tunnels as they move through them to deter other moles, a dog will often dig up a tunnel for a long way because he smells the mole.  Cats usually wait to see movement just under the ground before they dig to get the mole. If you tolerate snakes many will clear an area of moles in no time.

People can be mole killers too.  Sit in an area very quietly where there is lots of mole activity and wait to see one moving under the soil.  Shoot it with a bb or pellet gun or plunge a shovel or pitchfork into it.  Some people throw them up on the ground with a shovel and dispatch them.

Traps are very effective once you learn how to set them and where.  You need to practice and with practice you’ll get good at placing and setting traps.  The trap must be specific for moles.  Follow the directions for setting the traps carefully.  Traps must be placed in home tunnels, tunnels that are re-used.  You find these by tramping down tunnels and seeing which are repaired in 24 hours.  If they get repaired they are a good place to set a trap.

New poison baits are on the market that are shaped and scented as either worms or grubs.  Moles do eat these gel poisons and they are fairly effective, although not as effective as traps.  (Note: candy jelly worms do not work! It has to smell like a worm and contain poison. ) Brand names include Tomcat Mole Killer (Talpirid) and Bonide's Moletox Baited Gel, a water-based gel containing warfarin.  A few other poisons shaped and scented like worms also exist.   These must be placed in active tunnels.  The products are expensive and they must be kept away from children and pets.

Moles are by and large beneficial to the environment.  They control many pest insects by eating the larval stage in the soil.  They aerate and mix soil layers.  And they provide homes for other beneficial creatures such as snakes and toads.

Some people learn to tolerate the cosmetic damage caused by moles in early spring, knowing that much of it will soon disappear.  There are booms and busts in mole populations, usually following the booms and bust cycles of insects such cicadas, which have a larval stage in the soil.  Some years a mole population will be higher than others.  If you wish to control moles though, follow a good research based method that really works instead of wasting your time and money on folk based remedies that don’t work. Please don’t pass on folk remedies that have no factual basis and ignore basic science about mole behavior.

The basics of organic vegetable gardening

If you grow vegetables for your family because you want the best tasting, most nutritious vegetables, chances are you also want vegetables free of pesticides.  For the home gardener, organic gardening practices are easy to follow. 

There are different definitions of organic.  Some people believe a garden is organic if no pesticides are used on the garden.   Others define organic more strictly and also ban the use of chemical fertilizers and use only seeds and plants that were grown organically.  You will be the person who makes the decisions for your garden.

Organic vegetable gardeners face the same issues as far as site selection and laying out a garden as other vegetable gardeners do.  Use an area that is sunny all day and has good drainage.  Avoid low lying areas as cold air sinks there and will keep the ground cold longer in the spring and may make frost  more likely there than higher ground.  A garden spot close to the house and where you can get water to it easily is preferable.

If you are starting a garden for the first time don’t  start with too big of an area.  You can expand the garden each year as you gain experience but a large garden can be overwhelming at first.  A good size vegetable garden for a beginner is 30 x 50 feet or similar dimensions.  Don’t worry if you have less space than that- gardens can be made in very small spaces with planning and some vertical growing on trellis’s and other supports.

Stick with the vegetables you know your family likes to eat, at least the first year, and grow reasonable quantities for your family size.   Easy vegetables to grow are leaf lettuce, kale, spinach, tomatoes, peas and beans, radishes, onions from sets( small bulbs), broccoli  and cabbage.  Peppers, carrots, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn, potatoes, melons, cauliflower, and a few other things are a bit harder, but a novice gardener shouldn’t be afraid to try them.  For a family of four who isn’t going to can the excess, 3-4 tomato plants will be plenty.  Leaf lettuce needs to be grown in several small batches a few weeks apart, areas 2x 3 feet will do.   A row of beans or peas 20 feet long is good for most small families. 

It starts with the soil

In organic vegetable gardens the soil plays a key role.   A healthy garden requires healthy soil.  Healthy soil creates disease and insect resistant plants.  It’s a good idea to have a soil test done a few weeks before you start a new garden.   Contact your state Extension office to find out how to submit a soil sample and how much it will cost.  The soil test will tell you what your soil pH is, whether it’s alkaline or acidic, and what you need to do to correct it if it needs adjustment .  Vegetable gardens do best in a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.   The soil test will also tell you if you need to add certain nutrients like nitrogen or phosphorus.  Some soil tests will tell you the starting amount of humus, organic matter, in the soil.

Any type of soil can be improved by generous amounts of organic matter.  It may take several years to develop good organic soil, but you can work on it each year as your garden grows.  Both clay and sandy soils can make excellent gardens and are improved with organic matter.

Organic matter includes things like aged manure, leaves, lawn clippings, compost, straw, coarse wood chips and even shredded newspaper.  You can start the vegetable garden in the fall, by layering lots of organic matter on the garden site.  You continue by adding more organic material in the spring and mulching around the vegetable plants with organic material.

A foot of organic material on the garden in the fall and several inches in the spring and around plants in the summer is excellent.   As the organic matter is broken down add more.  Organic matter that is in the process of breaking down will use some nutrients, especially nitrogen.  However, it will eventually add nutrients to the soil.

You may need to till or plow the soil the first year you start your garden.  Good organic soil will not need tilling each year however.  You don’t even need to till in organic matter, if layered on top the worms and other soil organisms will do the job for you.  Layers of organic material will help keep weeds and grass from growing in the garden.  Each time you till you disturb microorganisms working in the soil and they have to start all over again.  You also decrease pore spaces which hold oxygen and water for the plant roots. Too much tilling is bad for your soil. 

Arrange your garden rows so that you don’t have to walk on the plant beds.  Compaction of the soil makes the job of soil micro-organisms breaking down the organic matter harder and plant roots will also struggle through it.  Mounded rows or raised beds clearly define paths and allow you to concentrate your soil amendments to growing areas.

Organic fertilizers

Organic vegetable gardens may also need some added nutrients for good plant growth, particularly nitrogen.   Sources of nutrients for organic vegetable gardens include manure, bone and blood meal, fish and feather meal, alfalfa hay, cottonseed meal and seaweeds.  Some of these things are easy to find locally and some are not.   There are now organic bagged fertilizers on the market.  While they are easy to use they don’t add organic matter to the soil as natural sources often do.  You may need to combine organic fertilizers and organic matter for best results.

Manure can vary tremendously in its nutrient value depending on what kind of animal it came from, what the animals were fed, and how long and where it was stored.   Manure may also bring weed seeds to the garden.  Fresh manure can cause chemical burns to plants, and manure should be aged for at least 6 weeks before applying to the garden during the gardening season. 

Manure mixed with bedding such as wood shavings is good organic matter for the soil and contains some nutrients.  But as the bedding decomposes it may actually rob nitrogen from the plants.  Use this material in the fall or very early spring and not when plants are actively growing.

Avoid adding manure to gardens in the last few weeks before harvesting crops to prevent food borne illness.   Some fresh manure won’t burn plants but could add disease organisms like salmonella to food crops. Never add human or dog and cat manure to the garden as it may be the source of parasites and diseases.  Organic fertilizers can pollute water just as easily as conventional fertilizers so keep them off paved surfaces and avoiding applying too much.

Bone, fish and blood meal may actually attract some pests to the garden, such as raccoons. There may be a smell associated with using organic fertilizers.  If neighbors are close the use of manure may have to be confined to seasons when windows are closed.

Organic pest and disease management

Organic vegetable gardening practices lean heavily on prevention rather than curing problems.  Start by   planting varieties of vegetables that are disease resistant.  Space your plants so that there is good airflow around them.  Keep crops like tomatoes and cucumbers off the ground with trellis’s or cages and mulch around your plants to conserve moisture and keep down weeds.  Weeding will need to be done by hand or shallow cultivation.  The first year or two you garden in a new spot there may be many weeds, but diligent weeding and copious mulching will cut down the amount of weeds every year.

Make sure that your vegetable garden doesn’t suffer from water stress.  Most crops need an inch of water a week.   If you are using deep mulch and the weather has been hot and dry, get down under the mulch and check to see that water is getting to the soil.  Water at the base of the plants or at least water plants early enough so that they will be dry by nightfall.  Don’t harvest or work with your plants when they are wet.  These things help prevent fungal disease.

Insects may have to be removed by hand.  For large bugs like bean beetles a small hand vacuum can be used.   For aphids and tiny bugs a spray of soapy water may be enough.  Use the special insecticidal garden soaps, not dish soap, which may contain harsh chemicals that burn plants.  There are also organic pest controls sold in garden stores now.  Carefully read and follow the directions on them.

To avoid insect and disease problems organic vegetable gardens should be thoroughly cleaned up in the fall.  All old plant parts and fruit should be removed.   If possible rotate your vegetable crops so they are not growing in the same spot each year.

To till or not to till, that is the question

It’s the season when many people are itching to get out the rototiller.  The only time a rototiller is necessary in a garden is the first time the area is used for a garden, especially if the soil is compacted, or if you need to mix a lot of organic material into it to make it usable.  You can even skip the rototiller the first time if you have the forethought to heavily mulch the ground the season before you want to garden on it.

Good soil is a living thing, full of thousands of tiny living creatures from bacteria to worms.  All of these creatures have important roles in creating good soil.  They all have their own “comfort zones” in the soil, some at the top, some at the middle and some deep in the soil where they perform at peak efficiency.  Every time you rototill the soil you disturb these amazing critters, throwing them out of their best levels of efficiency and even killing them.

Rototilling also brings weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate.  The seeds of some weeds can lay in the soil for years until a rototiller or spade moves them close to the surface for light and warmth to germinate.  Weed problems are often worse when you rototill every year.

Rototilling destroys soil structure.  Good soil is actually small clumps of minerals, organic matter, and water bound together by a bacterial “glue”.  Tilling the soil so that these clumps are broken apart makes your soil much less suitable for plant growth.  While you don’t want rocks or huge clumps of soil in a garden bed, you also do not want soil the texture of flour.  To take the cooking analogy further, your soil should look like coarsely crushed Oreo cookies, not flour. 

Finally tilling tends to compact the soil just beyond the depth of the tiller tines.  If your tiller blades reach 8” into the soil it’s probably compacted at 9”. This is especially bad in heavy clay soils and may lead to poor drainage.

So how do you get deep, rich, loose soil?  You do it by making dedicated beds and paths in your garden and never walking on the beds.  You can make these raised beds or not as long as they are well defined.  You pull weeds or use a hoe to remove them, use mulch and you add lots of organic matter each year.  Each year in the spring simply remove any sprouting weeds, add some well-rotted compost to the beds and plant.  It’s simple and you don’t need a rototiller.

Buy mom- or yourself some plants for Mother’s day.

Kim Willis

 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

Events, classes and other offerings

Please let me know if there is any event or class that you would like to share with other gardeners.  These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.

Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share?  Post them here by emailing me. You can also ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com

An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/623997204362467/?fref=nf

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/

Invitation

If you are a gardener in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow gardeners. No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a meeting for free. Contact susanmklaffer@yahoo.com  Phone 810-664-8912

Lapeer Area Horticulture Society, Plant and Garden Sale, May 7, 2016- 8 am - 4 pm at Siciliano's,  1900 North Lapeer Road, Lapeer.  A variety of plants and garden items from LHS members will be for sale.  Please stop and shop.

6th Annual Plant & Flower Sale Fri, May 6, 9 am-5 pm, Culver's, 4963 Interpark Drive North, Lake Orion, Michigan.

Habitat for Humanity- Oakland County sponsors and benefits from the sale at  Culver's. Annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, trees, hanging baskets & more.  For more info call 248-338-1843, ext. 303.

Plant Sale Sat, May 7, 10am-2pm, Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI

Offering a wide selection of plants, including annuals, perennials, hostas & companions, herbs & more.  For more info contact;  www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

South Lyon Plant Exchange Sat, May 7, 9am-11am Witch's Hat Museum Depot Pk. Area. 300 Dorothy St, South Lyon, MI

Come swap with other gardeners. More info call 248-437-0154  Sponsored by the 4 Seasons Garden Club.

Project Grow Plant Sale Fri, May 6, through Sunday.  Dawn Farm, 6633 Stony Creek in Ann Arbor.

         

By Project Grow at Dawn Farm. Wide selection of heirloom tomatoes, basil, sweet & hot peppers. Advance orders: www.ProjectGrowGardens.org.

44th Annual Spring Plant Sale Tue, May 10, 10am-7pm, and 10am-2pm, Wed. May 11,  Cranbrook House and Gardens, 380 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Herbs, tropicals, perennials, native plants/wildflowers & more.  For more information www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu.

Kitchen Favorites Herb Sale Sat, Sun.,  May 14,-15,  10am-4:30pm,  Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor.

Herbs, containers & heirlooms. Herb study group on hand to answer questions. More information- www.mbgna.umich.edu.

Harnessing Mother Nature’s Workforce—Beneficial Insects Fri, May 20, 9:15 am, Meadow Brook Hall, 480 S Adams Rd, Rochester, MI

Learn to recognize & maximize Mother Nature’s natural pest control. Sponsored by MBGC at Meadow Brook Hall. Cost $5. For more info call  248‑364‑6210, or MBHGCMembers@gmail.com.

Here’s a facebook page link for gardeners in the Lapeer area.  This link has a lot of events listed on it.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

Here’s a link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/

Here’s a link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North Branch. 

http://campbellsgreenhouses.com/garden-center/classes-events/

Here’s a link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor

 http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/happening/calendar.asp?date=5/18/2015

Here’s a link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in Michigan.

http://www.englishgardens.com/events

Here’s a link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.

http://tellys.com/system/files/Tellys_WinterSpringGuide_Web-2015.pdf

Here’s a link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston and Brighton locations

http://www.bordines.com/events/

Here’s a link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann Arbor, Michigan  | Phone 734-997-1553 |

http://www.lesliesnc.org/

Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI

http://hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu/events

Here’s a link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi

http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580

info@meijergardens.org

Newsletter information

If you would like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes. You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do reserve the right to publish what I want.

I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com