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Enkianthus tree in flower
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Every spring is the only spring—a perpetual astonishment.
~ Ellis Peters, English writer (1913 — 1995)
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Hello Gardeners!
Welcome to our new subscribers. I hope you find at least one tip in every newsletter to improve your gardening life.
So, how are you? And how is your garden? While the rainy days are tiresome Mother Nature has never looked better. The lush growth everywhere is more like the English and Irish countryside.
A few updates ...
No 😔I didn't win the Fine Gardening / Monrovia photo contest, but I really appreciate your votes. Another CT resident won, so it's nice that someone close to home benefited.😊
I've been planting like crazy as weather permits. Nearly 100 flower seedlings of zinnia, nigella, cerinthe, Bells of Ireland, and Persian cress are settling into the new garden I created using the sheet mulching method last fall. These are all cutting flowers--a flower-arranging class inspired me to try some new additions in my bouquets this year. The area is shaded until about noon but I'm hoping the long, hot afternoon rays will make the plants happy. About a dozen dahlia tubers started off in Smart Pots (fabric plant containers) but I've plopped most of them in among my perennial gardens. I was worried the Grow Bags were too small and I didn't want to miss out on the incredible flowers these tubers produce. Some of the varieties I'm growing are the bridal favorite 'Cafe au Lait,' the very bold 'Diva,' the common yellow but traffic-stopping dinnerplate style 'Kelvin Floodlight', the multi pink & peach hued 'Labyringht,' and a few others. Various lettuce and a half dozen tomatoes fill remaining space in the new bed. For the second year I'm trying two peppers in a Junior size Earth Box. It's difficult to grow peppers here (cool nights at my 1200' elevation are likely the culprit) and last year's attempt led to good sized plants but the cold start and nonstop rains yielded few mature peppers.
Sweet William, Wax Bells, Angelica and Verbena made it off my wish list and into my perennial gardens. (OK, the wax bells are still in their containers.) 'Colorflash' and 'Cappucino' Astilbes from Bluestone Perennials that I planted last year are now the size of 3-year old plants.
Hip, hip, hooray, we're having an 8' high deer fence installed! 🎉👏🌈 After trying to outwit the beasts for 15 years, I got several quotes and the work started last week. The freedom this brings is immeasurable. No more rickety fences spoiling the view; no more plant destruction; and many more options on where and what I can plant. Phew!!!
What have you been up to? Have you been to any plant sales or shopped 'til you dropped at local garden centers? Divided and moved perennials? Planted tender bulbs such as dahlias or cannas? I'd love to know what you've been up to, or what new plants or techniques you're trying this year. And I welcome your questions. Drop me an email at beehappygardener@gmail.com.
Wishing you a great start to summer! ☀️🌞🐠🐝🌸🌹🌺🍹🍺🏖
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Enjoy some flowers indoors. Make some arrangements to brighten your day.
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I attended a flower arranging class in May and I've been making arrangements every chance I get. The arrangement on right is from class.
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To-do's & how-to's
- pinch tips of annuals such as coleus and geraniums to encourage branching & fullness
- cut dahlias back to 3rd set of leaves for the same reason - and to get more flowers
- start feeding containers every 2 weeks with 1/2 strength liquid fertilizers
- stake tomatoes to prevent stems breaking
- there's still time to start many veggies from seed
- replace spent pea vines with salad greens
- weed, weed, weed to keep them from setting seed, seed, seed
- sprinkle lime around clematis to keep vines vigorous
- have hydrangea heartaches - check this chart for problems & solutions. Try adding a handful of fertilizer with a low first number and high middle number (ex: 10-20-10) to coax them to bloom; hold off on trimming brown canes until all buds have leafed out.
Don't forget to have fun! 🌞
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Part-shade container combo of perennials and annuals. Clockwise, from top center: Goat's Beard 'Kneiffii' (creamy white flowers & lacy foliage,) Astilbe 'Fireberry' Short 'n Sweet, Strawberry Drop Coleus, Bleeding Heart 'King of Hearts' (Dicentra eximia,) Golden Creeping Jenny, and garden chives in center.
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Container myths & methods
Myth: The prevailing wisdom is to add gravel or other "filler" materials to the bottom of pots to improve drainage and shrink space that otherwise requires potting soil. Apparently, this is a myth (read this if you want to know more) and actually creates a "perched" water table.
Methods: Invert an empty pot in the bottom of large containers to fill space--this works well for annuals and small perennials that grow in tidy mounds.
If you're growing woodies, small trees or shrubs, with other plants, skip the empty pots and use only growing media. Find a good quality potting soil, mix in about 1/3 aged bark mulch, and 1/3 compost. This recipe provides the long term nutrients and loamy texture hardier roots need to thrive.
Always use a good quality potting soil so plant roots will be anchored and absorb the nutrients and water they need to make a fine show above ground.
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Itchy business - Poison Ivy relief 🌿
Have you noticed there seems to be poison ivy everywhere these days? The excess rain is spurring growth, but it's the excess carbon dioxide that's make this itch-inducing vine run rampant. One of our fence installers is a long-time user of Tecnu. He favors the Outdoor Skin Cleanser product since he can apply it when he comes in contact with vines and it neutralizes the skin irritant immediately and prevents further spread.
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Do your plants have "tattoo" marks?
The culprit is fourlined plant bug. The good news: "damage is cosmetic ... because the insect is active for a relatively short period in late spring and early summer, allowing host plants ample time to recover from damage.
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Not sure what to do with rhubarb? Twist off some stalks & try these recipes!
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A light dessert with a great balance of tart and sweet - just right after rich food or a heavy meal. (I add only 1/2 cup sugar to rhubarb portion.)
The rhubarb cocktail on this Plantrama podcast page would be a perfect way to toast the start of summer.
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Hold the date... 📅
⏳6/21 - 6/22 White Flower Farm Tent Sale, Morris, CT
⏳7/14 - Secret Garden Tour, Trumbull, CT area gardens
⏳8/24 Maywood Gardens Open Day, Bridgewater, CT. Info and tickets here. This garden, the property of the Bridgewater Village Store owner, is many gardens covering several acres - roses, a cutting garden, perennials, green houses, vegetables, hornbeam hedges, a sunken garden, massive containers; a garden tour not to be missed!
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~ My UPCOMING Events ~
🌿Tue, Sept 10 - Wicked & Wonderful Weeds...and What to do About Them
New Milford Garden Club, New Milford, CT
Your event could be here--just email me to discuss a presentation or workshop. |
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