It’s complicated

Today’s NY Times carries a terrific opinion piece about how very, very complicated nature is and how hard it is to intervene. I encourage you to take a look. And then perhaps read my screed on not feeding the birds. Something to think about.

 

7/29/16: In the garden this week

You could go to the New York Botanical Garden to see the corpse flower in bloom, or you could admire gorgeous blooms in your own native plant garden. This is Hibiscus mosceutos, just beginning to bloom. The flowers are almost as large as dinner plates.

Today is the day the corpse flower is in full bloom, but in my garden something just as gorgeous but much more common is happening: Hibiscus moscheutos is beginning to bloom, and we’ll be enjoying it for a month or more. This is supposed to be a wetland plant, but I originally got the seeds from my next-door neighbor’s bone-dry garden, and it’s bloomed reliably for me ever since (and there are both seeds and seedlings to give away each year).

We finally got a bit of rain this week, but according to my rain gauge, the total from the two storms was well under an inch. I suspect the amount of rainfall varied a great deal locally, so your total may be different. This shows why it’s important to know how much rain you received in a dry period like the one we’re experiencing so you can care for your plants properly.

After a somewhat rainy weekend (yay!), temperatures are predicted to moderate next week. It’s been very hard to work outdoors in 90+ degree heat and humidity. I look forward to a productive week. And if you should feel ambitious, here are some things you might address in your garden this week:

— water new plantings: depending on location, you probably got less than an inch of rain this week, so new plantings need supplemental watering. Any week in which we receive less than an inch of rain, water all woody plants installed this spring or last fall. Perennials planted last spring should be well-established, but those planted last fall and this spring need supplemental watering during dry spells. How do you know when we’ve received an inch of rain? I use a highly sophisticated rain gauge–an old yogurt container placed on the ground among the plants. A tunafish or catfood can works equally well.

— practice good horticulture with warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, beans, corn, and cucumbers: Monitor for insect eggs and larvae and remove them before infestations become serious. Throw out badly infested or diseased plants to prevent the spread of disease (do not compost diseased or infested plant material). Cucumber vines are showing signs of wilt: remove them immediately to prevent the spread of this fungal disease.

— As tomatoes ripen their fruit, cut back on watering to avoid split fruits: provide no more than an inch of water per week. Keep removing suckers all summer long. Look at this post, this one, and this one for basic information about growing tomatoes.

— extend a garden bed or start a new one (it’s always a great idea to eliminate some lawn): spread a 3-4” layer of cedar or hemlock bark mulch over the area to kill the grass. In the fall, you’ll be able to plant right through the dying grass and mulch.

— collect seeds. Coreopsis seed ripens nearly every day (although goldfinches are getting most of it). So does seed of daisy fleabane, a lovely native annual. It pops up in different parts of my garden each year. I’ve been collecting those and seeds of junegrass.

— it’s a good time to prune woody plants. Now that most growth, flowering, and fruiting are done, the plants are relatively dormant, giving you a window of time to prune before they get ready for their next critical task: leaf abscission (shutting down for the winter). I do most of my pruning in winter, but I also prune back shrubs as needed after they have ripened their fruit.

— pick fruit! Elderberries and aronia berries are almost ripe, native plums are ripening; nonedible fruits such as grey dogwood berries are beginning to show color. The most plentiful crop in my garden is aronia, and I am planning a batch of aronia/plum jam.

— follow a sustainable lawn care regimen: if you feel you must fertilize your lawn, best practice is to give it no more than two applications of slow-release organic fertilizer each season, around Memorial Day and Labor Day. It’s too hot now to reseed bare areas: wait until early fall. Better still, if you have a place where grass won’t grow, plan to plant something that will, like shade-loving native perennials. Let the grass grow at least 3″ tall for maximum photosynthesis. Lawns do not need water now (or ever), but if you do water, do it infrequently and deeply to encourage deep root growth. One inch of water once a week is much better than a few minutes each day. But remember: the more you water, the more you’ll have to mow!

Have a great weekend! And enjoy my latest Backyard Environmentalist column, “The Indomitables,” a group of native plants that are particularly easy to grow.

Rudbeckia triloba is beginning to open its flowers this week. This lovely and easy-to-grow plant remains about 3′ tall and doesn’t spread aggressively like taller Rudbeckias. The flowers are only about 1 1/2″ across, but they’re just plain adorable.

Urban evolution

Tomorrow’s NY Times carries an article on the rapid pace of evolution in urban areas: since cities have very different environmental conditions than natural areas, and urban conditions isolate populations from one another, creatures evolve more quickly than scientists ever expected. For example, within a short time, say a couple of hundred years, a group of birds or other animals might become tamer and less frightened of people, or able to eat different foods, or more tolerant of pollution than their rural counterparts. In other words, well on the way to becoming a separate species.

7/22/16: In the garden this week

The perennial border is at its most exuberant right now, as orange butterflyweed finishes flowering while Rudbeckias and tall purple ironweed begin. Little bluestem is stalking out, some asters are showing buds, and Hibiscus moscheutos (large leaves in the center) will open its dinner-plate size blooms very soon.

My goodness it’s hot outside, hot and dry. I actually watered my perennial beds this week, something I rarely do more than once or twice a season. Pay careful attention to your plants, especially woody plants that are newly installed, very old, or planted on the wrong site. River birch, which, as its name suggests, likes a moist site, needs supplemental water in this kind of dry spell. So do understory trees planted in full sun and many evergreens.   They’ll suffer most from the drought.

If you have the energy to work outside in this heat, here are some things you moight do:

— water new plantings: we got no rain this past week, so new plantings need supplemental watering. Any week in which we receive less than an inch of rain, water all woody plants installed this spring or last fall. Perennials planted last spring should be well-established, but those planted last fall and this spring need supplemental watering during dry spells. How do you know when we’ve received an inch of rain? I use a highly sophisticated rain gauge–an old yogurt container placed on the ground among the plants. A tunafish or catfood can works equally well.

— practice good horticulture with warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, beans, corn, and cucumbers: Monitor for insect eggs and larvae and remove them before infestations become serious. Throw out badly infested or diseased plants to prevent the spread of disease (do not compost diseased or infested plant material). Cucumber vines are showing signs of wilt: remove them immediately to prevent the spread of this fungal disease.

— As tomatoes ripen their fruit, cut back on watering to avoid split fruits. Keep removing suckers all summer long. Look at this post, this one, and this one for basic information about growing tomatoes.

— extend a garden bed or start a new one (it’s always a great idea to eliminate some lawn): spread a 3-4” layer of cedar or hemlock bark mulch over the area to kill the grass. In the fall, you’ll be able to plant right through the dying grass and mulch.

— collect seeds. Coreopsis seed ripens nearly every day (although goldfinches are getting most of it). So does seed of daisy fleabane, a lovely native annual. It pops up in different parts of my garden each year. I’ve been collecting those and seeds of junegrass.

— it’s a good time to prune woody plants. Now that most growth, flowering, and fruiting are done, the plants are relatively dormant, giving you a window of time to prune before they get ready for their next critical task: leaf abscission (shutting down for the winter). I do most of my pruning in winter, but I also prune back shrubs as needed after they have ripened their fruit.

— follow a sustainable lawn care regimen: if you feel you must fertilize your lawn, best practice is to give it no more than two applications of slow-release organic fertilizer each season, around Memorial Day and Labor Day. It’s too hot now to reseed bare areas: wait until early fall. Better still, if you have a place where grass won’t grow, plan to plant something that will, like shade-loving native perennials. Let the grass grow at least 3″ tall for maximum photosynthesis. Lawns do not need water now (or ever), but if you do water, do it infrequently and deeply to encourage deep root growth. One inch of water once a week is much better than a few minutes each day. But remember: the more you water, the more you’ll have to mow!

Remember: a brown lawn is a victory for Nature! Enjoy the garden this week.

Aronia berries are ripening fast. There are so many, I may get some for jam this year.

 

Nuts

We walked out our front door this morning to find the path strewn with hazelnut shells and husks. The squirrels and chipmunks must have had a party.

This is the most we ever see of the abundant hazelnuts (Corylus amaericana) that our trees bear–the shells that remain after the critters eat them. This year the nuts are being devoured even before they’re ripe. It’s at least two weeks earlier than hazelnuts usually ripen, and all the husks are still green. I wonder if there’s less food than usual because of the continuing drought, or more critters because of the mild winter.

Another thing that’s early is the flowering of several different prairie grasses: purple lovegrass, little bluestem, and prairie dropseed are all blooming now, again at least two weeks earlier than usual. Purple lovegrass in bloom, with its airy crown of tiny purple flowers, is lovely, but the seeds, which are darker purple and a bit larger than the blooms, are even more striking. This is a terrific plant for poor, dry soil and a hot, sunny site.

Purple lovegrasss (Eragrostis spectabilis) in bloom.

7/15/16: In the garden this week

Verbena stricta is in full bloom as Rudbeckia subtomentosa begins its long period of enthusiastic flowering.

It’s hot out there. Those last two blessedly cool summers make me feel like we’ve never suffered through devastating heat and humidity before. And there’s been very little rain–less than half an inch this past week–although the prairie plants all look great (and without watering). Little bluestem is stalking out, some asters are showing buds, and the garden is preparing for the deluge of flowering that happens in August and September.

The only things I want to do in my garden these days are pick herbs, collect seeds, and sit on the patio drinking wine in the evening. But if you’re feeling more energetic, here are some tasks you might address:

— water new plantings: we much less than an inch of rain this past week, so new plantings need supplemental watering. Any week in which we receive less than an inch of rain, water all woody plants installed this spring or last fall. Perennials planted last spring should be well-established, but those planted last fall and this spring need supplemental watering during dry spells. How do you know when we’ve received an inch of rain? I use a highly sophisticated rain gauge–an old yogurt container placed on the ground among the plants. A tunafish or catfood can works equally well.

— practice good horticulture with warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, beans, corn, and cucumbers: Monitor for insect eggs and larvae and remove them before infestations become serious. Throw out badly infested or diseased plants to prevent the spread of disease (do not compost diseased or infested plant material). Cucumber vines are showing signs of wilt: remove them immediately to prevent the spread of this fungal disease.

— As tomatoes ripen their fruit, cut back on watering to avoid split fruits. Keep removing suckers all summer long. Look at this post, this one, and this one for basic information about growing tomatoes.

— extend a garden bed or start a new one (it’s always a great idea to eliminate some lawn): spread a 3-4” layer of cedar or hemlock bark mulch over the area to kill the grass. In the fall, you’ll be able to plant right through the dying grass and mulch.

— collect seeds. Columbine is almost finished ripening seed, and coreopsis seed ripens nearly every day. So does seed of daisy fleabane, a lovely native annual. It pops up in different parts of my garden each year. I’ve been collecting those and seeds of junegrass.

— it will soon be a good time to prune woody plants. Once all growth, flowering, and fruiting are done, the plants are relatively dormant, giving you a window of time to prune before they get ready for their next critical task: leaf abscission (shutting down for the winter). I do most of my pruning in winter, but I also prune back shrubs as needed after they have ripened their fruit.

— follow a sustainable lawn care regimen: if you feel you must fertilize your lawn, best practice is to give it no more than two applications of slow-release organic fertilizer each season, around Memorial Day and Labor Day. It’s too hot now to reseed bare areas: wait until early fall. Better still, if you have a place where grass won’t grow, plan to plant something that will, like shade-loving native perennials. Let the grass grow at least 3″ tall for maximum photosynthesis. Lawns do not need water now (or ever), but if you do water, do it infrequently and deeply to encourage deep root growth. One inch of water once a week is much better than a few minutes each day. But remember: the more you water, the more you’ll have to mow!

Enjoy the garden this week!

Agastache foeniculum (anise hyssop) is a biennial; I have to work at keeping it going in my crowded perennial beds. It would be easier on open ground. How many species of perennials and grasses can you identify in this small section of “prairie”?

 

Comfort station

A green roof atop a public restroom in London. And what’s that in the background? Could this be right beside Westminster Palace?

On a recent trip to London we spotted this gorgeous public restroom in Victoria Tower Gardens, right along the Thames and just south of the houses of Parliament. The green roof is planted with drought-loving perennials and grasses (many native to North America; since Britain has such a rainy climate, there are most likely few native plants that would do well in the harsh conditions of a green roof).

A green roof is a roof that is planted with vegetation (over a waterproof barrier). The plants, chosen for their ability to withstand extremes of temperature and rainfall,  insulate the building, stop stormwater runoff, and moderate surrounding temperatures. You can see a great green roof, planted entirely with native prairie plants, at the visitors’ center at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Because of their environmental and aesthetic value, green roofs are sprouting up in big cities throughout Europe and North America. This one was a pleasant surprise to us.

See this post for another urban environmental enhancement–one much closer to home.

Aphids and mealybugs and scale, oh my

Eupatorium purpureum (sweet joe-pye weed): Notice the insects and egg masses on the stem in front, and the healthy stems, on the same plant, in back.

Probably because of the mild winter, I’m seeing unusually large numbers of critters of all sorts in the garden, from aphids to chipmunks to four-lined plant bugs to rabbits to these mealybugs (I think they’re mealybugs, but I’m not absolutely sure). If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you already know what I’m going to do about these pests. And if you haven’t and you don’t, take a look at this post if you can’t figure it out.

Addendum July 25: Those insects were completely gone within a week. The stalk is insect free and quite healthy.

7/8/16: In the garden this week

The white blossoms of Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) bloom for a relatively short time in mid-summer, but the pollinator interest they attract is amazing. This plant is considered a wetland species but will do well in any sunny spot.

I guess the weather had to turn brutally hot sometime, although I certainly prefer the moderate days and cool nights we enjoyed until very recently. I can only work outdoors very early in the morning and very late in the evening in this punishing heat and humidity, but luckily it’s too late in the season to plant!

The weather is supposed to break for at least a short time on Sunday. If you work up the energy to garden, here are some tasks you might consider:

— water new plantings: we got an inch of rain this past week, so no watering is needed now, but keep watching. Any week in which we receive less than an inch of rain, water all woody plants installed this spring or last season. Perennials planted last spring should be well-established, but those planted last fall and this spring need supplemental watering during dry spells. How do you know when we’ve received an inch of rain? I use a highly sophisticated rain gauge–an old yogurt container placed on the ground among the plants. A tunafish or catfood can works equally well.

— you should be finished harvesting early crops such as lettuce, spinach, arugula, mustard greens, mesclun mix, peas, and radishes. Remove the plants and compost them (if they’re healthy) or discard (if they’re not). Plant something else instead. A row of beans, perhaps?

— practice good horticulture with warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, beans, corn, and cucumbers: Monitor for insect eggs and larvae and remove them before infestations become serious. Throw out badly infested or diseased plants to prevent the spread of disease (do not compost diseased or infested plant material). Cucumber vines are showing signs of wilt: remove them immediately to prevent the spread of this fungal disease.

— As tomatoes ripen their fruit, cut back on watering to avoid split fruits. Keep removing suckers all summer long. Look at this post, this one, and this one for basic information about growing tomatoes.

— it’s not too late to extend a garden bed or start a new one, and it’s always a great idea to eliminate some lawn: spread a 3-4” layer of cedar or hemlock bark mulch over the area to kill the grass. In the fall, you’ll be able to plant right through the dying grass and mulch.

— collect seeds. This is a great low-energy task for hot weather. Columbine is almost finished ripening seed, and coreopsis seed ripens nearly every day. So does seed of daisy fleabane, a lovely native annual. It pops up in different parts of my garden each year.

— it will soon be a good time to prune woody plants. Once all growth, flowering, and fruiting are done, the plants are relatively dormant, giving you a window of time to prune before they get ready for their next critical task: leaf abscission (shutting down for the winter). I do most of my pruning in winter, but I also prune back shrubs as needed after they have ripened their fruit.

— follow a sustainable lawn care regimen: if you feel you must fertilize your lawn, best practice is to give it no more than two applications of slow-release organic fertilizer each season, around Memorial Day and Labor Day. It’s too late now to reseed bare areas: wait until early fall. Better still, if you have a place where grass won’t grow, plant something that will, like shade-loving native perennials. Let the grass grow at least 3″ tall for maximum photosynthesis. Lawns do not need water now (or ever), but if you do water, do it infrequently and deeply to encourage deep root growth. One inch of water once a week is much better than a few minutes each day. But remember: the more you water, the more you’ll have to mow!

Enjoy the garden this week!

Wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) is blooming vigorously in my garden now. This plant never grows more than 18″ tall and thrives in dry, sandy soil and full sun. It would work well in a rock garden.

Still drought

Last year we experienced very low rainfall for almost the entire growing season; this year is only a little better. According to the various data sources I’ve looked at, our total rainfall in northern New Jersey is somewhere around 15 to 25 percent below normal, and the lowest rainfall totals occurred during the key spring months. And you can see the effects all around you. Notice all the evergreen trees with brown patches or dead limbs, the dead pine trees, the mature hardwood trees with dead limbs and dead crowns. Two, or even three years of drought are unlikely to affect a mature, healthy tree that’s growing in an appropriate site, but trees that are stressed are showing severe effects of drought. This includes newly planted trees that haven’t been watered properly, trees planted on the wrong site (for example, shade lovers placed in full sun, wetland species planted in dry soil), and trees approaching the end of their natural lifespan.

The Norway maples that were planted as street trees throughout much of this area around 50 or 60 years ago are particularly hard hit: many are diseased, and most are at the end of their lifespan. The two large Norway maples that we lost and replaced this spring are examples. Not that I’m sorry to lose these ugly and invasive trees, but the various towns’ Shade Tree Commissions and Departments of Public Works will have a great deal to do over the next few years. And it will take a while to regrow the street tree canopy we’re losing. Here in Glen Rock, we will be planting only native trees. Is your town doing the same?

You can’t do anything about the drought, but you can do something to protect your treasured plantings. Here are a few suggestions:

— Water new plants correctly at least for the first year; large trees can require supplemental watering even longer.

— If you have a tree with dead branches or, even more serious, a dead crown, consult an arborist and have it properly pruned or removed, especially if it’s endangering people or structures.

— When planting, always choose the correct plant for the site. This will minimize watering needs over the long term and help ensure the health of your garden.