A possible narrative for the past two weeks: swapping pollen for mosquitoes? The rain and damp conditions suggest checking everywhere for standing water, even small amounts. For a mosquito, a teacup is sufficient.
On the other hand, fireflies, the beloved, magical flying beetles, are also linked to damp conditions; in their case, accumulations of damp leaves and humus that woodsy habitat provides. Fireflies require these conditions for reproduction.
The verdant lushness of our landscape in mid-June is a source of pleasure and wonder, the transformation taking place before our eyes. The recent rains have come at an opportune juncture to support plant life.
All the more jarring and disturbing, then, are the tragic beech groves standing open and bare, their empty spaces dominated by the deathly pallor of their trunks amid all this greenery. They are a visual metaphor — of what, each of us must personally decide.
In the garden
Remove strawberry plant runners to prolong fruit production. Strawberries produce runners with plantlets to propagate themselves. Allow them at some point, therefore, to renew the patch.
Remove sweetpea pods to promote continued flowering.
Many different insects are now prevalent. Some are considered allies; others are despised as pests. All have a purpose or function, whether approved of or not by human gardeners. I recommend the well-written “Garden Allies,” by Frédérique Lavoipierre, to gain a comprehensive picture.
A friend sent a picture of a hummingbird moth and inquired what it might be. He was startled by the creature, due to the phenomenon of convergent evolution: these clear-winged moths mimic hummingbirds, down to dining habits, flower preferences, and the whirring, buzzing sound of the flight (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemaris).
I spotted two striped cucumber beetles mating on a potato leaf: Aha! Striped cucumber beetles have emerged. How to win the struggle? There are no solid answers to the problems with this insect that so many gardeners desire to vanquish. If you can spare the time from control measures to read it, the following link is to an older post supplying some information for organic control: bit.ly/HMS_ControlCucumberBeetles.
Floating row cover is an option. This useful material has become very expensive: Take good care of it, and get as many seasons from each piece as you can.
Although not the complete solution, paying attention to soil quality is always a part of the picture. Stressed plants are prey to more problems than those that enjoy excellent growing situations. Compost and adequate water are elements. You may expect more issues if your garden receives less than six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily.
Deadheading and grooming now commence. Annuals need this to continue to flower. You may have plants you encourage to self-sow, especially biennials such as digitalis and lunaria. Other texture plants, such as hosta, may have flowers that are beside the point. Remove these at any time unless seedheads and seeds are desired. Rake rose petal drop. Siberian iris are promiscuous, and frequently produce mutts; remove seedpods.
Baptisia ‘Solar Flare’
There is “big buzz for baptisia” these days. I am a fan of these plants, relatives of the local false indigo, Baptisia tinctoria. I counted 12 cultivars offered in the Plant Delights catalog! There are seemingly new introductions annually.
And yet I remain devoted to the two I already have. One plant is the straight Baptisia australis species, lavender-blue and white, steadfastly returning year after year, deep-rooted, and indestructible. The others are the beautiful, and beautifully named, ‘Solar Flare.’ No childish naming of desserts or gooey treats, just gorgeous soft yellow spires that become suffused with dusky violet over time.
Baptisia, in the pea family, as the native false-indigo’s presence suggests, are excellent plants for Island gardens. These are tap-rooted and drought-tolerant, fine with sandy soil, and they supply the all-important vertical accents that enliven garden design.
I am sticking with the plants I have, but if you desire more variety, there is an astonishing array of baptisia out there, from mounding dwarfs to skyscraper models, white to brownish-purple. Check them out at plantdelights.com and local garden centers.
Remove understock shoots from grafted plant material, such as roses, orchard fruits, and witch hazels.
Kousa, and more
Kousa dogwoods are lighting up Island gardens and woods. Native flowering dogwoods (now Benthamidia) have been bedeviled by dogwood anthracnose. Replacing with the later-blooming kousas has become a landscape alternative. Their light-reflecting bracts shine like spring snowfall.
The kousa alleé at Polly Hill Arboretum reminds us of Polly Hill’s work to grow and trial many plant groups she sensed had potential for Island gardens. Eyes and minds appreciate the order and visual guidance of an alleé.
Alleés such as PHA’s are features that require a certain amount of space to create. However, many gardens do have areas that can be ordered by having a visual axis imposed upon them, even at much smaller scales than the arboretum’s alleé.
Rutgers program
But do we need to give up on Benthamidia (Cornus) florida? Not necessarily. Fifty years ago, Rutgers University embarked upon a breeding and hybridizing program, when dogwood disease issues emerged and became serious. The program is now bearing fruit.
Please check out bit.ly/RU_DogwoodRevolution to read about recent introductions that Rutgers’ program has produced.
Research work at Rutgers continues in this and many other areas of nursery and agricultural importance, which benefit the entire green industry.
Speaking of alternatives, the native pagoda dogwood, Swida alternifolia, is also worthy of consideration. This small tree of candelabra-like habit makes a more modest and demure contribution to understory and shade garden sites than the species mentioned above. The creamy, flat-topped flower clusters become dark blue fruits with pollination, and support a range of wildlife. Fall color can be very good.
Don’t scratch — investigate! Tick check every night!
