POLLINATOR FRIENDLY GARDENING

With the controversy over migrant labor, one very important labor group has been ignored.  These skilled

nomads travel from field to field doing very important work, pollinating food crops.  However this specialized labor pool is drying up which will lead to dire consequences not only for farmers but we as consumers.  Friends, the honeybee is in need of our help.  Now being referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder, loss estimates range from a quarter to a third of US pollinator stock.  Some suggested reasons are travel stress, pesticides, viruses, mites, even cell phone signals.  A great deal of time, money and research are being spent on solving this problem.  Interestingly enough, one of the major funding sources is Haagen-Dazs because close to 40 percent of their ice cream flavors require bee pollination.  They have launched www.helpthehoneybees.com, a playful site that shows how we can help.  The most delightful and fun way is buying flavors like Vanilla Honey Bee where part of the proceeds go straight to research.  Many urban and suburban areas are landscaped with turf, or wind-pollinated wood plants that provide no food or habitat. The most important thing we can do is adding bee-friendly plants to our home garden.  Flowering annuals or perennials that produce pollen and/or nectar provide food for bees and other pollinators.  Our ornamental gardens can be an oasis in what for practical purposes is an urban desert for pollinators.  Unless you are one of those unfortunate persons who have reason to fear a bee sting, many people carry a disproportionate fear of bees.  In the years I have been working outside, I have not been stung once.  I find the bees ignore you unless you arouse their defensive instincts.  Our part in helping the bees can be as painless as purchasing desert or if you have to plant something, make it something bees like.

Weigela A Shrub to Love

Outside our office at the greenhouse, our variegated Weigela is covered in blooms waiting to burst open with brilliant red blooms.  It receives no extra care or watering.  We barely remember to cut it back or remove any old branches.  Over the last few years I have come to appreciate this interesting, diverse and useful genus. When faced with a mature specimen of Weigela in full bloom, only the brain dead, or the truly devoted plant snob can look at this plant and fail to see its remarkable beauty.  As a reformed plant snob, I found myself falling into the old mental trap, that a truly "good" plant must be obscure, difficult to grow, and impossible to propagate. That is not the case here.  Weigela florida is prized primarily for the funnel-shaped flowers that engulf the plant from May to June; Weigela is a blooming machine. Many of the newer cultivars have the added benefit of reblooming during the summer. Depending upon the cultivar, the flower color may be pink, red, white, peach, lavender, and nearly every shade and hue in between. Hummingbirds adore Weigela flowers, particularly those with red or pink flowers. In addition to flowers, there are numerous cultivars that have attractive colorful foliage.  One of the best features of Weigela, is that it's user friendly. Adaptable to many soil types, it's hardy to USDA zone 4 and has no serious pest problems. The only requirement of this plant is that it requires full sun to produce copious flowers. The problem with Weigela is deciding which cultivar to grow.  Improvements in Weigela over several years have been substantial. Gains have been made in foliage color, plant habit, flowering and hardiness.  The newest addition to the selection of variegated Weigela is called My Monet. This is a breakthrough plant with cream, pink and green variegation on a dwarf (10-16") tall plant. This little beauty is great in mass plantings used much like you would use perennials or annuals. It has attractive pink flowers in spring and the colorful foliage gives you color all season long. This plant is going to change the way you think about flowering shrubs!

CAN GARDENING CURE DEPRESSION?

A recent study at Bristol University and University College London suggests that soil, or rather the harmless bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae in it, could be as effective in changing your mood as antidepressant drugs. Studies with mice found that the bacterium affects the brain in a similar way to antidepressants. Dr Lowry, said: “We believe that prolonged exposure to this bacteria from childhood can have a beneficial effect.  “This research also leaves us wondering if we shouldn’t all spend more time playing in the dirt.” So you really aren't crazy after all! Garden on. 

Buddleia: Butterfly Bush Extraordinaire

With a name like butterfly bush, you might expect a plant to be attractive to butterflies. In fact, it's more than attractive; it's a magnet for all the butterflies who pass through your garden seeking nectar. Many butterfly gardeners plan their garden around Buddleia (pronounced BUD-lee-ah), a genus that includes over 100 species and cultivars. Also called summer lilac, the medium- to large-sized shrubs can anchor a perennial bed or form a hedge.  Butterflies and bees will flock to the honey-scented blossoms, whose dilute nectar is sweetest in midday sun. Near a path or patio, the shrub provides delightful fragrance for you, too. Another reason for Buddleia's popularity is that it's easy to grow, even hard to kill. Buddleia davidii tolerates urban pollution and alkaline soil. It's generally pest-free, except for spider mite infestations during drought or stress. It performs adequately in spare soil but prefers a sunny spot with well-drained soil, a light application of fertilizer in spring, and a few deep waterings in summer. Deadheading (cutting off) spent blossoms will force the plant to keep blooming, in an attempt to produce seed. Red-flowering varieties like B. davidii 'Royal Red' will attract hummingbirds, which supplement their nectar diet with protein-rich insects on the bush. Watch for other birds, like bushtits and orioles, seeking an insect meal. For those of you with limited space, there are three new English cultivars are roughly a third of the size of other butterfly bush varieties, perfect for smaller gardens. 

Desert or showy 4 o'clock

The native four-o'clock, also known as showy four-o'clock, is a great plant to add to your dry land Garden. This plant is native to about 8000 feet from southern Colorado, across Utah to Mexico. Before planting the showy four-o'clock, here are some facts to keep in mind. It thrives in full sun and dry soil that drains well. Once established, the native four-o'clock becomes a large, shrub-like plant 18 to 36 inches tall and 36 to 60 inches wide. It can quickly overwhelm smaller plants that have been planted nearby. The four-o'clock's mass of foliage will die back to the ground in the fall. It reappears late the following spring only after the soil temperature warms. It is a long-lived perennial that blooms from July to September. The four-o'clock has handsome gray-green foliage and showy, rose pink flowers that are trumpet-shaped and open in late afternoon and evening. Look for our plant in the parking lot.

Watering your perennials, How much is enough?

You may be asking themselves again this year“ How much water does a plant need and when do I know when enough is enough? What is low, moderate, average, moist or xeric mean on the watering requirements?  If this question has been hounding you, you are not alone.  The most important consideration in selecting plants for a perennial garden is to group them according to their environmental and cultural requirements. For example, place drought-tolerant plants together at the top of a slope and moisture-loving plants in a swale or low spot where runoff collects. This is called hydro zoning. Watering frequency varies with sun and wind exposure, temperature, soil type, and individual plant water needs. Drooping leaves or stems and blossom drop often are signs that irrigation needs to be increased. New plantings in full sun often need water every two days the first few weeks or so after planting, depending on weather conditions. Progress to longer intervals between watering (four to six days) to encourage roots to expand into surrounding soil.  Mulched plants will not dry out as quickly. Adjust watering frequency accordingly. If you follow all the 7 recommended principles of Xeriscape, you will reduce your water needs more.  So I guess the answer to what your perennial needs in the way of watering is  "It just depends".  Each site and each summer is so different, when a perennial says it needs moderate to average water, it would depend on your yard.