Tips for the Garden - June 2021

            Although I’ve never been accused of being short on words, there is often this blank in my mind about where to start the article. This month I will begin with a reminder that June is National Perennial Gardening Month. Perennials make perfect additions to gardens (as well as native plants) for pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and birds!

 

Here are 10 quick tips to Fabulous Perennials:

1.            Begin by preparing the soil.

2.            Choose plants carefully, sun vs. shade, etc.

3.            Purchase plants that can establish in one season.

4.            Space perennials to give them room to grow.

5.            Fertilize

6.            Mulch

7.            Control weeds

8.            Control insects

9.            Additionally, clean up the beds each season.  Enjoy!!

 

            Well, June is also the month of graduations, weddings, vacations, Father’s Day, and the beginning of summer. This is the month that we all begin to spend more of our free time out of doors, enjoying our gardens and the fruits of our labor from the last 3 months. If all of you have kept up with your tasks, then this month should be easy.

 

Here are garden tips for June:

 

·                     Watch for the outbreak of bagworms on garden plants, especially junipers.

·                     Deadhead bulbs and spring perennials as blossoms fade.

·                     Repeat plantings of corn and beans to extend the harvest season.

·                     Spray roses with a fungicide to prevent black spot disease and fertilize monthly.

·                     Continue enjoying the antics of the wildlife in your yard and gardens by continuing to supply food and water sources for them.

·                     Change hummingbird nectar at least weekly to prevent fungus from growing. You can make your own nectar using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water---no food coloring please!

·                     Move houseplants outside for the summer. Place plants in areas with dappled shade and some protection from hot summer winds.

·                     Orioles (if you were lucky enough to keep them around) begin building a gray woven nest; this takes about a week.

·                     Watch for birds carrying food to their young.

 
           

Are you late getting planting started in your garden this year? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! As busy as we were this May, and as wet as the weather was, many people have commented that they haven’t even begun their planting. That’s okay—you still have plenty of time. Plant selections should still be pretty strong. Fully enjoy your garden; it is the only true place to connect you to Mother Nature.

 

See you in the Garden…

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

 

 

 

Tips for the Garden - May 2021

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Isn’t daylight savings time a wonderful thing!!!!! Enjoy the fruits of your labor and spend time outdoors. Extend your living quarters to your yard and garden. It is easy to do…hang a hammock in a tree, set a bistro set in the perennial garden, or put benches in your Hosta beds. Now invite friends over and have a cookout. Let the nature in your yard tickle your senses with the sounds of birds, smells of flowers, sound of running water, and splashes of color.

And while you are enjoying your yard, and I hope that you are, here are some items to put onto your gardening checklist. Begin planting summer annuals to add color and spice to the landscape. And don’t just stop with the flower beds. Container gardening is becoming a trendy thing. The many choices, styles, shapes and colors of containers make great accent pieces for inside or out. Let your imagination soar and express yourself. Use imaginative containers you pick up at flea markets and auction yards. Learn to mix annuals and perennials for

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great combinations. Try hostas with begonias and impatiens….or hydrangeas with groundcovers. These containers can make great accent pieces on the front porch, the back deck, in a flower bed, around the pool or at the end of the driveway. Containers aren’t just plain anymore!!!

Take your houseplants outdoors once the evening temperatures will remain above 50`. Gradually move sun loving plants (hibiscus, gardenias, mandevillas, etc.) to sunny locations, as they have not had full sun in your home and will need to be acclimated to those conditions.

Plant summer bulbs now and fertilize with bone meal or bulb food. Pinch garden mums now till July 4th to insure proper fall blooming. Treat slugs in your garden with organic diatomaceous earth. This is a powder product, 100% safe and is good for the treatment of slugs, ants, fleas and ticks outside, as well as roaches and ants indoors. This organic product is very safe to use and good to have on hand.

Other insects to watch for this month are pine sawflies, aphids, scale crawlers, cucumber beetles, and grubs, to name a few. Permethrin is the product on the market today. Permethrin will work a large variety of insects on plants, in the soil and in the home. It comes in many formulations and strengths. See a professional for questions of use of this product.

Keep helping the wild birds in your piece of heaven on earth and help the pollinators as well. Plant more natives and use organic products when needed.


Until next month…see you in the garden….

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Tips for the Garden - April 2021

             Vegetable gardening is making a comeback and a contributor to this fascination is the fact that more and more people are concerned with what they put on the family table. When you grow it yourself, you control what goes in the soil and on the plants, and you get to pick a much broader selection of vegetable varieties. They taste a whole lot better when they’re home grown.

            If you’re thinking of growing a vegetable garden this year, you are not alone. Start small and expand as your interest and time permit. No summertime garden is complete without tomatoes. Also, bush cucumbers will fit in small gardens, and so will the bush summer squash varieties. They can be planted in nontraditional garden areas like flowerbeds or as a small addition to the landscape. You can interplant lettuce plants with your impatiens and harvest them long before the impatiens covers the area. You’ll get some salad greens and kill two birds with one stone. Taking care of the impatiens ensures the lettuce is never neglected. In short, a vegetable garden can find its way into every area of your home’s landscape - whether it’s confined to its own area, combined into the annual or perennial gardens that you already have, or planted in containers on your deck or patio - it will provide the ultimate in fresh vegetable taste, and the safest vegetables you can produce for your family table.

            Hang out your hummingbird feeders the first of this month. Use a solution of 1-part sugar to 4 parts water for the nectar. Change the solution frequently to keep it from fermenting. Food coloring is NOT needed or recommended. And keep your bird feeders full as nature’s harvest from last fall is long gone for the birds.  Birds are beginning to reproduce now, and food is very important.  Mother Nature must regrow and reproduce before they can feed the birds. I it is up to us!!  So please do your part.

Asparagus and rhubarb harvest can begin!! Keep your hoe sharp. Start cucumber, squash, and cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month. The last week of April is a good time to try an early sowing of warm season crops in the garden such as green beans, sweet corn, etc. You can begin to plant transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes outdoors now. This can continue through the month of May. This is truly the year of the garden. So, reap your own harvest and enjoy the scrumptious flavors of your own produce. Remember, that Natural Gardening will keep your family safe, so check out what organic options are available to you! There are many.

 

Enjoy!  See you in the garden…
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Tips for the Garden - March 2021

            March welcomes ‘Spring’, and it will be met with open arms this year!! This is the month to open the gardens and get things in shape for the new growing season, which means there is plenty that can be done. To name a few; mowing time is upon us; have you sharpened those mower blades?  

To keep that lawn looking fantastic, it is time to add Fertilizer with Crabgrass Prevention. If you feel you need to over-seed the lawn, check with the professionals on proper steps for spring treatments.

            Clean up those perennial beds and cut down all Liriope and Ornamental Grasses to about 3-5” above the ground. Once this has been done, it is time to re-mulch your shrub and flower beds. Top-dress these areas with a slow-release fertilizer as well, such as Osmocote. Top dressing beds with organic compost is beneficial as well.

            Nesting boxes for Bluebirds and Purple Martin houses should be put out early this month. Purple Martins return to our area between St. Patrick’s Day and the end of the month. So now is the time to be prepared. Bluebirds generally stay around all year, but new babies will be coming along soon.  Sign up for our weekly, educational newsletter at www.hillermann.com to learn about tips and articles of these great birds.

            Are you considering doing some vegetable gardening this year? Well, there is no better time than now to start those preparations. You can start seed in the house for plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Plant or sow seed for cool weather crops outside this month. Set out broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and pansy transplants now. This month is also good to set out fruiting plants. It is likely we will continue see an influx of home gardening this year. It can be done in containers on the patio, as square foot gardens, or large plot gardening. There is nothing better than a home-grown tomato!!

It is truly an exciting time of year to “wake up” the senses.  Trees are beginning to set buds, and wildlife is getting ready to multiply.  Enjoy every day, as everyday will continue to change.

 

            Now it is time to go, so we will “See you in the garden!”

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Tips for the Garden - February 2021

February is National Bird Feeding Month… this year the Audubon Society will continue making national awareness of the decline of birds in North America. This awareness of loss of nature began more than several years ago with bees, then butterflies, to pollinators and this year will focus on the loss of birds and their habitat. The next will be frogs. Our world is losing nature and it’s help for human survival at an alarming rate. I truly hope by now that these declines in nature have hit home with you and that you realize that now it is time to do something about it ourselves. You will hear much more about these environmental efforts throughout the year.  

For winter care of birds one of the easiest things to provide is water. Providing shelter is another way to help. There is a shortage of nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds due to land development, and the use of pesticides. The use of birdhouses and nesting boxes has helped many species make a comeback. Landscaping that provides shelter can be a great help. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide a place out of the wind, snow, or rain. Birds gather in groups towards the inside and huddle together to create more warmth. 

The final piece of the puzzle is providing food. Here in Missouri, winter is a difficult time for the bird species that have chosen to overwinter here. There is little to no vegetation, and most of the insects are dead or dormant. Most songbirds feed on insects and spiders during the spring and summer; however, the non-migratory species switch to fruit and seeds in the fall and winter. Black oil sunflower seeds are preferred by the largest number of bird species. Enjoy the birds this season with these simple tips.

It is also time to think about starting any garden and flower seeds in the house that you may want to grow this year. Our last frost date is around May 1st, so back up the weeks on the calendar for seed starting so you know when the best time for starting seeds in the house would be (seed packets will note the timing for this). Ample light is very important for this task.

Another cold weather job is cleaning up any containers or planters that you have stored away. While doing this, make a list of the flower plants that you are going to need for these containers in the spring.

Until next month,     

Sandi Hillermann McDonald