Tag Archives: pollinators

Pocket Gardening for Small Spaces

by Marion Loiola, Highland Mills Master Gardener Volunteer

Hollowed out stump being used as a container to grow fern, dead nettle, Tiarella sp. and Brunnera sp.
Pocket garden in hollowed out stump (Brunnera sp., dead nettle, fern, and Tiarella sp.)

As February comes to an end and we get closer to spring, I am noticing small, underutilized areas in my yard that could use some aesthetic enhancement.  Perhaps you have a bare spot, a barren corner, or a rocky slope in your yard that you could dress up with a few plants.  If you do, it might be time to develop this un-gardened area by creating a pocket garden!  Pocket gardens provide an opportunity to become creative with landscape design by adding plantings in small otherwise unusable areas.  They are a wonderful place for flowers, herbs, succulents, and vegetables.  They can be used to add color and texture and attract birds and pollinators.  Once established a good pocket garden will look like it always belonged there.

Photo: Baskets of herbs hanging a wire grid in front of a wall creating a balcony herb garden
Balcony herb pocket garden

There are endless possibilities in terms of how to create a pocket garden.  Determine key focal points that will work well with your design.  Perhaps add a focal point using a dwarf conifer surrounded by annuals or vegetables that change each year.  If your pocket garden is near the kitchen or back door you may want to plant edible herbs.  Whether planted in the ground or a container, herbs are can add color, texture, attract pollinators, and/or provide you with delicious flavors for cooking.  On your deck or patio, you can create a privacy screen using a vertical pocket garden made by planting vining plants in a container and training them to a trellis.  If you are using raised beds in your pocket garden, you can use various border shapes to enhance your design.  When using containers, make sure to chose one that adds to the aesthetic of the garden.  Succulents can be used to enhance a rocky area.  A great way to grow vegetables in an otherwise unusable space is growing them in straw bales.  You can also pair vegetables with ornamentals in a pocket garden.  Whatever you do, make sure that the pocket garden fits the space you have.

Photo: Small plant with tiny light purple flowers growing in in the corner at the base of a ciment step
Tiny pocket garden (Linaria cymbalaria)

Once you decide where you want to place your pocket garden, make sure you note the lighting, drainage, and any other environmental conditions that may affect your plants.  Before planting it is always a good idea to get your soil tested so you properly amend the soil to meet the needs of your plants.  If you are using containers, you will want to use potting soil as opposed to garden soil.  Don’t pack the potting soil too tightly and remember to water and fertilize as needed.

Plant choice is key.  Research your plants and group those with similar needs together.  When possible, use low-maintenance native plants which will need less water and have fewer pest issues.  Stay away from aggressive plants that will take over the space and impede the growth of other plants in the garden. Look for plants that will remain interesting throughout year and think about how to use your pocket garden to attract wildlife such as birds and pollinators.

Photo: Large bright purple blooms of Clematis 'Doctor Ruppel' climing up a wooden trellis
Using vertical space can enhance your pocket garden (Clematis ‘Doctor Ruppel’)

The design you use for your pocket garden is up to you.  Take advantage of vertical gardening, container gardening, small, raised beds, and other space efficient techniques. Don’t be afraid to experiment with various sizes, textures, and colors. Soften your hardscape, create a personal space where you that you can relax and find joy.

As we get ready for spring, think about how you can brighten up your space with a pocket garden or two.  Get creative, pick a theme, make a statement, use plants with different sizes, textures, and colors but most of all, have fun!


Book Reviews

Photo: Person with long brown hair, wearing comfy socks and sweat pants, sitting on the floor in front of a blazing fire place reading a book as a black and white cat rests its head on their legWinter has arrived!  While there isn’t much to be doing outside in our gardens, the winter is a great opportunity to spend time learning more about gardening.  So grab one of these books recommended by our Master Gardener Volunteers, sit by the fire, and spend time cultivating your mind this winter.


Book List

Freedom’s Gardener: James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the Hudson Valley in Antebellum America by Myra Beth Young Armstead

Garden Alchemy: 80 Recipes and Concoctions for Organic Fertilizers, Plant Elixirs, Potting Mixes, Pest Deterrents, and More by Stephanie Rose

Good Garden Bugs by Mary M. Gardiner, Ph. D.

The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden by Roy Diblik

Natural Companions: The Garden Lover’s Guide to Plant Combinations by Ken Druse

Square Foot Gardening with Kids by Mel Bartholomew

The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardner’s Handbook by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski

The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency by Anna Hess

The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith

A Year at Brandywine Cottage by David L. Culp

Your Wellbeing Garden: How to Make Your Garden Good for You – Science, Design, Function by D.K. Publishing


Book Cover: Freedom's Gardener - Drawing of four-petaled white violetFreedom’s Gardener: James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the Hudson Valley in Antebellum America

by Myra Beth Young Armstead

Reviewed by Madelene Knaggs, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Freedom’s Gardener
is impeccably researched and full of detail. It is the kind of book that grabs the attention of readers interested in gardening, local history, Black history, and the concept of freedom. Armstead, a professor of history at Bard College, extracts small details from the diary of James F. Brown to compose a story illustrating the concept of freedom as it developed in the United States in the decades following the Revolutionary War.

James F. Brown was born a slave in 1793 and died a free man in 1868. He escaped slavery in Maryland to the Hudson Valley of New York State, where he was employed as a gardener by the wealthy Verplanck family in Beacon, NY (on what is presently the Mount Gulian Historic Site).

Brown kept a detailed diary over 39 years, with entries covering weather, gardening, and steamboat schedules, as well as domestic matters. James began his career with the Verplancks as a waiter and a laborer, but eventually assumed the duties as the Verplanck Estate’s master gardener. He managed and supervised garden, farm, and nursery workers. He was also responsible for making major purchases for the Verplanck house and garden. He frequently interacted in Newburgh with Andrew Jackson Downing, the famed lAmerican landscape designer and editor of The Horticulturist magazine (1846–1852). Brown attended the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Show in Philadelphia as well as the New York Horticultural Society Exhibition.

This book has been recommended by the Library Journal to historians of antebellum America and the social aspects of horticulture, as well as those interested in historical diaries. Armstead’s well-researched study of Brown’s work greatly expands our understanding of the Hudson Valley and the people and plants that have shaped it.

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Book Cover: Garden Alchemy - Photo containing an assortment of flowers and herbsGarden Alchemy: 80 Recipes and Concoctions for Organic Fertilizers, Plant Elixirs, Potting Mixes, Pest Deterrents, and More

by Stephanie Rose

Reviewed by Mary Presutti, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

As a newly minted Master Gardener Volunteer, I frequently turn to my class notes for advice in the garden. Now I have another, more portable source. In this one handy, slim volume, Canadian Master Gardener Stephanie Rose has compiled a nifty hands-on guide with useful recipes to get everyone’s garden in top shape.

The book is loaded with step-by-step instructions beginning with homemade methods to test your soil, then on to recipes for soil amendment, custom mulch, compost boosters, fertilizers, garden teas, potting soils, and even a method to produce your own worm castings. The ingredients are common items available in your home.

Even wildlife has not been left out. There are techniques for encouraging as well as discouraging nature in the garden. Some of my plants go outdoors in the summer months. They invariably bring fungus gnats back indoors in the fall. She has a fix to keep them away. She also includes a bottle trap for flies, wasps, and stinkbugs—all with their own individual bait recipes.

As a plus, Ms. Rose has included some fun activities to keep gardeners occupied while their plants are sleeping this winter season. You can make seed bombs, suet holders, butterfly puddlers, and more.

Garden Alchemy is chock full of beautiful, interesting photographs and diagrams that complement the easy to understand, straight to the point text. I recommend it for all gardeners.

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Book Cover: Good Garden Bugs - Photo of a black and yellow stripped hover fly resting in the center of a bright yellow flowerGood Garden Bugs

by Mary M. Gardiner, Ph.D.

Review by Donna Beyer, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

All gardeners must deal with bugs — good bugs, bad bugs — but some of us aren’t sure which is which. Good Garden Bugs is directed to the home gardener who might not know the difference. As gardeners, we invest time and effort into making our gardens the most beautiful and productive they can be, yet bugs can present challenges to our efforts. Most of us understand the need for good bugs, but sometimes find it difficult to live in harmony with them.

The book begins by providing information on the classification, anatomy, and the life cycle of garden bugs. The information helps the gardener understand how each stage of a bug’s development has different enemies and threats, and is presented in a way that non-academics can understand. How bugs overwinter and mature provides the gardener with valuable insight into promoting good garden bugs.

The chapter that discusses controls we use to regulate bug populations can help gardeners understand how their actions affect them. This section also stresses the need for native plants to promote healthy habitats that support good bug populations.

The chapters that follow are the core of the book. Each subsequent chapter is dedicated to an order of bug that describes the unique attributes and common examples of bugs that fall into that order. The book also includes large color photos with descriptions of each.

Over half the chapters are dedicated to wasps, beetles, and spiders. These bugs are the most plentiful and can be difficult to identify. These orders can do serious damage to plants and humans alike, so being able to identify these “good” bugs is especially important. Gardeners want to promote good bugs that fall into these orders, but also want to protect themselves and their gardens.

Currently, in the age of the internet, having a resource you can carry to the garden that will assist with pest identification is invaluable. This book is slim but does not skimp on content and is a valuable addition to a home gardener’s library.

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Book Cover: The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden - Photo of perennial garden with purple flowers in bloomThe Know Maintenance Perennial Garden

by Roy Diblik

Reviewed by Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer

If the title of this book doesn’t hook you, perhaps the words on the cover will. In red ink, it loudly declares knowing your plants means less work. Or perhaps you’ve heard of Roy Diblik, the renowned plantsman behind the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park in Chicago.

Diblik’s approach to gardening stresses harmony with how plants grow and interact with each other. He advocates knowing your plants so you can plant them in self-sustaining communities. By doing so, you will spend less time maintaining them and more time enjoying them.

The author focuses on perennials because he believes they are the foundation of durable, diverse and beautiful gardens. According to Diblik, once you’re familiar with perennials, then you will recognize how and when to add annuals, vegetables, herbs, shrubs and trees.

Diblik believes that traditional gardening has become so culturally defined over the last 50 years that it is now a source of frustration and defeat for most gardeners.

In the first four chapters, he covers the basics – from understanding plant growth to soil, light, site preparation, and more. Chapter 5 covers 74 key perennials selected for their dependability, suitability to the northern half of the U.S., adaptability to soil & seasonal changes, and durability.

The true treasure is saved for Chapter 6 and beyond, where Diblik provides more than 60 garden plans, each designed to cover a 10 – 14’ rectangle, categorized by plans for growing in sun or shade, and complete with notes on care and maintenance. Assuming you are diligent about care and maintenance, Diblik claims that each plan should take about 3 to 4 hours of work per week.

Diblik’s approach will put you on a path to a style of gardening that stresses harmony, simplicity and enjoyment.

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Book Cover: Natural Companions - Photo of several colorful flower blossoms and colorful leaves arranged on a black backgroundNatural Companions: The Garden Lover’s Guide to Plant Combinations

by Ken Druse

Reviewed by Gerda Krogslund, Middletown Senior Master Gardener Volunteer

For this book, author Ken Druse worked in conjunction with artist Ellen Hoverkamp who provided the beautiful botanical photographs throughout. Each chapter explores plants in a different light looking at season, family, form, function, color, spirit of place, or theme.

Take a journey through the seasons starting with signs of spring and continuing through the year concluding with winter and new awakenings. Learn about different plant families and delve into the numerous varieties found in each. Form follows function – examine the many different shapes, textures, structures and growth habit of flowers and other plants. Be inspired by pictures of flowers with both similar colors and exciting color combinations. Consider the spirit of place and think about what you can plant in woodlands, meadows, wetlands, rain gardens, and rock gardens. Explore themed gardens grown for fragrance, roses, pollinators, birds, cutting, edible plants, herbs, medicinal plants, and toxic plants.

This is not a “how-to” manual but a book that suggests possible plant combinations for your consideration. It gives you lots of ideas in which you can take your reliable basic plants and add others to make your garden even more spectacular. Ken Druse knows that gardening is very personable and suggests that while you read through the book, you make lists of combinations that appeal to you.

A garden is never really complete but more a work in progress as we continually experiment with new plants and new plant arrangements. I’ve spent hours going through this book and I know I’ll come back again and again.

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Book Cover: Square Foot Gardening with Kids - Small boy picking tomatoesSquare Foot Gardening with Kids

by Mel Bartholomew

Reviewed by Brooke Moore, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Getting children interested in growing food and learning more about the natural world is an admirable goal. And one that does not have to be boring or pedantic.

This lovely book by the master of Square Foot Gardening, provides kids from toddlers to teens with all the tools they need to build, manage, grow and harvest a vegetable garden. It encourages starting small and building more as confidence and experience lead one to wanting a larger planting area.

With a format that provides age-appropriate tasks and goals at every step, this book also works for the whole family. I loved that there are clues to help parents not be overly involved but rather encourage the children to figure out how to do things themselves. It covers building raised beds, making soil mixes, how to make a grid system, water issues, protecting plants from predators, best growing practices, and much more.

Teachers and classroom projects are also a part of the book, and these can be used by anyone. Math, science, art, and history are all related to gardening, and the book provides simple and interesting activities to bring these skills into the garden and to use the garden to develop entirely new ones. Measuring, weighing, keeping a planting journal are all well described and encouraged. There are good photos and illustrations for each step and lots of handy tips and “how to” suggestions.

This is a book with “kids” in the title, but it truly is a book for anyone and everyone interested in exploring how to use this simple system to have a successful garden harvest.

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Book Cover: The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's HandbookThe Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardner’s Handbook

by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski

Reviewed by Kimberly Marshall, Washingtonville Master Gardener Volunteer

If there were only one vegetable gardening book I could use throughout the gardening year, it would be The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski. This dynamic father-and-daughter gardening duo have made an indispensable resource that should grace the bookshelves of vegetable gardeners everywhere.

It provides week-by-week vegetable gardening how-to’s that coincide with each planting season. A chart at the beginning of the book helps you identify where you are in your own area’s growing season, using your first and last frost dates as a guide. For example, if your last frost date is mid-May, as it is for many of us here in Orange County, you enter that date in the calendar’s “Week 1,” which starts your weekly to-do’s (first week, two weeks out, three weeks out, etc.).

Based on these dates, the book explains which week to start seeds indoors, plant cover crops, look for pests, harvest your crops, and fertilize each and every vegetable you can think of, with plenty of gardening tips and tricks along the way. There are even steps for gardening in the winter, with instructions for planning gardens and ordering seeds, so you can work on or think about your garden all year long.

The book also includes space for journaling your thoughts and experiences. There is ample room for notes in each section to remind yourself of what you planted and any issues you might have experienced, helping you to avoid making the same mistakes the following year.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step vegetable gardening book that tells you exactly what to do and when to do it, give this one a try—especially if you find the idea of vegetable gardening a bit overwhelming, like I do. It breaks everything down into easy steps, making even the scariest parts of gardening seem effortless while helping you realize what’s truly possible for your garden along the way.

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Book Cover: The Weekend Homesteader - Grid of gardening photos: pea shoots, rubber boots, chicken, peppers, etc.The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency

by Anna Hess

Reviewed by Robin Portelli, Cornwall Master Gardener Volunteer

As I was perusing through gardening books on the Libby App from my local library, the book title, The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self Sufficiency by Anna Hess caught my attention. I was envisioning a book with information that would inspire me to become a self-sufficient gardener without feeling overwhelmed or pressured that I needed to go off the grid or never buy grocery produce again. I was not disappointed.

In her introduction, Anna Hess immediately connects with the novice homesteader. She understands that the dream of full-time homesteading can be daunting for most people. “Weekend Homesteader is full of short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without becoming overwhelmed,” she writes. So, I began to read.

The book is divided by months beginning in the month of April or October if you live down under. Each month introduces you to topics that are important factors in growing a successful garden and maintaining a small homestead. Some homesteading basics covered that are more familiar to most of us include budgeting skills and record keeping (ugh!), healthy soil, garden rotation, and how to build a chicken coop. Anna Hess also touches upon less well-known details and tips such as how to find space to plant if you live in the city, how to stay warm without electricity for longer periods of time, and how to extend the gardening season by making your own garden hoops. Recipes, canning, cooking, and details of food/seed storing options are among some of the other multitude of topics.

Overall, I would give this book 4.5/5 stars.

Pros: It was well organized and gave many tips that only an experienced homesteader would know. It could help a novice homesteader avoid rookie mistakes. This book was published in 2012, but the topics and information are still very practical and relevant.

Cons: It covers the basics so an already experienced homesteader may not reap much benefit by reading it. Also, it is missing a chapter specific to urban gardening topics.

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Book Cover: The Well-Gardener Mind - Drawing of a head in which the outline of the face is a green stem and the head has branches coverd with green leavesThe Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature

by Sue Stuart-Smith

Reviewed by Sharon Lunden, Goshen Master Gardener Volunteer

In The Well-Gardened Mind, Stuart-Smith, a British psychiatrist and psychotherapist, delves into the therapeutic aspects of immersing yourself in a garden. This is not a how-to garden book but instead outlines the well-researched benefits to the human body, mind, and soul to be found in the natural world around us.

Our brain cells are like branching trees, requiring pruning, weeding, and room to grow. Experience and pain can be “composted” into something beneficial. Gardens reflect our lives, periods of yield and beauty, loss and rest. Our minds as gardens seek light, cultivation, seeding, nourishment, watering, and replenishment. Souls and bodies begin to heal and thrive in the peace, safety, and beauty of the confines of a flower or vegetable garden. We need the earth as much as the earth needs us to care for and cherish it, a full circle. By learning to care for a garden, we better learn to care for ourselves and others.

This is a fascinating book which I recommend to you, as it can prove helpful and comforting in the midst of the stress of these difficult times.

If we put energy into cultivating the earth, we are given something back. There is magic in it and there is hard work in it, but the fruits and flowers of the earth are a form of goodness that is real; they are worth believing in and are not out of reach. When we sow a seed, we plant a narrative of future possibility. It is an action of hope. Not all the seeds we sow will germinate, but there is a sense of security that comes from knowing you have seeds in the ground. (pp. 65–66)

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Book Cover: A Year at Brandywine Cottage - Photos: Harvested beets, radishes, and peas / A lush garden with a white cottage in in the backgroundA Year at Brandywine Cottage

by David L. Culp

Reviewed by Madelene Knaggs, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

A Year at Brandywine Cottage leads us on a journey through an exquisite garden that represents a lifetime of hard work, passion, successes and disappointments, experience and knowledge. Engaging prose and beautiful photography take the armchair gardener on a virtual tour through each season as the author informs us of the Latin genus and species and the botanical and historical facts about each plant.

Author and gardener David Culp states, “By looking closely at my garden over a period of time, and allowing it to speak to me, I find that the garden at Brandywine Cottage wants six seasons. As you will see, this book chronicles what happens in my garden over the course of those seasons.”

Culp demonstrates his deep knowledge of plants season by season with such tips and techniques for a successful layered garden as adding pots of tropicals (he has 400 pots) into the beds to boost a tired August garden, or clipping distracting dead leaves off hellebores before they bloom. He also weaves in family and local recipes using ingredients from his own beautiful vegetable garden.

Beginning in February (in the chapter “Early Spring”), he shows us the sleepy phase in the garden when most people are oblivious to any plant life. He proves that there is much to behold—the emerging bulbs of crocus, dwarf iris, glory-of-the-snow, winter aconite, witch hazels, and the author’s large collection of snowdrops. As the season progresses into March, daffodils and hellebores take center stage. He continues to show the progression and overlapping from season to season and from outdoors to inside the home.

This book will inspire readers with ideas for their own gardens, and will encourage plans in anticipation of the upcoming season.

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Book Cover: Your Wellbeing Garden - Drawing of garden bench with trees on both sides and a potted flower sitting on itYour Wellbeing Garden: How to Make Your Garden Good for You – Science, Design, Function

by D.K. Publishing

Review by Patricia Henighan, Walden Master Gardener Volunteer

If you have been gardening for a while, you probably don’t need to be convinced that your garden is good for you. Nevertheless, this delightfully designed and easy to digest book uses scientific research drawn together by a team of scientists from the Royal Horticultural Society to present the whys and hows of creating an outdoor space that nourishes both the mind and the body, and is good for the planet. Each section encapsulates the latest research on topics such as how to fight air pollution, reduce noise pollution, help pollinators, address climate change, and provide fodder for your brain.

The authors use diagrams and illustrations to explain concepts such as how different types of leaves trap air pollutants and why vegetation is a better at reducing noise pollution than a fence or a wall. They explore topics such as Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) which rates plants from 1 to 10 for allergenicity using eye-catching illustrations that show why certain flower and tree species are better choices if you are looking to avoid flying pollen.

Many people spend time outside to find peace and tranquility in a chaotic world. Research has found that when seeking “natural restoration”, we respond best to natural features that are moderately complex – not too smooth and not too busy. A grassy area with openings and some trees provides the highest rewards for inducing tranquility. Fractals or repeating branching patterns, which occur frequently in nature, can be added to a garden to ensure the landscape provides release for the brain from stress and anxiety. The authors encourage you to design a mindfulness corner with a comfortable seat in an area cushioned from street noise with a soothing sound of water or bees buzzing. Who said gardens must be all work?

Gardening can be a solitary pursuit or a communal activity. It can benefit people from all walks of life. Children and adults with special needs can benefit from the experience of growing flowers and food crops. Horticultural therapy is a way in which gardening is used to help people suffering from trauma and illness. For immigrants, growing crops from their home country can help to allay homesickness. And when it comes to children and gardening, psychologists have found that children can cultivate character by taking care of their own individual garden plots. It is also thought that by handling dirt at an early age, children increase their exposure to beneficial microbes, which may boost the immune system.

Since climate change is an ongoing challenge for everyone, the last section covers many aspects of creating a sustainable garden. There are suggestions on how to change barren, water-gobbling lawns into more resilient spaces and the latest recommendations on how to care for your soil, avoid impermeable surfaces, capture run-off, and design rain gardens. Obviously, it is a win-win situation as making your garden better for you will also make it better for the environment.

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The Flight of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird

by Mary Carol Presutti, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Green hummingbird with a white throat and grey head perched on a twig
Female ruby-throated hummingbird

The ruby-throated hummingbird flew into the porch door window and lay lifeless on the ground.  Not ten minutes ago, she had been darting around the yard, along with another female, sipping the necter from my coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) and giant hyssop (Agastache sp.).  The two of them had been there on and off all summer, so it’s not like she didn’t have the lay of the land.  I could only assume the two girls had been fighting over the honeysuckle, as they are wont to do in a race to put on winter weight, and I guess it got out of hand.

Photo: Bunches of light red tubular flowers
Coral honeysuckle

I thought about the little bird now laying lifeless on the ground, it would never make it to wherever she would have spent the winter.  Thinking about it, I didn’t know where she would have headed to.  Or the route, or the time taken to get there, or if she would eat along the way, or well…anything about her journey.

The remaining bird was sitting on the fence near the honeysuckle looking in my direction.  She perched there for maybe five minutes then flew away, and I never saw the bird again.

Map showing Ruby-throated Hummingbird Range throughout the yearSo, as the little ruby-throated began the first day of her winter journey, I sat down in front of my laptop and began to learn as much as I could about what she would be doing in the days and weeks ahead.

After leaving my yard in New Windsor, she would have traveled southwest to somewhere along the Gulf of Mexico.  She would fly during daylight, just over the treetops in constant search for food. During most of the flight she had to make sure that her weight stayed high by eating flower nectar, insects, sugar water provided by birders, and interestingly, the sugary and protein laden contents of yellow-bellied sapsucker holes.  Her normal weight is between 3 and 4 grams, about the weight of a penny.  To prepare for her trip she had to double her weight while she was in New York.

Female ruby-throated hummingbird at a feederOnce she reached the Gulf, there was a final push across the water as she flew nonstop for 500 miles until she reached land.  Young and older birds may fly along the coastline into Mexico to reach their destination.  My bird may have had the good fortune to alight on a passing boat or possibly an oil rig for a short rest.  It is an amazing journey for such a tiny bird.

It is now December so the ruby-throated hummingbird who, in September, perched on the fence watching me, has by now made the long 1600 mile or more trip to one of a few locations in Mexico and Central America. However, there is a chance that she may be wintering in one of the southernmost states.  In the last 25 years with the temperature change, the ruby-throated hummingbirds’ range has expanded 200 miles north of its traditional southernmost range.

Sometime in March the trip back north will begin and by the end of April to mid-May she will arrive close to where she was born, ready to find a suitable mate, raise her chicks, and prepare for another fall flight.

Interesting Facts about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

  • Photo: Green hummingbird with a white breast and red collar
    Male ruby-throated hummingbird

    Research indicates that a hummingbird can travel as many as 23 miles in one day. They fly by day and use tail winds to help conserve energy.

  • In eastern part of the United States the ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird around. Males arrive in New York a few days before females to set up territories
  • Bird banding projects show that when ruby-throated hummingbirds head south, they will follow almost the exact route they took a few short months ago when they were heading north to their breeding grounds. Young birds will return to the location in which they were hatched.
  • Photo: Juvenile red-throated-hummingbird in flight showingits red breast and a few patches of red in the collar area
    Juvenile red-throated hummingbird

    Several species of hummingbirds including the ruby-throated hummingbird follow yellow belly sapsucker woodpeckers to feed on the remaining sap and bugs left over from the holes the sapsucker drills into trees.

  • Hummingbirds eat between 60 and 80% of their protein a day in insects. That’s about 330 fruit flies a day!
  • Photo: Hummingbird with white throat and breast sitting in tiny lichen covered nest on a tree branch
    Female ruby-throated hummingbird on nest

    Hummingbird feet are poorly developed, so if they want to move a few inches while perched they must fly.

  • A group of hummingbirds is called a charm, but you will seldom see a group of hummingbirds gather willingly outside of backyard hummingbird feeders. Hummingbirds are territorial and can be aggressive when food is involved.  The dominant male controls which hummingbirds feed in his territory.  He sits nearby the feeding area and will attack any other males or females that dare to attempt to feed in his territory.  Female hummingbirds that are sociable towards the dominant male are allowed to feed unscathed.

More Information about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

Photo: Female red-throated hummngbird feeding from a stalk covered wtih of light purpletubular flowers
Female ruby-throated hummingbird feeding from an obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Attracting Hummingbirds – Penn State Extension

Central America Bird Feeder Live Feed – Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Hummingbird Migration – Hummingbirds.net

Hummingbird Sightings – Journey North

Ruby-throated Hummingbird – National Audubon Society

Understanding Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Enhancing Their Habitat – University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Clean Your Garden with Insects in Mind

by Mary Carol Presutti, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Between now and mum season there are a few things you can do to get a head start for spring cleanup with minimum fuss.


Weed

A pair of gloved hands holding some freshly picked weedsThis is a perfect time to get a start on weed management for the spring.  Shorter days and colder weather in the months ahead will reduce the activity of plant growth.  You want to keep the process as natural as possible.  Pull weeds to your hearts content without overly disturbing the soil.  Don’t use hoes or rakes, and don’t turn the soil over unless you must.  When you disturb the soil too much seeds resting on top of soil get planted in the loose soil, and seeds deep in the soil are brought closer to the surface where they will be able to sprout.  Every time you move soil around without a purpose, the roots and seeds of unwanted plants are given the go ahead to sprout away.

Organic Weed Management – Cornell University


Mulch

Freshly mulched garden bed in front of a houseBare soil is an invitation for weeds to… well, put down roots!  Cover weeds that you want gone by the spring with a layer of weighted cardboard. Sometimes I think I shop online more for the cardboard shipping boxes then for what’s inside.  I also love using sheets of bark from my fireplace wood in and around my garden plants.  Tree bark adds nutrients, cuts down on weed growth, and is a good insulator for tender plants.  Grass clippings or shredded leaves make a nice winter mulch, but cut up leaves soon after they fall to the ground before insects and small animals take shelter.  Rake only the leaves you need to, leaving a goodly amount for insects to find winter cover.

Organic Garden Mulches to Conserve Moisture and Prevent Weeds – South Dakota State University Extension

Leave the Leaves – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation


Seed

A group of blazing star blooms - cyclindrical spikes covered with tiny purple flowers
Blazing star

There are so many plants that seed themselves if you leave them be, although you must be patient as they will need a year or two to establish themselves from seed.  Here are a few of my favorites

Self-Seeding Perennials – University of Minnesota Extension

Which flowers are self-sowing? – University of New Hampshire Extension


Collect Seeds

Three milkweed seed pods that have been spilt open. One is empty and the other two contain lots of small, brown, oval-shaped seed attached to a silky strands that will help disperse the wind disperse them.
Milkweed seed pods

I love collecting seeds and seed heads as they mature throughout the year.  I either give them to friends or propagate them in other areas of my own garden.  Make sure you collect seeds from plants that produce viable seeds.  Some cultivars are bred to be sterile, and hybrids may produce seed, but the offspring will not necessarily resemble the parent plant.  It is best to stick with uncultivated species and their varieties.  Seeds and seed pods vary greatly.  Milkweed produces seed pods which open to disperse seeds, while catmint, verbena, and blazing star produce seed heads after the plants flower.   Research gathering techniques, proper storage, and how to plant different kinds of seeds in your garden.

Saving Seeds from Annuals and Perennials – The National Gardening Association

How to Collect and Store Seeds – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center


Disease Management

Black, yellow, and white stripped monarch caterpillar feeding on milkweed.
Monarch caterpillar

If you grow native milkweeds, consider cutting back the plants this month to discourage next year’s growth from harboring any diseases that may have been left by this year’s monarchs. The most prevalent is Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, a parasitic protozoan that affects caterpillars.  An infected monarch butterfly can host thousands of these parasites on their wings.  Dispose of the cuttings with your regular trash instead of composting.

A wild begamont plant with leaves covered witha white substance.
Powdery mildew on wild bergamont

The stems and leaves of diseased plants should also be cut and disposed of in the trash as well.  A good example is wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), which is very susceptible to powdery mildew.  If left alone the mildew will overwinter on the old stems and may transfer to new growth in springtime.

Powdery Mildew of Ornamentals –  Cornell Cooperative Extension Nassau County


Create Habitat for Pollinators

Milweed stems that have been cut back so the hollow stem can be used for by cavity nesting bees
Cut back milkweed stems

One way to help local native bee populations is to encourage nesting in your garden.  Cut back some of the hollow-stemmed plants like Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) and milkweed leaving them about a foot tall as to create a space for cavity nesting bees to nest.  For the ground nesting bees, avoid heavy wood mulches which are impossible for these small insects to burrow into.

Pollinator Nesting Resources – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Wild Bees of New York – Cornell University


Fall Bulbs – Plant Now For Spring Delights

By Brooke Moore, New Windsor Senior Master Gardener Volunteer

Cluster of daffodils yellow with orange centers
Daffodils
Six daffodil bulbs
Daffodil bulbs

When doing a cost-benefit analysis, there is nothing in gardening that has a greater benefit that planting bulbs in the fall.  For minimal cost and labor now, you can have a garden filled with blossoms bursting with color, texture, and fragrance in the spring.  All it takes is a little planning, a bit of digging, and some patience to transform your spring garden experience.

The varieties of bulbs that thrive in our region is almost endless and includes something for every color palette, growing condition, and size requirement.  Spend a few hours looking through some catalogs, and you will find a good selection of options that will work for your environment.


Bulb Selection
Where to Plant

How to Plant
Bulb Care
Types of Spring Flowering Bulbs

Bulb Selection

Single deep magenta tulipsSpring flowering bulbs are usually classified by four basic characteristics: bloom time (early, mid, and late spring), height, bloom form, and color.  Depending on your garden aesthetic, one or more of these characteristics will help determine what bulbs are right for you.

Catalogs list the growing requirements needed for ideal bloom of every bulb; these include amount of sun, soil type, and planting depth.  Keep in mind that areas of your garden that are in partial shade during the summertime may be in full or mostly full sun in the springtime when many plants are still emerging and/or have not yet leafed out.  This means that bulbs can be the ultimate companion plant, providing early season interest before being hidden by established perennial plants.

Bulb growers offer mixes based on color, bloom time, and compatible forms.  You can also create your own mix by ordering a selection of bulbs and mixing them together. Mixes are often an economical way to have both a variety, and a mix of more expensive bulbs and more common ones.  If you have never had any bulbs this is a good way to get started and feel confident in your abilities to grow bulbs.

Purchasing spring blooming bulbs in advance is the best way to get a good price, but even in the fall there are deals to be found.  Most mail order bulbs are imported from Holland; the quality from these well-established retailers is very good.  There are also a few USA based bulb producers; if that is important to you, they are worth the search.  You can also get unusual colors and forms from specialty growers.  Mass marketed bulbs, like those from big box stores, may be smaller but will still bloom and perform well in the garden.  Just make sure that the bulbs are not dried out before you buy them.


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Where to Plant

Raised flower bed with pastel pink and yellow tulips and grape hyacinth
Tulips and grape hyacinth

Look at your garden and consider if a large intense planting will suit your needs or a more random insertion of bulbs into existing planting is more of an option.  Consider expanding the edges of your garden to incorporate bulbs or dividing some of your perennials to open up some space for bulbs.  Planting into lawns is another wonderful way to introduce bulbs.  Sighting locations from inside your house is a great idea as you want to be able to see your blooming bulbs in the early spring when it may be too cool to be sitting outside.

If you are starting fresh with a larger area that has nothing planted, then a bulb mix will provide the largest number of bulbs for your investment.  Most mixes will indicate the approximate space that they will fill.  Keep in mind that over time your bulbs will multiply and fill in even more.  Most will need some dividing every 4-5 years although some will be shorter lived and will need to be replaced.

Magenta tulip against a blurry sea of grape hyacinth flowers in bloomBulbs can be included as part of a cutting garden as well.  Consider using a portion of a flower bed or veggie bed as a way of having lots of spring blooms to bring inside.  Sale bags of tulips are a good bet for this, since you will be removing or lifting the bulbs after they bloom.

Most home gardeners keep their bulbs in the ground from year to year, but many public gardens lift the bulbs after blooming and discard them to provide space to plant annuals.  This is an option for home gardeners as well, but it will increase cost and labor as you will need to replant every year.  You can plant annuals around your bulbs but be aware that the water needs of annuals may impact the health of the bulbs which do not like nearly as much water as most annuals require.


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How to Plant

A pile of tulip bulbs
Tulip Bulbs

Bulbs will produce best when planted in direct contact with the soil.  If you are doing a large planting, dig the whole area removing the soil, place the bulbs with the tips up and fill around and over them.  When digging individual holes be sure that the bottom is wide enough to accommodate the bulb with the base in contact with the soil.

Disturbed ground will attract animals who love to snack on bulbs so placing some chicken wire just below the soil surface can deter digging by small animals.

An informal planting looks most natural so casting the bulbs onto the ground so that there is a random pattern looks better than rigid rows of plants.  Bulbs with staggered bloom times can be planted in layers and groupings at the same timedaffodils deepest followed by tulips with crocuses and other small bulbs near the top.


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Bulb Care

Most bulbs require very little care.  Try and resist cutting back foliage too soon; let it die back naturally so the maximum amount of nutrition will be available for next year’s bloom.  A light fertilizing is fine but if you have healthy soil and maintain it over the season you do not need to do anything else.  Avoid over-watering them once they have stopped growing.


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Types of Spring Flowering Bulbs

The basic spring bulbs, crocuses, daffodils, and tulips, are a great starting place but there are so many other options to consider as well.  Each type of plant has several species and hundreds if not thousands of varieties and cultivars to choose from. So let’s look at some of the options that are easy to find and cost effective to introduce to your garden.

Clump of crocuses growing up against a building in a bed of rocks Crocuses

Common crocuses range in size from less than half an inch to over four inches with solid and stripped colors in white, purples, yellows and oranges.  Over time they can change in color as they naturalize.  Crocuses are an easy bulb to put into lawns; using a mix of bloom times will ensure that your lawn is colorful for weeks.

Daffodils

A two foot wide row of white daffodils growing on the edge of a grassy fieldDaffodils are a great group of bulbs to begin with.  They come in a range of colors from the bright cheery yellow we all know, to soft pinks, stripes, vibrant oranges, greens, and brilliant whites.  Large outward facing blossoms are a standard but there are small clusters with contrasting petals and double blossoms as well.  In choosing plants think about what other shapes and textures will be a part of the garden.  Finding a mix of colors, blossom forms and heights will allow you to mimic other plants in your design and compliment hardscapes.  Daffodils will also naturalize well especially in partly shady areas.

Daffodils can be used as deer training plants to protect tender more deer loved plants from browsing.  As deer do not like them once they find them at the edge of a bed they move on and leave the lilies and tulips alone.

Pair of pastel pink tulips about to open in front of a white paper birch treeTulips

Tulips are probably the best loved bulb worldwide.  Loved by deer, these cheerful and graceful plants come in many sizes, colors and heights.  From tiny tulips that grow low to the ground to giant Darwin tulips that can tower over other plantings, the colors range from sweet pale pastels to vibrant neons.  Large color block plantings are often seen but choosing a color range from light to dark is another dramatic way of using the variety to great design benefit.  Again, there are many pre-packaged groupings to get you started.

Blossom form for tulips ranges from classic large to fringed, to doubles, to more petite.  Select what works with the other plants around them.  An example of this is putting double bloom or parrot tulips amongst peonies, the two flower shapes are similar and so the experience is linked from season to season.  The height is also a factor and tulips can range from 8-10 inches to upwards of 24 inches!  Read the descriptions carefully and think about what the final result will be.  When you are inserting bulbs into existing plantings consider what the other plants will be like at the peak bloom time.  You don’t want something to cover up your bulbs when they are in bloom.

Other bulbs to consider
Large purple allium bloom - a spherical ball of tiny purple flowers
Allium

Alliums – a punch of shape and a feast for pollinators

Anemone blanda – sweet, cottagey blooms in pastel colors

Brodiaea spp. – late bloomers that can help bridge to summer perennial blooms, unusual flower forms in blue and purple tones

A single six-petaled white flower
Glory-of-the-Snow

Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) – earliest bloomers, work great in deep shade under trees

Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica) – delicate form and early bloom time makes these a delight in the garden,  multi-colored, great addition to a border or a rock garden

A downward facing cup-shaped deep purple flower with a light checkered pattern
Fritillaria meleagris

Fritillaria spp. – with the caveat that they are a host for Lilly Leaf Beetles, very diverse group of plants that are dramatic in shape and size

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp.) – range of colors, blues, pinks and whites with a few yellows, great edge plants

Grape Hyacinth - cones of tightly packed purple flowers
Grape hyacinth

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus spp.) – not just for potted planting!, huge range of size, color, and fragrance

Lilies – another group of bulbs that should planted in the fall but they deserve their own blog post!

Scilla spp. – early bloomers with white, pink, or purple blooms, deer and rodent resistant, naturalize well

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The truth about spring blooming fall planted bulbs is that there are options galore and the only issue is how many you feel you can plant!

Growing a Bat Friendly Garden

By Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer

This article appeared in the July 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County.

Cluster of bats hanging upside down from a ciment ceiling
Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus)

My informal poll on bats confirmed my suspicion: people either like them or hate them. There’s no in-between. I don’t mean to preach to the converted. But if you shudder at the thought of inviting these flying nocturnal mammals into your property, it’s time to talk facts about bats.

First, let’s bust some myths. People often use the phrase “blind as a bat,” but there are no bats that are actually blind. Additionally, bats are not flying rats. They belong to the order Chiroptera, not Rodentia. And not all bats have rabies, either. In fact, bats contract rabies much less frequently than other mammals. Moreover, bats do not suck people’s blood; nor do they get tangled in people’s hair.

A little brown bat on the ground with its mouth open, showing its teeth
Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)

Ignore their bad reputation. It’s unwarranted. Instead, focus on creating an inviting space for bats to visit your yard so you can enjoy the many benefits these fuzzy creatures have to offer.

Like birds, bees and butterflies, bats are important pollinators – only they cover the night shift. According to the U.S. Forest Service, bats pollinate and disperse seeds for more than 700 plants. Without bats, you can forget avocados, bananas, dates, peaches, figs, mangoes and other commercially valuable crops. Bats are the only pollinator of the agave plant used to make tequila. Without them, you can kiss your margarita goodbye.

Bats are also excellent eradicators of pesky insects like mosquitoes, caterpillars, moths, gnats and flying beetles. They have been documented to eat bugs that attack pecans, almonds, corn, coffee, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans. A single bat can devour up to 1,200 mosquito-sized insects every hour. That makes bats your friendly provider of free nontoxic pesticide. Scientists estimate that bats in the United States save us billions of dollars in pest control services every year. That’s good reason to love, not loathe, bats.

Because bats feed on insects, they suffer when there are problems with insect populations or when habitats are destroyed or poorly managed. Hence, bats are good indicators of biodiversity.

To attract bats to your garden, plant flowers that are late-day blooming or night-scented. Here are some suggestions:

Samll white flowersMock orange shrub (Philadelphus virginalis): This late-blooming deciduous plant provides a stunning citrus fragrance and can be used in groups as screening or as a stand-alone specimen. They also make excellent cut flowers indoors. It’s not a true orange, and its name supposedly derives from the fragrant white flowers which in some varieties resemble that of orange blossoms.

Spherical cluster of lavander colored flowersPhlox (Phlox paniculata): This native American wildflower is also known as garden phlox and summer phlox. They are sun-loving perennials with a long flowering season. Phlox are tall-eye-catching plants with large clusters of pink, lavender or white flowers, called panicles. They bloom for several weeks in summer and make excellent cut flowers.

Bright yellw spikes of tiny flowers Goldenrods (Solidago spp.): A native to the United States, goldenrods have more than a hundred varieties, with one suitable for every climate. They are clump-forming perennial wildflowers that are topped with plumes of fluffy yellow flowers. Goldenrods provide nectar for pollinators and when planted near vegetables, can draw bad bugs away. They are thought to cause summer allergies, which is a misconception since the pollen from allergy-creating ragweed is present when the goldenrod blooms.

Small rosemary bush with lots of small blue-purple flowers
Rosemary

Herbs can attract bats as well. You can plant rosemary, thyme, chives, lemon balm and marjoram to attract bats to your garden. Just stay away from cinnamon, eucalyptus and peppermint. Bats are repelled by their scent.

 Besides food, bats also need water and shelter. If you don’t live near a pond or stream, a birdbath will help attract them. And what could be more welcoming than giving bats a home of their own? You can buy a bat house online or make your own. The internet is brimming with DIY bat house plans, along with instructions on where to hang them.

Despite their bad reputation, bats actually do more good than bad. So give them a warm welcome and grow a bat friendly garden.

Bat Resources

Bat Conservation International

Bat Pollination – US Forest Service

Bats of New York – NYS DEC

Indiana Bat

Little Brown Bat

Northern Long-eared Bat

White-Nose Syndrome Threatens New York’s Bats

Bats – NYS Integrated Pest Management

Bats – Oregon State Extension

Grow plants for bats! – University of Minnesota Extension

Wildlife Management: Bats – Cornell University

Pest Watch: Mosquitoes in our Ecosystem

By Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer

This article appeared in the August 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County.

Graphic: The World's Deadliest Animals (Number of People Killed by Animals per year): Mosquito 725,000; Human 475,000; Snake 50,000; Dog 25,000; Tsete fly (sleeping sickness) 10,000; Assassin Bug (Chagas disease) 10,000; Freshwater Snail (schistocomiasis) 10,000; Ascaris roundworm 2,500; Tapeworm 2,000; Crocodile 1,000; Hippopotamus 500; Elephant 100; Lion 100; Wolf 10; Shark 10 (Source: Gatesnotes) StatistaDid you know one of the smallest insects in the world also happens to be the deadliest to humans?  Yup, those pesky mosquitoes renowned for ruining many an outdoor evening event kill more humans every year than sharks, snakes, lions, crocodiles, and hippos combined.  Of course they don’t do it alone; mosquitoes do not actually cause diseases themselves but act as vectors (carriers) for deadly diseases such as malaria, encephalitis, dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus and Zika, to name a few.  To transmit these diseases, mosquitoes first need to feed on the blood of a human or other animal that is already infected by the disease.  Afterwards when they bite a healthy human, they pass on the disease.

Close-up of a blood filled mosquito
Female Mosquito

There are as many as 3,500 species of mosquitoes and they live on every continent except Antarctica. Not all mosquitoes bite, some adult mosquitoes feed exclusively flower nectar. And for the mosquitoes that do bite, less than one hundred species are carriers of horrible diseases. And it is only the female mosquitoes that take a blood meal from hosts like us. And they only do it, because they need the protein from our blood to produce their eggs.

 Larvae of Culex Mosquitoes. As seen on the picture, larvae make dense groups in standing water. A shift in the feeding behavior of those mosquitoes helps explain the rising incidence of West Nile virus in North America. It appears that the darker structure at the top center of the image is one pupa.
Mosquito larvae (Culex sp.)

So, what are mosquitoes good for, you ask?  Mosquito larvae are an integral part of the aquatic ecosystems in which they live.  Mosquito larvae that live in wetlands consume a lot of organic matter. By straining organic particles through their system and converting into their own tissue matter they help recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.  Mosquito larvae serve as an important food source for other aquatic animals such as dragonfly larva and fish.  From the human point of view, mosquitoes seem to exist to annoy us or make us sick, but from the point of view of spiders, birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and other animals that rely on them as a source of food, mosquitoes are important for survival.  For example, in the Arctic tundra, birds rely on the swarms of mosquitoes to stay alive.

A mosquito feeding on the nectar of flower with petals and a brown centerMosquitoes are beneficial to plants as well.  Many adult mosquitoes depend on plant nectar for their energy, and while retrieving the nectar, they also pollinate plants.  And as we know that pollination is key to plant reproduction, mosquitoes play an important role in helping plants survive so they can provide food and shelter for other organisms.

The reality is that not enough is known about all the interspecies interactions of mosquitoes to get rid of them without doing harm to other species in our ecosystems.  In the meantime, scientists are studying mosquito saliva in hopes of finding properties that can lead to the development of anti-clotting drugs that can be used to treat cardiovascular disease.  Until that day arrives, we may not have a conclusive answer to the question: What are mosquitoes good for?

Learn more about mosquitoes:

VIDEO: Mosquitoes in Your Back Yard – NYS Integrated Pest Management, Cornell University

Mosquitoes – NYS Integrated Pest Management, Cornell University

Mosquitoes – Medical Entomology, Purdue University

Meet the Mosquito With a Big Appetite⁠—for Other Mosquitoes – Entomology Today


Gardener’s Checklist

August 2021

Garden Maintenance

  • Deadhead annuals and perennials regularly too encourage new blooms.
  • Consider adding some herbs to you perennial flower garden.

    Japanese Knotwwed in full bloom
    Invasive Japanese Knotweed

Webinar: Gardening with Herbs – Cornell Cooperative Extension Chemung County

Pest Watch

A silken fall webworm nest at the end of a branch full of caterpillars.
Fall Webworm Nest
  • Keep pests out of your home this fall!

Webinar: Keeping Pests Out of Your Home this Fall: From Stink Bugs to Mice – NYS IPM

  • Scout your lawn for grubs—before you treat!!

VIDEO: Using IPM to Assess Your Lawn for White Grubs – NYS IPM

  • Dump out any standing water from containers in your yard to prevent mosquito breeding.
A very holey head of cabbage a result of feeding by the imported cabbageworm
Imported cabbageworm damage on cabbage.

How to Manage Mosquitoes in the Landscape – New York State Integrated Pest Management

  • Scout often for pest in your vegetable garden.

What Kind of Insect is Destroying my Plants?– Gardening in Orange County New York Blog

Vegetable Gardening

  • Rejuvenate your soil by planting a fall cover crop such as barley or clover.
Light purple clover flower against a background of green leaves
Clover makes a great fall cover crop.

Webinar: Cover Crops for the Home Garden – Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

  • Continue to remove weeds, as they compete with your garden plants for water, sunlight, and space.
Bottom of basil eaf covered with downy mildew spores
Basil Downy Mildew
  • Preserve your bounty.

Webinars: Food Preservation – Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County


Happy Gardening!

Black Swallowtail on Lupine ‘Tutti Fruitti’

Plant of the Month: Summer Alliums

By Robin Portelli, Cornwall Master Gardener Volunteer

This article appeared in the July 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County.

Alliums, otherwise known as ornamental onions, literally can be seen popping-up in sunny gardens around the area. The most common varieties bloom in late spring to early summer but there are some late summer to fall bloomers as well.  Most of them will have fragrant showy globe-like flower heads on a single stem. These perennial bulbs do well in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9 depending on the variety/cultivar. Well drained soil is important since many of the bulbs are large and will rot if they sit in too much moisture. Their heights range from 12-48 inches.  Some of their attributes include being deer, rabbit and vole resistant along with being pollinator friendly attracting bees, butterflies and occasionally a hummingbird.  Plus, they come in a variety of eye-catching colors including purple, pink, blue, white, and yellow.


Large purple allium bloom - a spherical ball of tiny purple flowers
Allium giganteum

My favorite is one of the largest most popular varieties, Allium giganteum.  In June, it gets 4 feet tall with beautiful, round softball size, lavender, umbel type flower heads.  I have them interspersed in my perennial garden bed. Since their leaves die back before they bloom, I have the base of the plant covered by other plants. Even after it blooms, the dried flowerhead remains an ornamental feature for most of the summer.


Allium bloom that looks like a fire work - long-stemmed pink flowers all radiating from a sinle point
Allium schubertii

Another favorite of many gardeners is Allium schubertii. Even though it only grows to be 16-20 inches tall, its flower diameter is 12-15 inches! People state it looks like “an explosion of rosy florets caught in mid-air” or “like a colorful pinkish tumbleweed.” This variety can tolerate part shade but prefers full sun like most alliums. It is suggested to be used in naturalistic gardens. I planted this bulb in the fall for the first time. We shall see if it lives up to all the hype.


A clump of bright purple allium flowers - purple balls on green stems
Allium ‘Millenium’

If you are looking for a true summer blooming allium, you may want to consider the ‘Millenium’ hybrid as your first choice. It was the Perennial Plant Association 2018 Plant of the Year. It is smaller, growing to a height of 15 inches, but it is clump forming with many purplish-pink long-lasting blooms. The foliage is described as glossy, deep green with an ornamental grass-like appearance. It is very heat tolerant. The dried brown flowers seem to last thru ought the winter.


Nodding Allium - Clump of small pink flowers on the end of a long stalk with their heads pointing down
Allium cernuum

A Northeast U.S native ornamental onion is Allium cernuum . It is known as the nodding onion. It can be found in woods, prairies, bluff edges and dry meadows  from New York to Michigan into Canada. It is another clump forming allium that grows 8-18 inches tall. It has summer blooming light pink to lavender drooping flowers. Native Americans used the bulbs for medicinal purposes. As other alliums, it attracts many bees and butterflies.  It can be a great addition to a rock garden but be cautious. It can self-seed so gardeners are advised to cut off the seed heads after it blooms.


There are many other allium varieties waiting for you to research and hopefully pick for your own garden. The larger varieties are truly a festive sight to see.

Gardener’s Check List

May 2021

Garden Maintenance

  • Remove dead leaves from flower and vegetable beds.

When can I clean up my garden…and still protect beneficial insects? – Biocontrol Bytes, NYSIPM

  • Divide perennials so they have more space to grow.  Give extras to family and friends.
  • Light purple lilac blooms
    Lilacs

    Remove flowerheads after lilac bloom.

  • Plant a cutting garden to create beautiful flower arrangements all summer long.

WORKSHOP: Growing and Selecting Flowers for Floral Arrangements –  Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County

  • Remove emerging weeds before they take over your garden.
  • A short wooden tub set next to a tree overflowing with plants: a tall grass with red leaves, a bright green plant with white viens and a dark pruple plant spilling over the edge.Consider using container gardening to beautify your home, create a privacy screen and/or grow vegetables and herbs.

WORKSHOP: Creating Beautiful Container Gardens – Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County

Pest Watch

Get your ticks tested for free! – Upstate Medical University

  • Watch out for snails and slugs in the garden.

Spotted Lanternfly Look-alikes – Virginia Cooperative Extension

  • Scout your stone fruit trees(i.e. cherry, peach, plum, etc.) for black knot.

Vegetable Gardening

  • Install supports for climbing vegetables such as peas and beans before planting seeds
  • Seed or transplant hardy vegetables such as kale, beets, peas, radishes, chard and carrots.

Vegetable Planing Guide – Cornell Cooperative Extension

  • Transplant warm weather vegetables and tender annuals after the last frost.

Patience is a Virtue in Planting Outdoors – Times Herald-Record


Play out in the rain!

A small child in yellow rain boots jumping in a puddle