what to do now for the best garden
The Big Little Garden is filled with bird song and the chirping and peeping and fluttering of wings of fledglings. Their antics are super cute and make it difficult to get anything else done. The Baltimore Orioles (at least 8 fledglings from 3 mated pair) are the most vocal, with House and Carolina Wrens come in a close second. While the baby woodpeckers hop up the large white pine tree, the baby nuthatch pass them headfirst heading down the tree. Orioles, catbirds, blue jays and cardinals are all pushing and shoving at the two jelly feeders. My biggest offense is letting the jelly and hummingbird nectar feeders to run on empty. We have at least 3, possibly 4 generations of rabbits dashing all through the gardens and mostly dining on the clover lawn. It’s like a Disney movie, only better! But I digress, there ARE things that we can be doing to improve plant performance and the ecology of our gardens as we enter the month of July. So, let’s get started!
is it time to deadhead your plants’ bedhead?
As we turn the corner into July, there are a few plants that you might be tempted to deadhead. However, some plants will not rebloom, and deadheading makes them even less attractive.
Today I recorded a couple videos to show you which ones are worth deadheading for rebloom and those that are best left undisturbed. Read more and watch videos here.
in the news
I was recently interviewed for the Nashua Link Ink publication for their ‘How Does Your Garden Grow’ series featuring gardens throughout Nashua.
I appreciated having the opportunity to share my thoughts about ecological gardening and how we can support wildlife with proper stewardship of our landscapes.
mosquito bucket challenge
From the brilliant mind of conservationist and entomologist, Doug Tallamy, I’ve learned a simple method of preventing the breeding of mosquitos in my landscape. I’ve long been concerned about the practice of fogging and spraying, as we know that not only do they NOT eradicate mosquitoes, these practices actually harm beneficial insects…not to mention the risk they pose to us humans and our beloved pets. Tallamy, who famously promotes the ‘Homegrown National Park’ (check it out!), offers us a safe and effective alternative that we can implement in about 5 minutes. Check out the Mosquito Bucket Challenge here!
I have a Bucket of Doom on the edge of our property in our small wooded area. The idea is to create an irresistible lure for mosquitos to lay eggs…into water that has been treated with a biologic called Bti that kills the larvae before they become chomping monsters. This is a fun project to do with the kiddos this weekend! Children are fascinated with ‘bugs’ and can readily comprehend the importance of protecting fireflies, bees, butterflies and more. I challenge you to try it - it’s easier and tons cheaper than dangerous fogging and spraying of chemicals.
volunteer opportunity
We have been super blessed with an incredible, and growing, team of volunteers at the Community Hospice House. It takes a LOT to keep an effort like ours going, and I understand the challenge of building our kind of momentum. I recently learned about another worthy community effort that I want to share with all of you:
Bridges: Domestic & Sexual Support Services in Nashua, NH is looking for a volunteer gardener. They have built a lovely greenhouse and vegetable garden for the clients that they serve. They are looking for someone that can help maintain the garden starting in August through the late fall. If you are interested in this opportunity or want to learn more about Bridges, you can contact Dakota Tanner at VolunteerCoord@bridgesnh.org or 603-889-0858.
Until next time,
~Barb