By joenesgarden, 9 months and 12 days ago

Beetles to the rescue … slowly?

Southern New England used to have large green expanses of hemlock forests … until the woolly adelgid turned green to brown.  An accidental release, from Japan in 1953, of this piercing/sucking insect – an endearing term used to describe any plant pest that pokes a hole in leaves and stems to access a plant's life-juices – has decimated acres and acres of woodland in Pennsylvania, New York, and many areas of New England.  I've witnessed the devastation brought on by the woolly adelgid in nearby state parks.  First you could see a few white, cotton-like clusters on the undersides of the hemlock branches then, a few months or a year later, the undersides of these trees were so infected that it looked like snow had settled on the undersides of the branches.  Now, dead hemlock trunks stand waiting to topple like pick-up-sticks in the next heavy wind.

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By joenesgarden, 9 months and 15 days ago

Seminar: Going Native in New England

blueberry-low-bush-3_edited October 17, 2009.  One of my favorite fall bright spots come from the blueberry bushes I have planted in a perennial border and those growing naturally in the woods surrounding my home.  Native blueberries are wonderful replacements for the potentially invasive burning bushes (Euonymus alatus) planted along highways throughout Connecticut in so many yards – even in mine which includes one closely watched  'Compactus' variety planted a long time ago.  Now, when I seek burning red color I plant blueberries, like the low-bush variety in the photo.

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By joenesgarden, 9 months and 17 days ago

Octoberfest Bloom Day

October 15, 2009.  In honor of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and in spite of light frost, some flowers remain defiant to the cold. 

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By joenesgarden, 9 months and 20 days ago

Frost last night, freeze coming soon … but gardening doesn't stop

October 12, 2009. Temperatures fell below 36 degrees last night – frost level - in my south-central Connecticut gardens, so all exposed tender annuals – moonflowers, impatiens, petunias, coleus for example – are nearly done.  Even though a quick look through the gardens this morning showed many of my tender annuals survived last night – likely due to the closeness of stone walls or mature trees – they will succumb to the even colder temperatures forecast for later this week.  By Thursday night I expect a freeze – 32 degrees or lower – pretty much on target for this area.

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By joenesgarden, 9 months and 23 days ago

Quick notes: pumpkins, a plant sale, and a plant swap

pumpkins-2_edited October 9, 2009.  Whether you are caught up on your gardening chores or not, here's some events you may not want to pass up this Columbus Day weekend.

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