joene's garden » General

Plant diversely and they will come

joenesgarden — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 20:55:45 +0000

As more seed catalogs arrive in the mail, gardeners will begin dreaming of next year's gardens. Following the mantra, plant diversely and they will come, may be one way for gardeners to help troubled bee populations.

Multiple bee species are showing declining populations due to habitat loss, use of pesticides and diseases like Colony Collapse Disorder. Though planting a diverse patch of uninhibited flowering plants may not seem like much, to bees in search of nectar and pollen it could be a feast that helps feed them and us according to this December 24, 2012 article in ScienceDaily.

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin found that « … increasing the number of species-rich flowering patches in suburban and urban gardens, farms and restored habitats could provide pathways for bees to forage and improve pollination services over larger areas.»

As Shalene Jha, assistant professor of biology at the University of Texas at Austin notes in the article, «Native bees provide critical pollination services for fruit, nut, fiber and forage crops.»

She and colleagues found that of native bumble bees, thwarted by paved areas containing limited or no patches of flowering plants or ground nesting sites, will travel longer distances to find patches of flowering plants. Importantly, bumble bees will travel even longer distances to locate diversely planted patches of flowering plants. In other words, bumble bees seek out planted or native areas that offer them a rich menu.

This suggests that planting a rich bumble bee-friendly menu of flowering plants near food and other crops will increase pollination of said crops.

What a great excuse for gardeners looking to increase the number of flowering, preferably regional native and naturalized, plants in their gardens … to help bumble bees and better pollinate neighboring crops.

In my Connecticut garden I often observe bumble bees 'resting' atop flowers in the early morning and late evening hours, as if they are intoxicated by the pollen they've collected. They are not usually aggressive unless they feel threatened while foraging or when their nest is threatened. Bumble bees generally go about their business of collecting pollen with little care for anything else. (Of course, anyone with bee allergies must always use caution around any bee and follow standard protection measures.)

Bumble bees buzz pollen loose from flowers. Once the vibration of the buzzing releases otherwise unreachable pollen the bees collect it in sacks on their hind legs. They then carry the pollen is carried back to the nest to feed the colony.

They are amazing, beneficial pollinators most worthy of gardeners' consideration when planning next year's gardens.

Read more information on bumble bees from The Xerces Society and at BugFacts.net.

Categories: Creatures, Gardening, General, Techniques.
Tags: bumble bees, garden planning, gardening thoughtfully, seed catalogs, The Xerces Society.

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Plants on a frosty morning

joenesgarden — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:30:14 +0000

Plants on a frosty morning

Awakening early on the first frosty morning of autumn is a photographic opportunity not to be missed. October 13, 2012 brought not just the first frost to my Connecticut gardens, but the first freeze. Temperatures dropping to 28 degrees F. ceases the growing season for tender annuals. The secret is enabling the camera lens to catch frosted leaves before they begin to thaw.

Coleus hates cold, but frost crystals add new depth to the maroon leaves of this variety. The moment the sun began to warm these leaves, they turned mushy brown.

Other garden plants are a bit more hardy. They usually bounce back from the first frost as if nothing hit them. Still, a coating of frost gives many leaves a whole new look.

Fern fronds appear to have been sprinkled with sugar.

Tiny leaves of ordinary thyme take on a variegated look.

Though temporarily weighted down by a coating of frost, these mums bounced back with new vigor.

Frost highlights the intricate patterns of foxglove foliage.

The grass blades crunched under each footstep. (I don't recommend walking on frozen grass unless you don't mind damaging it.)

Look at your landscape from a new perspective. You are likely to walk away with renewed appreciation for common scenery.

This bunch of grass grows next to an old tree stump piled with fieldstone while awaiting removal. It's an eyesore from any other vantage point, but not from ground-level with the sunrise glowing in the background sheds new light on the ripened seed heads.

Early morning observations, such as these, allow you to identify the areas of your landscape most susceptible to frost and give you insight into how frost settles. This can be valuable knowledge when trying to find the right place for new plant purchases. Placing a more tender specimen in an open spot may doom it to failure yet the same plant, in a more protected location, is likely to thrive.

One of the many pleasures of gardening comes from watching and learning about your landscape. An early frosty morning is another opportunity to learn … even without camera in hand.

Categories: Gardening, General, Seasons.
Tags: coleus, fern, foxglove, frost, gardening in Connecticut, mums, thyme.

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Some summer garden favorites

joenesgarden — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:22:29 +0000

Some summer garden favorites

In my garden design and maintenance work I get to visit and interact with many other garden lovers. I'm thrilled by some of the ideas my clients express and how they encourage their plants to make whimsical statements. Here I share a couple of my favorites.

But, before we get to the photos, I must apologize for the quality of these posted below. My camera was stolen in July, forcing me to use my phone camera for many of my shots. The phone camera does not capture close-up photos like those I'm used to capturing with my much-missed camera. Still, you'll get the concepts.

A cottage garden planting surrounding two statues one might least expect to find in a Connecticut garden … giraffes.

I love that it appears one giraffe is nibbling on the flowers while the other is standing watch.

The morning glory chair.

Not for sitting but, certainly, a conversation piece.

The best quote I heard all summer came from a client while we inspected the small ornamental cabbage plants that had overwintered along her patio. While I didn't get a photo of her cabbage, it looked much like the holey ornamental kale in my own garden.

When I noted that cabbage moths found her plants she replied, «Yes, but I like lace. It adds great interest and the caterpillars need to eat, too.»

Love that attitude, and how fellow gardeners can brighten a day … any day.

My holey kale doesn't look so bad after all!

Categories: Gardening, General.
Tags: garden whimsy, gardening in Connecticut.

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