So the big Spring rush is over; Everything is settling in for the season. Of course our cooler, overcast Spring has been flipped upside down with two heatwaves in back to back weeks. I love the picture at the top of someone who decided, on the 102º day last week, to cover their exposed macrophylla Hydrangea with a beach umbrella. Very creative but probably not the best long term solution. A paniculate Hydrangea would do better in this sunny spot while that one would like a little more shade.
Along with the weeding, staking, watering, deadheading, seed collecting, pruning(selective), rabbit deterrence, etc…, following are some topics to discuss for the middle of Summer that don’t require too much effort.
Bulbs
These are the easiest, most cost-effective flowers you can add to your garden, and, most importantly, they can provide layers of color early in the year before perennials develop. They require little to no care, but do benefit with a light fertilization as they are emerging. Some bulbs are massing and spreading ground covers, others clump and expand, and some can be quite dramatic.
I design within three time windows: Early(Feb-Mar), mid(Apr-May), and late(May-June), and while it can be hard to make decisions, I find it best to buy larger quantities of fewer different bulbs. This creates a bigger impact without the dilution of many varieties. Rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks love some of the bulbs, but leave many of them alone. The catalogs are out and you can order for Fall delivery, so I encourage you to buy now before many special selections are gone by August and September. A few hundred dollars can have a big impact. Just like I have never had a client say the terrace you designed is too big, you can never buy too many bulbs.
Here are my three favorite suppliers:
- Van Engelen (John Scheepers is retail arm with smaller quantities)
- Brent and Becky’s
- Brecks Bulbs
Tools
If you want to make your life easier, use better tools. One of my favorite places to buy them is a company I found when I lived in San Francisco 25 years ago. Hida Tools has an extensive selection of garden tools, many of which are from Japan. They also have top quality woodworking, kitchen, and other fun things.
Why is it important to have a good pruner or saw? It largely comes down to the quality of the materials used. If you have ever had a pair of cheap hand pruners, they lose their edge quickly and the blade easily knicks or breaks. My hand pruners are forged from high quality carbon steel. In years, I have never gotten a knick, and regular honing keeps it razor sharp. It makes cuts easy without stress on my wrist or forearm. Quality materials and good craftsmanship make for easy work and long life. Following are some of my favorite tools from Hida. Also, get the Sap remover to keep all your blades clean, and Camellia oil for protection:
- Tobisho SR-1 Hand Pruner
- Kanenori Lopper
- Silky Zubat Pruning Saw (Silky Saw)
- Kanenori Hedge Shears
- Hori Hori
Bucket of Doom
I was excited to hear from several of you who have created the mosquito ‘Buckets of Doom’. Even one of you had the kids design and paint the buckets. I am also hearing some early success with fewer mosquitos. Check the following link (Mosquito Bucket Challenge) for the details on this simple and safe way to collapse the mosquito populations in your yard.
Instead of doing the fogging or other applications that indiscriminately kill all insects, this simple bucket attracts mosquitos to lay their eggs in the water, and when the larvae hatch, they die. If you can minimize or eliminate new mosquitos, then after a month or two, you can help collapse the population, as adults typically live for a 40-60 days.
I just put out three buckets myself and look forward to reporting on my success.
If you want to subscribe for free to my more detailed newsletter, please go to the following link: The Barker, a newsletter for gardeners in New England.
Barking Dog Gardens - Gardening in New England 