Ferdinand's Flowers
Miss Anne will return this fall with mums and other fall plants. She'll continue to have new gardening tips for you each month on this page. If you have any specific gardening questions, you can reach Miss Anne directly via e-mail. Just click on this link.
Miss Anne's Monthly Gardening Tips
2010 has been an unusual year for Mother Nature in Maryland. Trees that never bloomed in the spring at the same time did this year. The lovely pink to purple flowers of the Redbud trees bloomed along with yellow Forsythia, giving us a visual treat. In May, all Fruit trees bloomed in the same week.
Fireflies or Lightening bugs are flashing in the night sky earlier this year too. There are over 2000 species and the flash patterns are specific for each species! Some species feed on nectar or pollen. Now, adult Japanese beetles are appearing all over Maryland in the same week. Normally, the emergence occurs slowly over a 7 to 14 day period, beginning on Eastern Shore, then Southern, Central and lastly Western Maryland. Bagworms are feeding now, too. Be on the lookout for small bags of fresh cut plant material on Leyland Cypress, Spruce and Arborvitae. “BT” or “Conserve” work well and do not harm beneficial insects.
Our gardens are suffering from the sporadic storms we have had in June. Remember to water in the early morning if possible, especially crops with fuzzy leaves. Water can stay on these leaves longer and the hot afternoon sun can burn the leaf. Watering at night can encourage fungus growth. In the “Ladybug Garden” the straw mulch has been doing a good job of protecting the soil from drying out.
Check your tomatoes for late blight which can occur at anytime in the growing season and affects ALL parts of the plant. What to check for: leaves that seem to have dark, wet spots, these spots will enlarge under cool wet conditions; a white mold will appear at the margins. The stems are also affected; all leaves will then shrivel and drop off. Infected tomatoes develop shiny, dark or olive colored spots, soft rot will then occur. This blight is spread by the wind. If you find this on a plant, put a bag over it, dig it up and dispose of it immediately. DO NOT COMPOST or plant anything in this spot for 1 year. Potato plants can also be affected. If you suspect your garden may have this problem, send an email to ferdinandsflowers@zoominternet.net for more info.
Plants in bloom now:
Milkweed, host plant for the Monarch Butterfly
Bergamot, beneficial for bees
Million Bells, a prolific bloomer in the sun, keep moist but don’t drown! Great in pots or hanging baskets.
Halcyon Blue Hosta, cool blue leaves with tall lavender flower spikes, likes shade and rich moist soil, slug resistant and is the last Hosta to succumb to frost.
Daylilies are smiling up at the hot sun, so many lovely colors, even the road banks are dressed up in orange and yellow.
If the deer are munching on your garden daylilies email ferdinandsflowers@zoominternet.net for a Deer Repellent recipe you can make at little expense at home, adding different ingredients to keep the deer guessing.
POISONUS PLANT OF THE MONTH: Lantana a garden plant in Maryland attractive in border plantings. The flowers change color as they age. All parts of the plant especially leaves and green are berries are severely toxic.
Thank you for visiting FERDINAND’S FLOWERS this Spring. We hope to see you in September.
This information was provided by the Home and Garden Information Center, Maryland Extension, University of Maryland and the University of Maryland Central MD Research and Education Center..
