Connecticut Garden Journal

Gardeners are very interested in creating pollinator gardens to support all the insects and creatures that help pollinate our food plants and flowers. But the first order of business is to know who's a pollinator.

The poster child for pollinators is the honey bee. This European, native insect lives in groups in hives and is used commercially to pollinate a variety of plants from almonds to apples. Bumble bees are also popular, hive forming pollinators mostly because they're easy to identify. But there are many native bees, such as squash bees, digger bees, and leaf cutter bees, that are solitary insects and can be very efficient pollinators. Mason bees lay eggs in holes in logs, wood and even masonry. You can even encourage mason bees in your yard by hanging mason bee houses for them to nest. They're very efficient pollinators. It only takes two mason bees to pollinate a whole apple tree. The only downside of mason bees is, unlike honey bees who can forage for pollen for miles, mason bees tend to stay only 100 yards from their nest.

Small flies may seem like a nuisance at summer picnics and outdoor activities, but many are pollinators. Tachinid and syrphid flies look similar to wasps and bees, but are non stinging. They can pollinate a range of flowers and vegetables and some control pest insects, such as aphids and scale, as well.

Beetles are not usually thought of as pollinators, but some, such as scarab and soldier beetles, will pollinate magnolia, sweet shrub, and spirea. Even hummingbirds, with their long tongues, are good pollinators of tube shaped flowers.

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Potatoes and eggplants are fun vegetables to grow in Connecticut gardens, but as they start putting on growth you may notice someone else is interested in your plants. Adult potato beetles are large black and tan striped beetles that are active now, laying yellowish-orange eggs on the undersides of leaves. Potatoes and eggplants are their favorite plants to attack, but you'll see the beetles on other night shades such as tomatoes, peppers and petunias, too.

The eggs hatch into small, reddish, soft bodied larvae that start feeding. It's this stage that does most of the damage. While potatoes can lose up to 1/3 of their foliage and still produce a good crop, eggplants and other night shades can be seriously damaged by these beetles.

Luckily, there are a number of things you can do. The simplest control is to check the leaf bottoms every few days for the eggs and crush them. This will stop the potato beetles in their tracks. You can also hand crush the larvae, but wear gloves. It will get messy. Adult beetles are hard to kill with sprays, but the larvae are susceptible to an organic Bacillus thuriengensis or Bt spray, specially formulated for potato beetles. Spray in the evening on just the infected plants, when the larvae are still small, to be most effective.

There are some fun home remedies you can try like using a shop vac to suck the larvae off the plants and planting tansy or catmint around potatoes as companion plants to mask the scent of the potato from the adult beetles. Rotating crops every year helps as well.

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When the peonies and Siberian irises are blooming you may notice another perennial flower making a statement. Baptisia, or false indigo, is a hardy native perennial that features colorful, pea-like flowers on a large, flowing plant.

The traditional species of Baptisia australis features a blue colored flower. But there are newer varieties and other species that have purple, yellow, red and pink colored blooms. Baptisia alba features white flowers. Check out the 'Decadence' series of baptisias for some of these unusual colored varieties.

Baptisia is what I like to call a “shrub-like” perennial. It grows quickly in spring into a 3- to 4-foot tall perennial in a classic vase-shape. It may need support to keep it from flopping over as it gets larger. The pea-like leaves and flowers give away its legume background. Baptisia fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere for food and helps other plants grow, too. It has a taproot, so once established, it's a tough plant to move.

Plant baptisia near other spring bloomers, but remember its size. It will eventually spread over time into a large clump. After the flowers finish in early summer, you can deadhead baptisia and enjoy the dark green foliage. It makes a perfect backdrop for lower growing summer annuals and perennials such as profusion zinnias, salvias, and coreopsis. You can also leave the seedpods to dry on the plant. They form a rattle shape with seeds inside. In fact, historically they were used as a child's toy. Baptisias are generally free of damage from animals, insects and diseases. Come fall, baptisia will die back to the ground.

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There's nothing like fresh sweet corn for a summer dinner. Sweet corn is a great home garden vegetable to grow, if you have room. But even if you don't, varieties such as 'On Deck', can fit in containers. With new and unusual varieties available, it may be time to grow a sweet corn patch this summer.

We're all familiar with white, bi-color and yellow sweet corns and with the newer supersweet varieties such as 'Ambrosia' and 'Peaches and Cream'. Now there are sweet corn varieties in different colors. 'Ruby Queen' is a red kerneled corn that can be eaten when it's bluish-red as a sweet corn, or allowed to mature to a dried corn. It grows 7 feet tall, does best with another supersweet variety close by, and has decorative red tassels. 'Hopi Blue' grows 5 feet tall, can be harvested when young as a blue sweet corn, or allowed to dry to make blue tortillas.

Don't plant sweet corn too early. Wait until the soil has warmed and plant in blocks of 4 short rows per each variety, spaced 2 feet apart. Separate the blocks of varieties with 4 foot wide rows to reduce the chances of cross pollination.

Corn is in the grass family and grows fast. Plant in full sun on fertile soil. Add compost at planting time and an organic fertilizer, such as 5-5-5, when the plants are knee high. Hill the rows when plants are small to keep the stalks from flopping over during a storm. Mulch to keep the soil moist and use electric fencing to keep raccoons out.

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On one of my Garden Tours to England, I became entranced by their cottage gardens. Cottage gardens are known for their abundance of flowers, shrubs, trees, vines and edibles all grown together in what I call “organized chaos”. But there's a plan to this chaos.

Here's a few design ideas when planting a traditional English cottage garden. First, start with the structure of the garden. Cottage gardens often have “rooms” separated by hedges or fences where different colored flowers and themes can be created. Winding pathways also are used to give even a small garden a larger sense of size. Structures and sitting areas are incorporated so you can have places to work, rest and enjoy.

Traditional English Cottage gardens feature pastel colored flowers such as salvias, delphiniums, dianthus and foxgloves. Plant your flowers in groups of 3, 5, or 7 for splashes of color. Mix annuals, biennials and perennials for color from spring to fall. Add fragrance plants such as lavenders, lilies and roses. In shady cottage garden, focus more on leaf texture and color to create a dramatic effect. Add shrubs and small trees for structure in your garden, emphasizing natives such as viburnums, dogwoods and elderberry.

Most importantly allow plants to grow into each other as they overlap flowering times. Prune and thin in spring so plants aren't overwhelmed. The summer effect should be a riot of color and texture mimicking a wild garden.

To learn more about cottage gardening join me at the Stonington Garden Tour on June 10th and 11th. I'll be giving a talk on cottage gardens on that Saturday at 1pm.

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Many gardeners are either downsizing from their large vegetable gardens or have limited space to grow food. A good way to maximize your space is to grow vertically.

There are a number of climbing vegetables beyond the traditional pole beans and peas, that thrive during our hot summers and offer some interesting and unusual fruits.

Many gardeners love pole beans, but this Asian variety is really unique. The 'Red Noodle' yard-long bean climbs on a teepee or trellis producing beans that can grow a yard long, but are best picked when they're about 1-foot long. The beans are thin, burgundy colored and featured in many Asian recipes. It only takes a small handful of beans to make a meal.

I love spinach, but once the weather turns hot, our spinach bolts. There is an alternative. 'Malabar' spinach is a heat loving, climbing spinach that has red veins and stems. It looks fabulous on a trellis. The leaves have a spinach-like texture and may not taste exactly like spinach. They are best used cooked in recipes that require greens.

We all know cucumbers love the summer heat, but here's an unusual vining cucumber family plant that is fun to look at and eat. Cucamelons grow like regular cucumbers up a trellis or support. The plant has small leaves and small fruits. The cucamelon fruits are about the size of a large grape and are striped like a watermelon. Their flavor and texture is tangy and crisp. It's a fun plant to grow for kids and grandkids. Eat cucamelons fresh in salads, pickled or even dropped into your favorite cocktail.

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Whether it be from kids, pets or wildlife, many times our gardens need protection. There's nothing worse than to plant a garden only to have soccer balls knock down plants, dogs dig up the bed or wild animals eat your plants. The key to protecting your plants is often a good fence.

Depending on the perpetrator, the fence can be short or tall, sturdy or delicate. For young kids and small dogs, a 2- to 3-foot tall fence should be enough to keep them from bounding into the garden. A fence made from chicken wire, wood or netting can all work. For larger dogs that are interested in digging, a stronger, wire or wooden fence would work better. For animals, such as woodchucks or rabbits, a 4-foot tall wire fence is best as long as you curve the bottom foot to an “L” shape lying it flat on the ground covered in mulch. This will discourage tunneling under the fence. For woodchucks that climb, don't attach the top of the fence to posts and the woodchuck's weight will bend the fence, dropping them back down to the ground outside your garden.

Fencing may not work for cats that like to climb. Consider placing branches with thorns, such as roses and brambles, on newly planted gardens to discourage cats from using your bed as a litter box.

Good climbers, such as squirrels, won't be thwarted by a fence. Cover prized plants with a floating row cover before they discover them or use smell-based repellent sprays. Just be sure to repeat the sprays as the plant grows.

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“Then we have the irises, rising beautiful and cool on their tall stalks, like blown glass, like pastel water momentarily frozen in a splash. . .” This Margaret Atwood quote depicts the beauty of this spring flower. Irises come in many types. Bearded iris are most common with large, colorful blooms. The clump-forming, Siberian iris has smaller, blue, pink, yellow or white flowers. Japanese iris flowers resemble colorful butterflies floating on the breeze.

Whatever iris you choose to grow, it's important to find the right spot. Select a full sun location on well-drained soil, although Japanese iris grow well in wetter soils. Siberian iris are a little more forgiving of shade, but they will flower better in sun. Well drained soil is key. If you have clay soil either amend it heavily with compost or create a raised bed for good soil water drainage.

Plant bearded iris so the tops of the rhizomes are at the soil line. Don't bury them. Plant Siberian and Japanese iris as you would any perennial. Over time the iris plant will get overcrowded and stop flowering. Divide clumps in summer, removing any diseased or damaged rhizomes, replanting the rest in fresh soil. The clump forming irises, such as the Siberian iris, form a dead area in the center of the clump when overcrowded. Divide in summer removing the dead area and splitting up and replanting the live growth.

Enjoy your iris flowers in gardens matched with other spring beauties such as peonies, salvia and geraniums. Cut flowers for arranging indoors as the first flowers on the stalk begin to open.

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With the rising price of flowers, you might need a different plan for a Mother's Day gift this year. Certainly, you should never skimp on your mom, but even she will appreciate a thoughtful, practical and a little less expensive gift.

When my mom was alive we would make an annual trek to a local greenhouse in Watertown so she could buy her geraniums for her flower boxes and containers. Whether it be a geranium, impatiens, petunia or coleus, a way to save a little money would be to grow your own for mom. By purchasing one plant, you can make many by taking cuttings. Here's how.

Select a branch and cut just below a set of leaves about 6 inches for the tip. Remove all but the top leaves. Dip the cutting in rooting hormone powder and stick it in a container filled with moisten potting soil. Place the pot out of direct sun, but in a bright place, keep watered and in a few weeks it will root and start growing.

Another money saver is making your own flower bouquets. Feature spring flowering daffodils and tulips from your yard mixed with native ferns, wildflowers, a sprig from a flowering apple tree or any other plants that strike your fancy. Mom will appreciate the creativity.

Finally, help mom plant a small, raised bed vegetable garden. A simple 4- by 8-raised bed is plenty of room to grow a bevy of veggies. Fill the bed with soil and compost and work with her to plant her favorite greens, herbs and salad veggies. She'll think of you daily while enjoying those free veggies!

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We've all seen the high price of veggies in grocery stores. That might make you think twice about purchasing a specialty vegetable like asparagus.

So, why not grow your own and have it every year regardless of inflation and shortages. Select varieties adapted to our region. 'Millenium' is a Canadian variety that features all-male plants, good production and the ability to grow in a wide range of soils. 'Purple Passion' is a fun, purple colored heirloom variety. Purchase crowns locally or through catalogs. Find a full sun location on well-drained soil. Dig a trench 1 foot deep and plant the spider-like crowns 1 foot apart in the trench. Ten crowns is probably plenty for a small family. Backfill with native soil to just cover the top of the crowns. As the ferns grow, continue backfilling until you fill the trench.

For the first two years you'll just be weeding and watering. By year three you can harvest for 4 to 6 weeks, cutting just the spears that are pencil width or larger. After that, the production can go on for years, as long as you add compost and organic fertilizer each spring and keep the bed weeded.

For fun, grow white asparagus. This is a gourmet treat in many restaurants and although it looks like a different variety, it's just blanched asparagus. Cover part of your asparagus bed with black plastic and let the spears grow up into it. The plastic blocks the light and turns the spears white, tender and milder tasting.

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